Nuts and Bolts

If you are fascinated by how things work this may be the page for you. Take the lid off the church and peer inside and this is what you'll find... 

The Chaplain

There is a Chaplain - a priest of the Church of England appointed by the Bishop of the Diocese in Europe and by the Church Council through their representatives. 

He is paid and housed by the congregation, and aside from the small salary given to the organist, his is the only paid position in the church. He preaches, leads worship, visits the sick and does the photocopying.

The many other roles that help the church thrive are all voluntary.

Getting Things Done

The Chaplain's particular responsibility is the worship on Sunday, but he also chairs the Church Council, the legally accountable body which takes decisions on behalf of the whole church.

The Council is made up of elected representatives and others, and meets six times a year - or thereabouts.  In between meetings the Church Wardens, the Treasurer and the Chaplain manage the business side of things.

Every year, usually in April, there is an Annual Meeting which is empowered to make some major decisions, including choosing the Church Wardens.

Membership

You get a say in this process (if you want one) by having your name on the Electoral Roll, which you can do if you have worshipped regularly here for six months or more.

This Roll is the nearest we have to a membership list, but you are welcome to worship here without being on the Roll - and to call yourself an Anglican.

Money Matters

Being on the Roll has no particular financial implications. All giving to the church is voluntary. We like to encourage people to commit themselves to giving a certain amount over the period of a year as this helps us budget more accurately.  Sweden and Albania alone in Europe offer no tax breaks for this sort of commitment.

We receive no money from the Church of England. We get a little money from the State in the form of a discretionary grant. Otherwise all our income is self-generated. Our Treasurer, Anders, will happily tell you more!

Church of Sweden

We are working in partnership with the Church of Sweden, through the Porvoo Agreement, by which the Church of England and the Church of Sweden declared themselves to be 'in full communion'. 

Anglican Neighbours

Being part of the Church of England means we are part of a deanery: a regional group of Anglican churches. In England a deanery might cover a town or part of a city.  We belong to the Deanery of the Nordic and Baltic, that takes in Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, Finland , Sweden, Norway - and Iceland! 

That's probably enough to be getting on with. If there are mysteries still puzzling you, do ask the Chaplain or the Wardens - who will sometimes know the answers.