Parochial Reports

All congregations in the Episcopal Church are canonically required to complete and submit the parochial report annually. Data derived from this report is used by the Episcopal Church Research Office, dioceses, congregations, and the House of Deputies Committee on the state of the church to track attendance, trends, membership and other critical information for the purpose of planning mission strategy.

Also available on the web are general instructions for completing the Parochial Report forms as well as line-by-line details listed in the workbooks.

All forms available in English, Spanish and French

 

For more information contact Kirk Hadaway, Director of Research, .



File Online Here

Forgot your UEID number and/or password? Contact Bobbi Hoff for help: 619-481-5454.
 
Parochial reports are due February 1 of each year. Please submit your parochial report online to the Episcopal Church AND mail your signed copies to: Office of the Bishop, 2728 6th Ave., San Diego, CA 92103.

Among other points, Section 1 of Episcopal Canon I.6 says this about the report:

  1. The principle purpose of the parochial report is to secure an accurate view of the state of the Episcopal Church. 
  2. In every parish the preparation and delivery of this report is the joint duty of the rector (or priest-in-charge) and the vestry. 
  3. The report shall be sent to the diocese in duplicate no later than February 1.

 
 The designers of this report were guided by these objectives:

  • The need for the reports to be structured and worded so as to provide the responsible bodies within the Church the ability to comply with their assigned functions. 
  • Developing financial and vital statistics related to the Church’s life and ministry, which will furnish leadership within the Church the information needed to accomplish their tasks; and for assessment of the state of the Church.
  • Furnishing the Church with the information needed to enable effective mission planning and evaluation of the Church’s performance at all levels of its structure (international, national, provincial, diocesan, and local).
  • The need for the Church at all levels to see these reports as contributing to the essential aspects of mission; not just as a “tax report” to be filled out that has little or no relevance to the entity completing the report.


Errors are common in these areas:

  • Membership, attendance and services
  •  The beginning number of baptized members in the report for the most recent year must be the same as the ending figure for the previous year. You can make any necessary adjustments in the increases and decreases.
  • Stewardship and financial information
  • Rental income from outside sources included on line 5 should be net of any expenses incurred by the parish.

 
Total Operating Revenues (Line B) should be at least as great as operating expenses (Line E). If they are not, an explanation should be provided with the report.
 
The parochial report can be filed electronically, but a signed original copy must be mailed to the Office of the Bishop, 2728 Sixth Ave., San Diego, CA 92103.

Management Uses of the Parochial Report

We encourage congregations to take this opportunity to compare the parochial report to preceding years in order to take stock of the measurable things about the congregation. For instance, everyone is aware when there are lots of newcomers. How does that compare to the number of departures or the number of pledge units or the attendance? Every number tells a story.