1. The Parish shall have a parish finance committee (PFC) to help the Pastor, in a consultative role, in the administration of the assets of the Parish.
2. It shall be the function of the PFC to assist the Pastor in all matters relating to the administration of the assets of the Parish.
3. The areas of concern for the PFC shall be:
   1. the education of parishioners regarding their right to information about the material and financial needs of the Church and their duty to contribute adequately to these needs;
   2. the fair and equitable collection of contributions from the whole Parish by the appropriate means;
   3. the safe-keeping, counting, recording of all amounts collected from parishioners and its deposit in the parish bank account;
   4. the prompt payment of staff wages and salaries and debts incurred for good received by and services rendered to the Parish;
   5. in consultation with the Pastor and the PPC to prepare and= annual budget for the coming year for the whole Parish in accordance with the Parish’s commitments, and its needs and having regard to the limited resources available;
   6. to assist the Pastor with the preparation of quarterly statements of income and expenditure to be submitted to the Diocese in the prescribed format together with the ordinary and special contributions to the diocesan funds, as levied by the Diocese;
   7. the preparation of a statement of income and expenditure for the whole Parish at the end of each year and its presentation to the Parish and the Diocese;
   8. the gradual preparation for the eventual auditing of the Parish’s financial accounts to ensure that the goal of maximum credibility through certified accounts is ultimately achieved;
   9. the taking up of the prescribed special collections of the Diocese and of the SACBC and the Universal Church and the submission of the amounts collected to the diocesan office;
   10. the proper upkeep and maintenance of Church properties, buildings and equipment;
   11. obtaining accurate valuations of church assets to be alienated;
   12. obtaining quotations in respect of Parish machinery, equipment and cars to be purchased and construction work to be undertaken;
   13. obtaining up-to-date information regarding the policy of the local authority in respect of residential development and to timeously make recommendations to the PPC and the Regional Pastoral Council for the acquisition of church sites;
   14. the provision, planning and construction of suitable buildings as and when funds allow and the good of souls demands.

NOTES

The Pastor must inform the PFC in regard to ordinary acts of administration. Such acts should be carried out in terms of an arrangement agreed to by the Pastor and the PFC.

The Pastor required the nihil obstat (“no objection”) of the PFC before he approaches the diocesan authorities for the necessary permission to perform acts of extraordinary administration. Acts of extraordinary administration will be specified from time to time by the Bishop.

1. The PFC shall comprise the Pastor and at least three to four members who are trustworthy and experienced in financial administrative, business, legal or property matters. They are appointed by the Pastor after consulting with the PPC. Assistant pastors (priests or deacons) with the necessary expertise may also be appointed as members. If there is a Parish Finance Officer, he should, ex officio, be a member of the PFC.
2. The PPC appoints a member to the PFC. This PPC appointee shall have observer status on the PFC and shall ensure that the PFC is fully informed of the pastoral priorities of the Parish.
3. The term of office of members of the PFC is 2 (two) years. The same person cannot be appointed for a fourth consecutive term of office as a member.
4. If any member of the PFC relinquishes membership before the end of a term of office, a replacement will be appointed for the remaining part of that term of office.
5. Members of the PPC (excepting the pastor and assistant pastors) and persons related to the pastor are excluded from membership of PFC.
6. The Parish Finance Officer may or may not exist in the Parish. Where the Parish Finance Officer does exist from time to time, he/she exists apart from the PFC and his/her role in the Parish differs from other parish finance officers in other parishes. He/she is generally a ppointed by the Pastor with particular responsibility for the organization of Planned Giving and the recording of contributions made. He/she is also responsible for bookkeeping with regard to all parish income and expenditure.

1. The Pastor of the Parish will be the president of the PFC.
2. The Chairperson and Secretary of the PFC will be elected by the members of the PFC and ratified by the President. They will hold office for the term of office of the PFC. The same person cannot be elected for a third consecutive term of office to the same office.

1. The PFC shall be entitled to appoint a bookkeeper to assist the PFC in recording receipts and payments. Such appointed bookkeeper should be a trustworthy person, suitably qualified to perform this task.
2. The PFC shall be entitled to set up sub-committees and working-groups to assist with any tasks which fall within its competence as listed above.
3. It shall be at the discretion of the PFC to appoint office-bearers for these bodies or to authorize their election by the members of the bodies themselves.

1. The PFC shall meet at least once a quarter.
2. Minutes shall be kept of all meetings and copies submitted to all members of the PFC and are available to parishioners on request.
3. A quorum at all meetings shall be the personal presence of 50% of the members of the PFC or committee/working-group.
4. Absence must be by apology to the relevant chairperson.
5. Each meeting of the PFC should be preceded by a discussion and drawing up of an agenda by the chairperson of the PFC and the President.
6. The agenda is to be received by all members of the PFC at least 3 (three) days before the meeting of the PFC.
7. With the agreement of the President and the chairperson, the PFC may invite parishioners or other observers to be present during part or all of a PFC meeting. Such invitation may not be general but for particular meetings only.

After consulting the Diocesan Council of Priests, the diocesan Bishop or diocesan administrator may at any time amend any of the provisions of these statutes excepting the provisions of General Law.

In terms of Canon 536 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, and after having consulted the Diocesan Council of Priests, I hereby decree that each parish in this diocese is to have a Parish Pastoral Council and that the Statutes of these Councils are to be as in Section A of this notarized document.

In terms of Canon 537 there is to be a Finance Committee in each parish. I hereby decree that the Statutes of these Committees are to be as in Section B of the notarized document.