Memorial Garden Ministry Customary As of 7/8/2016 Ministry Function The function of the Memorial Garden Ministry is to establish and implement a uniform policy and guidelines for the use and maintenance of The Church of the Epiphany Memorial Garden. These Customaries shall be approved by the Vestry and administered by the Rector or his designated church representative. Any exceptions to this policy must be reviewed and approved on a case by case basis by the ministry members. Ministry Composition and Term Members shall serve for life unless they voluntarily resign or can no longer participate. Permanent members are: Pam Abney, Melanie Dorman, Wally Kistler, Ernie Moore, Jennifer Moore, Ellen Perryman, and Jan Sanderson Ex officio ministry members: The then Rector The then Senior Warden The then Vestry Representative Member Emeritus Hootie Woodall, Giselle Hembree In case of a vacancy, the ministry members will nominate and approve a replacement. Ministry Meetings a) The ministry members shall hold periodic meetings at a frequency determined by the members but at least quarterly. Subject meetings will include a review of garden conditions and needs, budget and expenditures and to assure that the gardens are being properly maintained and utilized. Special meetings shall also be held to review requests for exception to the policy. The decision of the ministry members shall be final unless superseded by the Vestry. b) An annual budget for the memorial garden will be submitted by the ministry to the Vestry for approval. Expenditures by the ministry will be in accordance with the Page 1
Vestry approved budget or expenditures. All interment deposits and donations shall be maintained in a separate memorial gardens account. Ministry Assignments A member of the ministry shall be appointed to perform each of these functions: Function Garden Planting and Maintenance Coordinator Interment Coordinator (Ashes) Records, Archives and Plaque Coordinator Budget and Expenditures Artistic Coordinator Member Pam Abney Wally Kistler Epiphany Office Staff Epiphany Office Staff Jennifer Moore Others as required Memorial Garden Policy The following shall be the stated policy for the interment, eligibility, ash handling, decoration rules, identifying markers, and plantings in The Church of the Epiphany Memorial Garden. No exceptions shall be granted without the express approval of the ministry members. A. Eligibility for Interment in the Gardens Current or past active members of the Church shall be given preferred eligibility for interment election. All others will be reviewed on a case by case basis by the ministry members. No more than 25% of the spaces shall be used for non-members. Space may be reserved in advance with full payment ($200.00 for members of Epiphany and $300.00 for non-members). An extra $100 will be charged for an additional person in one space. Space location reservations will be made by the reserver in coordination with the ministry representative, and per the location map. It is the desire of the ministry to populate the walls in orderly and incremental sections, however, special and specific space reservations will be considered. Reservations should be reviewed every five (5) years to assure it is still an active reservation. Previous Rectors of Guntersville Church of the Epiphany and their spouses may choose to be interred in the designated area behind the outside wall of the sanctuary Page 2
in the Memorial Garden at no cost. The cost of plaques for Epiphany s previous Rectors and their spouses shall be paid for from the Memorial Garden funds. B. Identification Plagues and Location A standard size plaque (reference AA) (9" x 4") will be mounted on one of the four rear walls of the garden in accordance with reference drawing BB. This permits a total of 48 plaques per wall section or 196 locations on the four walls. Ashes shall be placed out from the base of the wall directly below and in order of the plaque location. Thus, ashes for the top plaque (row 1) are closest to the wall and ashes for the lowest plaque (row 6) are furthest out from the wall. Ash locations are approximately one foot apart. Plaque columns (eight per wall section) will be designated "A" through "H" (per drawing reference BB). These locations will be recorded and maintained by Records, Archives and Plaque Coordinator. Requests for location of plaques or ashes in other areas of the garden (other than the four wall sections) will be reviewed on an exception basis only by the ministry. C. Placement of Ashes Ashes shall be placed or scattered in the site location agreed to by the Garden Location Control Map, maintained by the ministry. A committal service in accordance with The Book of Common Prayer will be used at all committals. Ashes shall be placed in a biodegradable container and be directly placed in the ground or scattered only by a member of the ministry or a member of the deceased's family. The site shall be prepared by a member of the ministry. D. Cost to Inter The cost to be charged for interment shall be a onetime charge of $200.00 for members of Epiphany and $300.00 for non-members. An extra $100 will be charged for an additional person in one space. The purchase of the plaque will be the responsibility of the member or member's family, with the plaque cost determined at the time ordered. Plaques must follow the above described requirements, and are to be ordered through the Parish Office. The cost of plaques for Epiphany s previous Rectors and their spouses shall be paid for with Memorial Garden funds. Cost to inter will be reviewed and adjusted periodically. The family of the deceased may also, at its option, make an additional special donation to the memorial garden for maintenance and for enhancements, which must have prior approval of the artistic and the garden ministry members. Funds so collected will be used exclusively for that purpose (with 25% of all memorial Page 3
donations being set aside for the care and maintenance of the garden) and at the discretion of the ministry members except for the next paragraph. Any special donations made must have prior approval of an artistic and the garden ministry members. Selection and placement of the same will be controlled by the ministry members with the wishes of the donor being considered. E. Plants and Decoration Policy It is the desire of the ministry members that no plastic, live plants or cut flowers be permitted to be placed on the interment site. However, a memorial decoration of cut or live flowers may be placed at the time of interment and should be removed within seven (7) days following the service. The intent is to have the garden as a whole serve as a memorial decoration with special plants or trees as part of a special donation also serving as an added memorial. Location and selection of these special plants or trees and placement will be determined by the garden ministry member coordinator with the donor. (Note): The ministry might consider some wall hung brackets on the brick columns for seasonal cut flowers, etc. or for use on the day of interment. F. Remembrance Plague for Those Not Interred In The Garden The wall plaque (reference AA) shall only be used for those whose ashes are interred in the garden. However, a second large memorial plaque in memory of specific church members interred elsewhere will be provided and displayed in the garden. A plate with the name, date of birth, and date of death will be added to this memorial plaque (i.e. "Gone but not forgotten") if the donor requests same. Donation cost will be an amount which includes the cost of name plate, prorated cost of large plaque, plus mounting costs. Additional memorial garden donations (similar to the additional special interment donations, referred to in Section D, paragraphs 3 and 4) may also be made for enhancements and maintenance of the garden which must also have approval of the artistic and the garden ministry members. Epiphany Memorial Garden The Memorial Garden is sacred ground. It holds the names and the memory of those dear to us who have gone before. It records a stream of individual and family names, and tells something of Epiphany's story. As a living, growing memorial it cycles the ongoing flow of life and death. Placed in the mainstream of church life, The Memorial Garden witnesses to the Christian concept of death and resurrection. Page 4
Christian interment of ashes (burial) in a churchyard or in a cathedral has been a venerable and ancient custom throughout the centuries in all Christian lands. Once it was common to find a interments surrounding the village church. Interment of ashes in the church, a place of prayer and peace, testifies to the holiness of the body. A churchyard witnesses visibly that our departing is in God's hands and our death a part of His life. The attached Memorial Garden Ministry Customaries outline the policies and guidelines for interment of ashes in Epiphany Memorial Garden. Memorial Garden funds are held in trust, governed by The Memorial Garden Ministry and the Rector. (The ministry members are elected by the Vestry). Memorial Garden funds will be used to maintain the garden, garden enhancements, and for budgetary needs as necessary. Funds donated to the Memorial Garden become a living memorial to the continuing life of our congregation. Page 5
Bright Raised Border I N T H A N K SGIVING F O R T H E M I N I S T RY O F F R. X x x x Y y y y 4 9 Page 6