Updated 13 Dec 2016
A new edition of the Church Representation Rules of the Church of England has been published: Church Representation Rules 2017. The previous edition was dated 2011.
The rules are available online, but it should be noted that the changes made in July 2014 are not yet included there. These changes are contained in The Church Representation Rules (Amendment) Resolution 2014 (SI 2014 No. 2113). So far as I am aware these are the only changes since 2011. See second comment below for other changes.
Nearly all the changes made in 2014 related to elections to General Synod. There were also some amendments to the forms in Appendix I to make it explicit in each case that only lay persons are entitled to be entered on the church electoral roll.
Many thanks for this helpful comment. I had been wondering whether there was a list anywhere of changes made between 2011 and 2017.
Peter and Thomas: There are other changes to the CRR now incorporated in the 2017 edition of the rules recently published by Church House Publishing. There are, as noted by Peter, the changes made by the 2014 Amendment Resolution, mostly relating to elections to General Synod. In addition: (i) There are the minor amendments to rules 42(1) and 46A(c) made by section 9 of the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2014. (ii) Consequent on the repeal of the Priests (Ordination of Women) Measure 1993 by the Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure 2014, all the references… Read more »
Re David Lamming at 1856 on 13/12/2016:
I think in “… Schedule 1 to the 1993 Act. (Note: there is no power …..” the year should read “1933”.
Reading this all this, I just know it’s Xmas ….
Thanks for that list of changes, David.
It’s a pity that the online rules cannot be kept up to date. At present the most recent update is the one that came into effect on 1 Jan 2010. There is a note that [unspecified] “Updates made in July 2014 will be included soon.” but there is no mention at all of the more recent ones.
RPNewark @9.15 pm on the 13th: Thanks for the correction. I spotted the typo, but only after I had pressed ‘Post’.
Laurence @10.02 pm on the 13th: Meaning what?
Peter @10.03 pm on the 13th: I’ll write to Church House to point out that the online copy needs to be updated – ideally no later than 1 January 2017 when the latest amendments take effect.
CRR Disqualification Rules 46A.(1) (ac) and (ad), [page 56], are not included in Section 4 Rule [6(1)] under Note (3) on page 74 – which perhaps they should be. Alternatively perhaps Appendix II Rule [13] 1.(d) and (e) should include a cross reference to the Disqualification rule, which otherwise,is not brought to the attention of Chairs – and Members – of PCCs
unless they stumble upon it when reading from cover to cover.
Help! Have just become PCC Sec and Electoral Roll Officer. Can you clarify whether names can be added to the Roll throughout the year OR only during the Annual Revision of the Roll? We have different interpretations within the Standing Committee on this.Many thanks.
Names must be added to the electoral roll whenever someone submits a valid application to be enrolled.
What is the position when (i) the notice convening the APCM has only been visible on the noticeboard for three days before the meeting (previously overpinned by other papers),(ii) the Annual Accounts are not visible on the noticeboard (other papers pinned over them) and (iii) the notice convening the Annual Meeting of Parishioners is dated and posted on the noticeboard only three days before the meeting? Does (i) and (iii) make the respective meetings invalid/void if they go ahead and (ii) prevent acceptance, even if the meeting goes ahead?
Does electing a serving PCC member to be a lay Deanery Synod Representative mid 3 year PCC term create a casual vacancy on PCC for the remainder of that 3 year term, as the new Deanery Synod Representative has now become an ex-officio member of the PCC? OR is the new Deanery Synod Rep both an ex-officio member and an elected member of PCC until the end of their 3 year year PCC term?
Andrew – The election to the Deanery Synod does not create a casual vacancy on the PCC; rule 47 refers. The person concerned is now both an ex-officio member and an elected member of the PCC.
There is of course nothing to stop them resigning their elected position on the PCC, but that is their decision.
what is the purpose of a standing committee and how do they achieve the objective
if you are in a vacancy and have appointed a lay chair of PCC, should you also appoint a lay vice chair.
Can a PCC Secretary be elected as a Church Warden and the two posts run concurrently or would the person need to resign from the post of secretary?
Appendix II to the Rules states that the PCC “may appoint one of their number to act as secretary of the Council”. No members are stated to be ineligible.
Are secret ballots allowed, and if a PCC decides that a secret ballot is appropriate for a particular resolution, can this be nullified by one fifth of the members requesting that individual votes be recorded and published? This is of particular significance in the light if the Ecclesiatical Offices (Terms of Service) (amendment) Measure 2017, where, for example, PCC approval is required for the extension of an incumbency when the incumbent reaches the age of 70. If in this situation the PCC approves an extension, but it is publicly recorded that some identified members of the PCC voted against, it… Read more »
Are PCC meetings open to be observed? My understanding is that a PCC meeting, as a meeting of Charity Trustees, is subject to the normal rules governing observation of a Charity governing body meeting, as defined in Charity law. That would mean that the meetings are open to observers, unless they are explicitly excluded for specific agenda items, by a vote of the PCC at the relevant meeting.
Annual Report from the PCC to the APCM: there is no requirement in the CRR2017, as far as I can find, for this to be formally approved by the PCC before presentation to the APCM.
However eg. Parish Resources states “The PCC must adopt the report before it is presented to the APCM and it must be dated and signed by the chairman of the PCC meeting at which it was adopted.” What authority is there for this?
Many thanks.
Can a churchwarden who has completed 6 years service stand for re-election if other people have been proposed for the post?
By default a churchwarden who has completed six continuous years of service is ineligible to stand for election for two years. But the meeting of parishioners can vote not to apply this rule. In any case eligibility to stand for election has nothing to do with whether or not there are other candidates.
And note that all nominations for churchwarden must be on the table (or rather, already with the Chair) before the meeting begins, and must be valid at that point.
So a meeting cannot rescind the rule, and retrospectively make valid the nomination. Setting aside the rule only has effect at the next following meeting.
But once two years have elapsed the disqualification no longer applies, and the person concerned can be validly nominated again without the meeting passing any resolutions.
Thank you for your answers. Can I just check? Our AGM is on Tuesday and to date the 6 year rule hasn’t been rescinded. The current warden has completed 6 years but has been proposed and seconded again and there are 2 further candidates. Can the 6 year rule be rescinded on Tuesday evening at the beginning of the meeting before the elections or does it need to be at a different time?
Julie – You can rescind the rule at any time during this year’s meeting. But that is too late to affect the validity of any nominations for this year as they must be made before the meeting starts. So, in short, your current warden is ineligible to stand for election this year.
How long is given for elected PCC members to return their ‘fit and proper persona’s form , following the apcm?
Christine
I have been on the PCC as a licensed Reader accepted at an AGM. When I cease to be licensed because I become 70 and need PTO will I need to stand for election at the next AGM or does the Reader condition still apply. I think licensed means licensed but others say a Reader is a Reader anyway.
Madron – You have to licensed to the parish (or to an area including the parish) so you can no longer fill the Reader’s place on your PCC when you cease to be licensed. So if you want to stay on the PCC you will have to stand for election at the APCM.
Can you offer an answer to a question please? If a Church Warden retires after 4 years of service when can they be
re-elected? I know that Churchwardens Measure says that after 6 years there must be a 2 year break before re-election but is that still the case after 4 years of a 6 year maximum term of office? Also if the warden is re-elected, for example after 1 years break, do they start another 6 year maximum term or is it counted as their 5th year of 6?