Ordinance of the Evangelical Synod of the Canton of Thurgau on Pastoral Deputisation - Office

1. The Regional Church maintains an Office for Pastoral Substitutions.

2. The Office consists of two parts: the Commission for Pastoral Substitutions and the Secretariat for Pastoral Substitutions.

3. The mandate for substitutions may be divided among no more than three persons, while the Secretariat is to be managed by one person.

4. The official seat for these positions is located within the territory of the Evangelical Regional Church of the Canton of Thurgau.

1. The Church Council appoints the office holders and establishes the employment contracts and job descriptions.

2. The supervision of the office holders fundamentally lies with the Church Council.

1. Deputies for Pastoral Office Representation are personally available to congregations to assist in pastoral duties such as church services, occasional services, youth services, or confirmation classes.

1. Only pastors may be appointed who fulfill the requirements for eligibility for a pastoral office in the Evangelical Church of the Canton of Thurgau.

2. Deputies for pastoral office representation are members of the clergy chapter in the deanery district of their residence.

1. Part-time positions comprise a total of no more than 40 percent of a full-time position.

2. Remuneration is in accordance with the salary classes provided in the ordinance of the Evangelical Synod of the Canton of Thurgau concerning the remuneration of ordained officeholders in the parish churches and the personnel of the Evangelical Reformed Church for local church offices.

3. The church council specifies the employment level, remuneration, pension plan, and vacation arrangements in the employment contract.

1. The Secretariat of the Office for Pastoral Service Representation arranges the substitutes and can manage the settlements with the parishes for the current account of the regional church.

1. Men or women with commercial knowledge may be employed for the secretariat.

1. The part-time position comprises a maximum of 15 percent.

2. The remuneration is determined within the framework of the salary classes provided for in the Ordinance of the Evangelical Synod of the Canton of Thurgau concerning the remuneration of ordained officeholders in the parish communities and the staff of the Evangelical Church for secretarial tasks.

3. The Church Council specifies the employment level and the remuneration in the employment contract.

1. Representation in Pastoral Office should ideally be managed through direct collegial assistance. If this is not possible, a request for representation must be submitted by the pastoral office or the church council, specifying the reason, the assignment, and the duration of representation, to the Secretariat for Pastoral Office Representation.

1. The Secretariat informs applicants of the organization of representation.

1. For representation, agents for parish office representation, ordained ministers in office or retired, theology students after the propedeutic phase, or laypersons who have been granted permission to preach can be appointed by the Secretariat.

1. Anyone assuming a representation shall contact the parish office to be represented before commencing the assignment.

2. The deputy shall adhere to the customary local times and practices when fulfilling the assignment.

1. The municipality bears the costs of representation and the expenses of the representative.

2. If a representation occurs on behalf of the regional church, it shall bear the costs.

3. The rates are governed by the Synod Ordinance on Compensation in the Protestant Regional Church of the Canton of Thurgau.

4. In cases of representation without mediation by the Office for Pastoral Representation, there will be no cost accounting by the regional church. Any expense compensations will be settled mutually.

1. The accounting with the church congregation is conducted by the treasurer's office of the regional church or by the secretariat of the Office for Pastoral Substitute Services.

2. If the bookkeeping is performed by the secretariat of the Office, a settlement with the central fund of the regional church is carried out semi-annually.

1. This ordinance replaces the ordinance of the Evangelical Synod of the Canton of Thurgau concerning the pastoral office representation in the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Thurgau dated June 27, 1988.

1. This regulation shall come into force on July 1, 2003.