The Pastoral Relations Committee (PRC) reports to the Presbytery Standing Committee. The Committee is responsible for:

• Overseeing the pastoral relations between Ministers Agents and Congregations within the Presbytery
• Giving counsel on matters relating to pastoral relationships and responsibilities to ministry agents and congregations
• Deal with Congregational Issues and complaints as set out in the Regulations on Church Discipline
• Accrediting Lay Preachers and recognizing other specified ministries;
• Provide appropriate pastoral support and accountability for ministry agents in active service who are not in approved placements and to those awaiting placement.
• Determine the appointment of long term, short term, interim supply ministry and persons to preside at worship and preach in a Congregation during times when there is no Minister in Placement
• Lay Presidency of sacraments – Permissions to conduct Holy Communion and the sacraments
• Chaplaincy – Church Schools, Prisons, Hospitals, Aged Care
• Vitality and Discernment of Congregations
• Ministry Placement issues relating so Long Service Leave, Annual Leave, Retirement, Conclusion of Placements, and payroll, etc.
• Reviewing the list of ministry agents on a regular basis of those awaiting placement with a view to assisting them either to return to active service or to make other appropriate vocational decisions or suggesting to a Church Council that an invitation be extended to the ministry agent to become a Minister-in-Association.

Membership

Up to six members are selected for the Committee annually. These people elected, after seeking advice from the Committees, will be chosen to provide for a balance of age, gender, ethnicity, rural and urban, specialist knowledge and experience, and the need for the various specified ministries to be represented.

Pastoral Relations Committee Membership appointed by Presbytery currently include:

• the Chairperson – Rev Trevor Waters
• the Secretary of Presbytery – Rev Dr Ian Tozer
• The Moderator (by invitation) – Rev Steve Francis
• The Chair of Presbytery (ex-officio) – Rev Lorraine Stokes
• Pastoral Relations & Placements Coordinator (*staff) – Rev Mark Illingworth
• Administrator (*staff) – Amanda Badenhorst
• Members elected by Presbytery  –  Rev Marie Wilson, Rev Corina van Oostende, Rev Frances Hadfield, John Boon,  Geoff Ebell, Rev Emma Matthews
• Co-opted member – Rev Hannes Halgryn
• two Members elected by Presbytery to represent PRC on the Placements Commission – Rev Trevor Waters and Rev Corina van Oostende

Meeting Dates

The Pastoral Relations Committee meet every second Tuesday of each month at 1.00pm (until further notice). Please contact  Amanda Badenhorst to confirm meeting date and times.

Current Elected Regional Pastors 

• Rev Marie Wilson (Metro South)
• Pastor John Tomkins (North West)
• Alan Hortin (Great Southern)
• Jill Clements (Mid West)

Metro East, South West, Metro West, Metro Central, Metro North and Great Eastern are currently vacant. If you are interested in becoming a regional pastor for one of these vacant regions, please contact Rev Mark Illingworth.