Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru, Esgobaeth Llandaf Church in Wales, Diocese of Llandaff PARISH OF LALESTON & MERTHYR MAWR Annual Vestry Meeting 2020 – Notification and News Dear All …. First and foremost, I hope that this letter finds you safe and well. These are indeed difficult, and somewhat frightening times if you take to heart all that assails you from our media, so please do all that you can to stay safe, stay in contact (safely) with others and be cautious. Second, I’d like to apologise if we have not had contact for a long time, I promise I have not forgotten you but despite how the term “lockdown” may make things sound, times have been very busy, not least in continuously trying to reimagine and deliver ways for us to continue to be “church” whilst standing on constantly shifting sands (so-to-speak). Third, I am writing to you now to let you know that following the Church in Wales making amendments to its constitution in September, your PCC have decided to host our postponed Annual Vestry Meeting online. Obviously this meeting should have taken place back in April, so I would just like to remind everyone that the AVM is the time when we look back at the life of the Parish over a fixed period of time (ie 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2019) and conduct elections for what would have been the year “ahead” (ie 2020). Although there are issues afoot now which do need discussing (such as the sudden injection of pace in establishing Ministry Areas across our Diocese), the AVM is not the place for those conversations. The one area where our awareness of current issues may impact on our decision-making however would be in the election of any new officials… I say this only because any new wardens will be expected to have some input to the ongoing “Greater Bridgend Ministry Area” conversations, and also because the role of all our representatives and post-holders will be affected as the Ministry Area formation gathers pace through next year. (The Bishop’s aim is to have all Ministry Areas across the Diocese established in law by 31st December 2021). So, bearing those things in mind, here are the things that you initially need to know about for the AVM a) A reminder of the date and time of the meeting b) Taking Part (How to join (attend) the meeting) c) Electoral Roll d) The Benefice Annual Report and Parish Accounts for 2019 e) Elections f) Any other business Annual Vestry Meeting – Parish of Laleston & Merthyr Mawr This year’s postponed Annual Vestry meeting for the Parish of Laleston & Merthyr Mawr will be conducted via zoom on Tuesday 24th November starting at 6.30pm. Annual Vestry Meeting – Taking Part To “join” or attend the meeting you simply need an e-mail address and to have let Anthony know that you wish to take part. Nearer to the day, Anthony will send out (via e- mail) an invitation (or “link”) to the meeting. All you will need to do is to click on that link (at the appropriate time and date) and your computer will bring you to the meeting. You will initially go into a “waiting room” and Anthony as the meeting host will be notified that you are waiting to join us: he will then admit you to the meeting and “hey presto”, you have come along. Annual Vestry Meeting – Electoral Rolls Following the recent issue of changes to the Church in Wales Constitution, it has been agreed that the update of the Electoral Roll planned for this year will now go back to 2022. As such, the Electoral Roll as it was last year, still stands as valid…so if you are on it and are happy to remain on it, then you need take no action. Anyone wishing to join (or leave) the Electoral Roll, however, can still do so (and the Roll will be updated). Those wishing to come on or get off the list must contact Anthony so that proper forms can be issued and returned (completed) by 9th November. Annual Vestry Meeting – Benefice Annual Report and Parish Accounts The Benefice Annual Report and Parish Accounts 2019 are the documents that will underpin our conversations at the AVM and both have been available for some time. Normal practice requires us to place hard copies of the Report in Church and to pin the Accounts on the church door (or some other equally “visible” place. Obviously doing these things at present is both futile and impractical but both the Annual Report and Accounts remain available on request either in electronic form or as hard copies. Anyone wishing to have copies of these documents is asked to contact Anthony and arrangements will be made to issue them for you. Annual Vestry Meeting – Elections & Nomination Forms For sidespersons, Church Council and PCC members, it is assumed that you will be content to remain in post until we engage with the AVM process for 2021 by which time we will have a better understanding of the impact of the Ministry Area developments, and can begin to change our own structures accordingly. However anyone wishing to withdraw from their position is requested to notify Anthony just so that proper record can be made during the AVM. “Post-holders” ie Church Wardens, Treasurers, and Secretaries, will be approached in order to clarify their willingness and / or capacity to remain in post until the end of this year given the (possible) additional impact of the Ministry Area issues. Anyone wishing to stand (or nominate someone else to stand) as a Church Warden or other post holder, can request nomination forms from Anthony. NB. Current office holders and PCC members are reminded that this year only they do NOT need to complete forms if they wish to remain in post Elections footnote I would like to draw your attention to a few notifications that have already been received by people who are standing down from various positions… a) Sue Bennett has indicated that she is standing down as one of our Wardens b) Martin Edey has indicated that he is stepping down as both covenant secretary and Benefice Treasurer, and also as Tower Correspondent c) Arwyn Morgan has indicated he will not be remaining as a Licensed Lay Minister and will therefore not be remaining on the PCC as an ex- officio member. I will – of course – have chance to thank each of them for their brilliant service and significant contributions across a wide range of Parish Life, but would also like to say a big thank you to them all here and now for all they have given of their time and talents. In Arwyn and Sue’s cases it is probably not necessary to replace them at this AVM, however in Martin’s case we will need to find a new covenant secretary and Benefice Treasurer as soon as we possibly can. If you think you might be that person – or if you think you know someone else who could be – please bring names to attention as soon as possible. Annual Vestry Meeting – Any Other Business As mentioned earlier, the AVM is specifically intended to be a meeting where we review Parish Life over a fixed period of time (ie 2019), look forward to the year ahead (or what’s left of it) and conduct elections. Although the whole Ministry Area issue is going to be a significant factor in the months ahead I think it’s more appropriate to discuss MA’s in other meetings (and PCC members will already have had chance to have an initial discussion about MA’s before the AVM takes place). As such I would ask that questions for answer within the AVM are not questions about Ministry Areas, but rather about Parish life. In order to help provide proper answers to any questions that may arise, it would be appreciated if any AOB questions could be submitted to Anthony by Saturday 14th November Anyone wanting any information about this years Annual Vestry Meeting should contact Anthony on 01656 859 487 or [email protected] . =========================================== I think that covers everything for now, please remember to get in touch if you want / require any further information / documentation / details about the upcoming Annual Vestry Meeting. Please also remember that whilst we remain in lockdown there is online worship available throughout every week and on Sunday’s, and the weekly newsletter (LaMMP) and our website and Facebook pages provide information that hopefully allows people to access ‘streamed’ online worship from elsewhere and also keeps everyone up to date not just with what’s happening in the Benefice but also further afield in the Diocese. Thank you for your attention. I hope to be back in touch around mid November with whatever additional details have come to hand. Yours in Christ, Anthony Anthony Beer, Priest-in-Charge, Parish of Laleston & Merthyr Mawr, Benefice of Laleston & Merthyr Mawr with Pen-y-Fai .