SECTION 1. The primary organization of a congregation shall be called a Mission. It shall be lawful for any number of persons, no fewer than twenty-five (25) communicants of this Church in good standing, resident in this Diocese, to be organized as a Mission in the following manner.
The following application of the minimum number of persons aforesaid shall be made to the Bishop, duly signed in duplicate, in ink by all of them, namely:
APPLICATION TO THE BISHOP TO ORGANIZE A MISSION
Right Reverend Father in God:
We, the undersigned residents of ________________, The Diocese, being desirous of obtaining the services of the Church, and ready, according to our ability, to sustain the same, do hereby request that you provide for us as you deem proper. We hereby declare ourselves, individually and collectively, ready to do whatever may be necessary to establish and sustain the regular worship of the Church. We hereby promise conformity to the Doctrine, Discipline and Worship of the Episcopal Church; and, further, we promise to obey the Constitution and Canons, both of the General Convention and of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Western Louisiana.
We, therefore, ask to be organized as a Mission under the name of _________________ Mission. We agree to raise annually among us the sum of _______ Dollars toward the support of our stated Minister, together with the Church Pension Fund premiums thereon; and at least $250.00 annually for the support of the Diocese.
We remain obediently yours,
Dated at ________________________, Louisiana,
this _______ day of , 20____ .
(Signed) __________________________________
Approved:___________________________ 20_____
__________________________________________
Bishop of the Diocese
If the Bishop approves the organization of the Mission, he or she shall proceed to appoint the Minister. He or she shall also appoint the following officers of the Mission for the first year, viz: a Warden, a Treasurer and a Secretary. Thereafter, these officers shall be elected annually by the Communicants of the Mission, on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in January, or as soon thereafter as may be; provided, however, that if a Mission Council, with the consent of the Bishop, has been elected, the Communicants by majority vote may authorize the said Council to select said officers from among their number.
The Communicants signing the Application to the Bishop, upon approval thereof by the Bishop, shall become Communicants of the said Mission, and shall be enrolled as such, and the Minister of the Mission shall thereupon notify their former Minister of the fact of their enrollment.
The Mission, thus organized, with the permission of the Convention, shall be in union with the Convention and entitled to representation therein as a Mission of this Diocese as provided in these Canons.
SECTION 2.(a) It shall be the duty of the Warden, under the direction of the Minister, to provide for the well-ordered worship of Almighty God, and to endeavor to develop the spiritual life of the Mission. He or she shall see that the Church is kept in condition for its proper uses, and that all buildings and grounds of the Mission receive proper care.
(b) It shall be the duty of the treasurer to receive all monies contributed by the Mission, for or to the Mission, and to disburse the same in accordance with the order of the Warden and Secretary, both approving all bills paid by the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall keep proper books of account and shall make an annual report to the Mission Congregation at the time of the annual meeting thereof.
(c) It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep a record of all meetings of the Mission congregation. The Secretary shall have the custody of the Mission Register of Communicants, Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages and Burials, in case the Minister be non-resident; but shall not make entries therein unless the Minister so requests. The Secretary shall attend to the necessary correspondence required by or for the Mission.
The Minister shall appoint the sexton, the organist, the choir, the Church School Superintendent, and any other helpers he may deem necessary; but, in case there be no Minister in charge, such appointments shall be made by the three officers above named until a Minister takes charge.
SECTION 3. In any Mission, with the consent of the Bishop, there may be formed a Mission Council, consisting of the Minister in charge who shall preside, the Warden, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and not more than nine additional members, who shall be communicants in good standing of the Mission who shall have attained the age of eighteen years. The numbers of the Mission Council shall be chosen in the same manner as provided herein before for the Warden, Treasurer and Secretary. The Mission Council shall have the powers to perform the duties assigned by Canon to Parish Vestries, except the election and calling of the Minister, and except as may be otherwise provided by Canon. A majority of the members of the Mission Council shall constitute a quorum. The Mission Council may adopt rules of procedure for its meetings. With the consent of the Bishop a Mission Council may fill any vacancy in its membership.
SECTION 4. There shall be an annual meeting of the Mission Congregation on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in January, or as soon thereafter as may be, for the election of the officers of the Mission, and, wherever the Bishop has given his permission, for the election of the Mission Council. At this meeting, the Minister shall preside, or, in his absence, the Warden or Treasurer, in the order named. In the absence of these officers, the meeting shall elect its Chairperson. At this meeting there shall be presented the report of the Treasurer, and the report of the Minister, which reports shall reflect an accurate statement of the condition of the Mission for the year being reported upon.
Qualified voters at such election shall be all communicants in good standing of such Mission who shall have attained the age of 16 years and who shall have been contributors of record toward the support of said Mission during the period of one year next preceding such election, of which the Treasurer's books shall be the only competent evidence.
Voting by proxy shall not be allowed at any meeting of the Mission or of the Mission Council. The Mission may adopt rules for the conduct of its meeting.
SECTION 5. Not later than February 1st, in each year, the Minister, or if there be none, the Secretary of the Mission, shall make the Canonical Report to the Ecclesiastical Authority as required in these Canons.
SECTION 6. It shall not be lawful for any Mission of this Diocese to organize itself as a Civil Corporation.
SECTION 7. It shall not be lawful for any Mission of this Diocese to take title to any real estate.
Title to real estate held for the account of any Mission shall be taken in the name of the Diocese.
SECTION 8. It shall be the object of every Mission in this Diocese to gain complete self-support as speedily as may be.
SECTION 9. Any place where there is a group of members of this Church, not yet constituted into a Mission, and where services are held not less than four times each year, shall be known as a Mission Station and so reported in the Journal of the Convention. Mission Stations shall not be entitled to representation in the Convention.