Employment and Appointments
There are many people who contribute their time, expertise and energy in different ways to the life of the Diocese. We are grateful for all of these people.
Due to the differences in role, there are some corresponding differences in the guidelines and expectations associated with each.
Clergy
Ordained ministers in the Anglican Church have answered a call from God and fill their role in the Church, not because they have been employed to it, but because they have been called to it. As such, clergy are not employees and the legislative provisions regarding employment referred to in New Zealand acts of Parliament, such as the Employment Relations Act 2000 or Holidays Act 2003, do not apply to you. However, the principles enshrined in the acts that are relevant to your calling are reflected in Diocesan Statutes and Standing Resolutions.
If you are clergy (stipended or non-stipended), or are recruiting and supporting clergy, please follow this link for information that may interest you: Clergy.
Employees
All staff who fulfil their service to the Church by being employed through the Diocese or Parishes, are covered by New Zealand employment legislation and by Diocesan employment policies. If you are an employee, or are recruiting and supporting employees, please follow this link to the national Anglican website, for information that may interest you: Employees.
Volunteers
The Diocese is grateful for the the many many hours of work donated by the huge number of volunteers within the Diocesan Office and the Parishes. Volunteering comes in many forms and can include lay ministry (including ministry licensed by the Bishops), roles on vestries and being wardens, or providing help around churches (such as flowers, cleaning or gardening). Volunteers are not employees under the Employment Relations Act 2000, but are covered by Diocesan volunteer policies. If you are a volunteer, or are working with and supporting volunteers, please follow this link for information that may interest you: Volunteers.
Health and Safety
The safety of all members of the Church community is of paramount importance. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 aims to ensure that workers and other persons should be given the highest level of protection against harm to their health, safety, and welfare from work risks. This applies to churches. For further guidance please follow this link: Health and Safety.
Police Checks
Police or Criminal Conviction History checks are required every three years for individuals who are appointed or elected to positions of responsibility in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all,
especially the young and the vulnerable in the Diocese and to ensure appropriate management of finances. See the Diocesan policy below and follow this link to access the appropriate forms from NZ Police: Police Checks.
Ministry Standards for Office Bearers: Title D Canon I
Bishops, ministers and office bearers are representatives of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia. As such they are obliged to observe particular standards of behaviour. These standards are derived from the Bible and described in Title D, Canon I. That code is aspirational and binding: it exhorts our representatives to live an “exemplary life”, it describes specific standards, and it holds office bearers accountable to them.
You can read the code of behaviour in full here.
Where a bishop, minister or office bearer has been accused of misconduct/a breach of the Canon, a canonical process may be invoked. This may initiate anything from an interview to a tribunal. The process may include investigation, mediation, rehabilitation, and assorted other recommendations as appropriate to the circumstances.
Where a complaint is sustained, a determination is made by a bishop or a tribunal. Such determinations are described as “outcomes” in Part D4 of the Canon.
The categories of outcome—in order of severity—include:
- Admonition (a firm warning or reprimand)
- Suspension (temporary deprivation of office and/or authority)
- Deprivation (removal of office and all authority until further notice)
- Deposition (the permanent removal of office, associated authority, and the ongoing ineligibility of re-election or re-appointment to any office in the church)
It is important to note that this process is not a substitute for any formal legal process under NZ Law. Any matter of a criminal nature is referred to the NZ Police. Furthermore, it should be remembered that ‘misconduct’ demands a much higher moral bar than terms such as ‘criminal’ and ‘illegal’. That distinction is in keeping with the Canon’s injunction to live an “exemplary life”.
If you are looking for opportunities please see our vacancies page.
Taranaki Office - Tikituterangi House
566 Mangorei Road
RD 1
New Plymouth
Phone: 06 759-1178
Waikato Office - Charlotte Brown House
104 Morrinsville Road
Te Ara Hou Village
P O Box 21, Hamilton
Phone: 07 857-0020
