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

• Overseeing the pastoral relations between ministry agents and congregations within the Presbytery.
• Giving counsel on matters relating to pastoral relationships and responsibilities to ministry agents and congregations.
• Dealing with congregational issues and complaints as set out in the Regulations on church discipline.
• Providing appropriate pastoral support and accountability for ministry agents in active service who are not in approved placements and to those awaiting placement.
• Determining 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 in prisons and hospitals. All inquiries in relation to schools and church agencies are to be referred to the General Secretary.
• Vitality and Discernment of Congregations
• Ministry placement issues relating to Long Service Leave, Annual Leave, retirement, the 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 eight 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 Mark Illingworth
• The Secretary of Presbytery – Acting – Rev Des Cousins (until 9 November 2020)
• The Chair of Presbytery (ex-officio) – Bob Hunt
• The Moderator (by invitation) – Susy Thomas
• Presbytery Minister (Pastoral) (*staff) – Rev Alan Jeffrey
• Presbytery Support Administrator (*staff) – Amanda Badenhorst
• Members elected by Presbytery  –  John Boon, Rev Ivan Clark, Sue Whitworth, Rev Marie Wilson
• Two co-opted members – vacant
• Two members elected by Presbytery to represent PRC on the Placements Commission – John Boon and Rev Ivan Clark

Meeting Dates in 2020

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

21 January
18 February
17 March
21 April
19 May
16 June
21 July
18 August
15 September
20 October
17 November
15 December

Current Elected Regional Pastors 

• Rev Marie Wilson (Metro South)
• Pastor John Tomkins (North West)
• Alan Hortin (Great Southern)
• Rev Ruth Vertigan (SouthWest)

Metro East, 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 Alan Jeffrey by email at alan.jeffrey@wa.uca.org,au or phone (08) 9260 9822.