Bethel Presbyterian Church
Cemetery Management Policy
Rules and Regulations that Govern
the Daily Management of the Ministry’s Cemeteries
Authority: Bethel Presbyterian Church, Inc.
563 Bethel Green Road
Staunton, Virginia 24401
Managing Entity: Bethel Trustee Committee
Adopted January 1, 1979, Revised January 12, 2025 by BOD
The Cemetery Manager shall be charged with the active management of the cemetery grounds. This includes marking of lots for internment, marking for placement of headstones, and the marking for or placement of, if necessary, cremation ashes. They shall see to it that lot owners comply with this operational policy. The Committee shall assign another member of the Committee, or another appointee at large to serve as the Cemetery Records Manager. They will have the responsibility to work with the Treasurer, the Secretary, and the Cemetery Manager to accurately record the sale of lots, the issuance of a title document, the payment of annual charges for maintenance of lots, payment for plats and surveys of the cemetery property, and such other records as may be useful and proper for the efficient operation of the cemeteries.
Sale of Lots
When lots are purchased, upon receipt of the legal tender (Cash, Check, Money Order, Electronic Transfer, Venmo) the Treasurer shall issue a receipt to the purchaser within fifteen (15) business days of their delivery of payment as proof of the financial transaction between the purchaser and the church, no exceptions.
Upon notification by the Treasurer that lots have been purchased, and receipts have been issued the cemetery records manger shall issue the purchaser a “title document” declaring at minimum, the number of lots purchased and or transferred. The assignment of those lots and to whom, and the lot numbers for which they are assigned.
At no time shall any legal tender of any sort be held by any member of the Committee or member of the Corporation/Board in escrow for any reason. All legal tender and correlating documentation shall be immediately processed, filed and recorded in the cemetery records located within the church, within fifteen (15) days of the transaction. No member of the Committee, or member of the Corporation/Board shall be authorized to determine one’s ability to pay and thus, inadvertently withhold revenue from the funds assigned by the Corporation/Board. If this concern would arise with a potential purchaser, a meeting of the Committee shall be called to discuss the matter, at which time, the Committee could enact relief as stated under ‘Burial Privileges and Interment, if the vote of the entire Committee is favorable by a two thirds majority.
Burial Permission
Purchasers of lots in the cemetery have the use of their lots for burial purposes, subject to the rules and regulations stipulated in this management policy. Purchasers may assign and transfer their rights to such use with approval of the Committee or in accordance with the inheritance laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Committee, or its designee, shall have final authority regarding any question of a burial lot sale. Legal title to the property remains with the Board/Corporation. The Committee is responsible for the daily management of the two cemetery properties and their annual revenue and expenses. To ensure the orderly and efficient operation of the cemeteries the Committee has adopted the following policy with the approval of the Board/Corporation.
Those who are members of Bethel Presbyterian Church and their immediate families (Husband Wife, Children, Grand Children) are permitted to be buried on any available site, with permission of the Committee.
Those who desire to be buried at Bethel and have relatives already buried in one of our cemeteries but are not immediate family can only be buried on available sites if, and only if, they are not separated by two generations of the “relative” relationship.
Should they meet this criterion, they are limited to only two burial sites. In addition, if they are not actively supporting the ministry in any way their burial plot fee will be more than the current base rate. Currently their rate shall be $1,500.00 per site/plot, unless modified by the Committee and approved by the Board/Corporation.
Recovery of Abandoned Internment Rights
When interment rights that have been granted by the Board/Corporation are not used for a period of 50 years or more, they shall be deemed abandoned and they shall revert back to the Board/Corporation provided that the Committee has completed its due diligence within the Code of Virginia. (Compliance with the provisions of subsections B, C, and D) of Virginia Code 57-39.1:1 Recovery of abandoned interment rights; procedure; rights of owner of record.
Burial Privileges and Interment
Application for Burial privileges shall be made to the Cemetery Manager, or their backup if applicable. If neither is available, then any member of the Committee may process the application. The Committee shall have the right to deny the use of the Cemetery to any applicant, if in the opinion of the Committee this action is in the best interest of the cemetery. A two thirds majority vote is required for denial. Burial privileges will not be based on sex, race, creed, social status, or sexual orientation. No graves shall be dug without explicit permission and authority of the Committee and the Cemetery Manager. All graves shall be dug under the supervision of the Cemetery Manager. The cost of opening, closing, and restoring the ground to its former appearance is the responsibility of the lot owner. Beginning January 1, 2025, cemetery lots shall be $375.00 per burial with up to two maximum burials per lot, for which one must be a cremation. No double interments with caskets/vaults permitted on a single lot. If a second burial on the same lot is later requested by the original purchaser, then a second fee of $375.00 or current rate will be assessed. (Example: One Burial lot with two planned burials on the same lot, will be $750.00) Fees may be amended at any time by the Committee and approval of the Board/Corporation.
The cemetery agrees to maintain the endowed lots in good condition to the extent that the funds will permit. The Board/Corporation or the Committee does not assume responsibility for the replacement of trees, shrubs, that may die, nor does it undertake to restore any railings, curbing, or other structures damaged by vandalism, acts of God, or the ravages of time. Headstones and or, monument placement and maintenance are entirely the responsibility of the lot owners or their heirs, and the cemetery does not assume responsibility.
Stones/monuments that have no remaining living heirs will be cared for by the Committee within reason. This practice ensures that our cemetery properties remain pristine and in order. Damage caused by maintenance crews, vault crews, and funeral homes require a mandatory property damage report. Once completed by the Cemetery Manager the Committee shall reach out to the party involved and their insurance provider for restitution and or payment of damages.
Rules for Use of Lots
The Committee shall have control of all improvements placed upon the cemetery lots. All work done, such as burial lot care, planting or removing trees or shrubs, and maintaining monuments or other structures, shall be done under the supervision of the Cemetery Manager. A reasonable charge may be made for any work done or materials furnished that is not embraced in the ordinary upkeep and maintenance of the lots. The Committee may forbid the erection of any monument, vault, or other structure which, in the opinion of the Committee, is unsuitable for the cemetery. The Committee may remove at the expense of the purchaser/lot-owner any inappropriate structure/monument erected without the authority of the Committee.
The Committee may cause to be removed, any trees, shrubs, or other vegetation that in the opinion of the Committee or the Corporation, are detrimental to the use or appearance of the cemetery properties. No trees, shrubs, or other vegetation may be planted or removed without the consent of the Committee. The Cemetery Manager or contractual caretakers shall not remove any personal property belonging to the purchaser/lot-owners or their heirs without first notifying them of their intent to remove such items with cause. Stones may be adorned with floral arrangements, appropriate decorations, or other items, if they are tasteful, seasonal, and not hindering the maintenance of the property and or monument.
The Cemetery Manager has the authority to make these determinations, however, they shall take great care and effort to notify the purchaser/lot-owner or heir before acting and removing personal property, unless it is emergent, offensive, or deemed extremely inappropriate. The exclusion to the personal property rule is floral arrangements that have deteriorated and are no longer appropriate for display.