PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCILS
Responsibilities
The responsibilities and duties of Parochial Church Councils (“PCCs”) are set out in the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956. Amongst other matters, the Measure requires that a PCC may not acquire either (a) an interest in land, or (b) any personal property to be held on permanent trusts, without the consent of the diocesan authority (the Diocesan Board of Finance). Where any such property is acquired, it must be vested in the Diocesan Board of Finance as custodian trustee for the PCC.
Membership of church electoral rolls and the management of Parochial Church Meetings and Councils is governed by the Church Representation Rules 2006 (see below).
Electoral Roll
The Church Representation Rules 2006 require that every Parochial Church Council ("PCC") maintains an Electoral Roll. An Electoral Roll Officer should be appointed, whose role is to keep the Roll up to date by making additions and removals from time to time. Also, the Roll should be revised prior to each Annual Parochial Church Meeting. The Rules require that in the year 2007 and in every sixth year thereafter, a completely new Roll should be prepared. The General Synod Office has issued guidance to all Diocesan Registrars concerning the preparation of the new Roll. It is recommended that Electoral Roll Officers who do not have a copy of the 2006 Rules should obtain a copy prior to 2007 and prepare a timetable for the preparation of the new Roll well before the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. A copy of the 2006 Rules may be obtained from Church House Bookshop, or from your local bookshop.
Parochial Fees
The current list of parochial fees can be viewed at the Church of England web site at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/lifeevents/fees/index.html.
Use of Churches and Church Halls
The Legal Department of the Archbishop’s Council has circulated some advice regarding the application of the Licensing Act 2003 to churches and church halls with regard to “regulated entertainment”.
Publications
The following publications will be of interest to Parochial Church Councils:
- CHURCH REPRESENTATION RULES 2006
- Published by Church House Publishing, price £7.99. ISBN 0715110128 The Rules deal with church governance at parochial, deanery, diocesan and national level. Of particular interest to PCCs will be Part I - Church Electoral Roll and Part II - Parochial Church Meetings and Councils. Please note that these Rules contain a number of amendments to and replace the 2004 Rules.
- PRACTICAL CHURCH MANAGEMENT (2nd Ed. 2005)
- By James Behrens. Published by Gracewing, price £20.00 ISBN 0852446020 A book we recommend to PCCs, churchwardens and clergy. A very practical guide to many day to day matters, including finance, repairs, security, insurance, church meetings, child protection, services, food hygiene, data protection, copyright, employment law, charity law, VAT, etc.
- CHURCH DISPUTES MEDIATION
- By James Behrens. Published by Gracewing, price £30.00 ISBN 0852445784
- MEDIATION IN FACULTY APPLICATIONS
- An article written by Richard King for the Ecclesiastical Law Society Journal, and reproduced here by kind permission of the Ecclesiastical Law Society.
- AN ABC FOR THE PCC (5th Ed.)
- By John Pitchford. Published by Continuum, price £14.99. ISBN 9781906286071. Practical advice and information about the legal and spiritual duties and responsibilities of PCCs.
- CHARITIES ACT 1993 AND THE PCC (2nd Ed.)
- Published by Church House Publishing, price £4.50 ISBN 0715181238 This book, produced by staff of the Archbishop’s Council, provides important guidance for all PCCs in the preparation and scrutiny of their annual accounts and report. Chapters of the book in Acrobat format can be viewed at the Church of England web site.
See also the list of publications under Churchwardens