Voting Guidelines
Parish Voting Eligibility Guidelines
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
2008
Under the St. Mark’s bylaws and the Canons of the Diocese of Connecticut, to be eligible to vote at any parish meeting, one must be all of the following:
A. a registered member of the parish – NOTE: Members of the Episcopal Church are all persons who have received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism with water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, whether in the Episcopal Church or in another Christian Church, AND whose baptism has been duly recorded in the Episcopal Church. However, in order for any member of the Episcopal Church to be a registered member of THIS parish, you have to be registered as such here. Such registration occurs in one of three ways:
1. You register in the parish register;
2. You are confirmed or received by a bishop at a service in the parish;
3. You provide a letter of transfer to the parish from a prior parish.
B. an adult communicant of the parish (defined to be any member of the Episcopal Church 16 years of age or older who has received Holy Communion in an Episcopal Church at least three times in the past year)
C. a “faithful attendant” at the services of the church in the parish for at least 6 months prior to the meeting. (unless for good cause prevented)
D. a “faithful contributor” of record to its support
E. “faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the
all such facts as determined by the vestry.
Put in plain English, if you want to vote at a parish meeting, make sure your baptism is registered in the Episcopal Church; make sure you are registered in the parish rolls of St. Mark’s as a member; that you have received communion at least three times in the past year; come to church regularly; pledge; work, pray and give for the spread of the Kingdom of God.
If you have not been baptized, please speak to one of the clergy. If you have not been confirmed, or if you have been confirmed in another Christian Church but have not been received into the Episcopal Church, please speak to one of the clergy. (NOTE: Nothing in the Canons requires that members of the parish be confirmed or received in order to be able to vote; however, the Canons state “It is expected that all adult members of this Church, after appropriate instructions, will have made a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and will have been confirmed or received by a Bishop of this Church or by a Bishop of a Church in communion with this Church.”)
It is up to you to receive communion and be faithful in your attendance, your giving, your work, prayer and giving for the spreading of the
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1 No absentee voting. You must attend the meeting to cast a ballot. Contact Parish Administrator Dick DePatie with eligibility questions.
