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→Deacons and vestrymen today: More expansion on diaconate duties
* Paying the equivalent of honoraria to guest speakers. The members usually fund such honoraria through "designated love offerings."
* Paying the equivalent of honoraria to guest speakers. The members usually fund such honoraria through "designated love offerings."
* Capital improvements, including the construction or expansion of a building or buildings.
* Capital improvements, including the construction or expansion of a building or buildings.
=== Pastoral vacancy ===
In a non-hierarchical church, whenever the office of pastor falls vacant, the Board of Deacons is primarily responsible for filling that vacancy. They may do so directly, by advertising the vacant position and inviting interested applicants for interviews, in a manner similar to that in which a board of directors at a joint-stock corporation might select a new president/chief executive officer. Or they may seat a special ''search committee'' to which they then delegate this responsibility.
In either case, the deacons have the sole power of "impeachment" of a pastor. Pastors are often subject to removal from pastoral office on impeachment for, and conviction of, apostasy, embezzlement, or other conduct to the prejudice of their office or mission. Such removal occurs rarely and is often the culmination of long-standing discord.
In hierarchical churches, pastoral (or rectoral) vacancies and, when necessary, pastoral discipline are matters for the local bishop to handle. But in rare cases, vestries have forced the resignations of rectors and insisted that the bishops send replacements.
== References ==
== References ==