Home : For Congregations : Admin & Finance : Human Resources : Letters of Agreement (LOA)

Letters of Agreement (LOA)

Clergy serving a congregation in the Diocese of Northern California are required to have a completed Letter of Agreement prior to the announcement of their call to a position of ministry. The following templates for a variety of LOAs are provided to begin the process of negotiating an agreement between the clergy person, Vestry/Mission Committee and the Bishop/Ecclesiastical Authority. No letter is final until the signatures of all three parties have been recorded. The original LOA will be on file at the Office of the Bishop and copies will be provided to the clergy person and Senior/Bishop’s Warden.

For assistance in developing the LOA, please contact the Canon to the Ordinary, britt@norcalepiscopal.org.


Letters of Agreement are to be reviewed annually, preferably at the first Vestry/Mission Committee meeting following the Annual Meeting. Updated LOAs are to be signed by the Bishop and provided to every member of the Vestry/Mission Committee.

When a new LOA has been signed, the clergy person must be in contact with the Office Of the Bishop, nicole@norcalepiscopal.org to establish whether or not they will participate in the medical and dental plans offered through Episcopal Medical Trust. Visit the Human Resources page for the New Hire Kit.  Additionally the clergy person will contact Church Pension Group with a Report of Change in A Cleric's Compensation Form to ensure that proper accounting of pension benefits begin/continue.

The following templates are provided to guide you in completing your Letter of Agreement. Changes may be made as needed but must be approved by the Bishop/Ecclesiastical Authority before being finalized.

Home : For Congregations : Admin & Finance : Human Resources : Letters of Agreement (LOA)

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