I want to stop being a churchwarden

[carlajean]

I've been a churchwarden for 1 1/2 years and, as my husband's retiring, decided I wanted to resign so that we could travel. So I emailed the PCC and vicar to give them 6 months notice (I'm stopping at the AGM, and we're going away at the beginning of May. I've reminded the Vicar 3 times that I'm finishing, but his response each time is to say that I'm still officially in post until the Archdeacon's Visitation later in May, and, if no one steps forward to take up the post, I'll officially be CW until the end of July.
I am aware that this is difficult for the church, especially as the other CW decided to stop at the same time, and no one else wants to do the job, but am I being unreasonable to be upset at how difficult they are making it for me to leave a voluntary position?

[TheProvincialLady]

The church will not be closed if they cant find a new churchwarden within 2 months. A church near me has been without a churchwarden for at least 4 years that I know of. It's not ideal but it won't close the church.

[GinandJag]

Gosh, Pedro, I wish you would acquaint yourself with Wikipedia.

The vicar/rector is not the "first line manager" of a churchwarden. It is the bishop. How hard is this to understand?

It is unusual for a churchwarden to resign mid-year as their appointment is only for a year so the simplest thing is just not to stand again. If they need to go earlier, to write to their boss (the bish).

July is the end of the churchwarden appointment, which allows a handover process. In effect, newly elected churchwardens will be on duty in services from the first Sunday after the APCM, but there will be some duties where they are not fully in charge until after the Archdeacon's visit, during which time the old cw will continue.

It is unusual for both CW to go at the same time. Normally one will step down and the other will cover everything between the APCM, the archdeacon's visit and the end of July.

[PedroPonyLikesCrisps]

Ok, well the vicar should at least be trying to help rather than just being a complete arse about it (not very Christian is it?).

And ultimately, what is going to be the consequence of walking away? No one seems to be able to provide an answer to this.

[GinandJag]

The $64MM question is why do you care?

Is it your God-shaped gap?

[MrsHoarder]

Not everyone has such faith in vicars. We lost 2 in a row in disgrace, which made it very clear that they are only too human.

[carlajean]

thank you to everybody for their responses. I haven't come back sooner as I'm away from home at the moment, but I've very much appreciated the discussion. The other warden resigned after me, and I don't feel it's right for me to say that they should stay. I've now emailed the Bishop and shall be writing to him when I get home.

[townbuiltonahill]

Well - betraying my ignorance - I understood that the CWs appoint the Vicar, not the other way round.

Trots off hastily to do some research .....

[MaryBS]

No, we might be involved in the selection process, but CWs change. I wasn't CW when our current vicar was appointed. The PCC decides who is on the selection panel.

[GinandJag]

The process of appointing a new vicar is a three-way partnership between PCC representatives, the patron and the diocese. No one's opinion trumps the other - they basically all have to agree.

Churchwardens are short listed by the standing committee and given the nod by the PCC. The vicar is part of the standing committee but his vote carries same weight as the other representatives.

[colditz]

God shaped gap bwahhhhhhhh ha ha ha ha! That's the funniest concept I've ever heard.

[PedroPonyLikesCrisps]

What shape is God? Is one person's god a different shape to another's?