The Business of the Church

One of the tenets that builds the foundational freedoms in the United States is the separation of Church and State: The Church cannot dictate what the government does and the State cannot interfere with the function and beliefs of the Church.  It is a beneficial relationship as it separates foci of power, but sometimes the separation is not as clear as we might believe.

In fact, the Protestant Episcopal Church is referred to in the Statues of the State of New Jersey (Title 16:12-26). Mostly these statues are about how to legally establish a church and who is in charge, as well as making the congregation an incorporated entity in the State and as such setting the time for an annual meeting of the Corporation.

St. Barnabas follows these statutes in our By-Laws (as well as the Canons of the Protestant Episcopal Church and the Diocese of New Jersey).  As such, our Annual Meeting is usually held on the last Sunday of January, which is this Sunday, January 28th.  All communicants in good standing over the age of 16 have voice and vote at the meeting. 

We will review the “State of the Church” from both a spiritual and financial viewpoint.  We will also be electing a Property Warden and 3 members to the Vestry.  We also offer our deep gratitude to our outgoing Warden, William Straughn, and Vestry members, Robin Gonzales, Lara Dombrowski and Ava Foster, for all their efforts and hard work. 

Most importantly we celebrate the love of God that is made manifest in our fellowship and ministries and continue to share the message of redemption through Jesus Christ to each other and all we meet.  That is the real business of the Church.

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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