Update March 2011 Comments on this article are now closed, but see Church Representation Rules 2011.
Church House Publishing has just issued the 2006 edition of the Church Representation Rules. The rules are not online (but perhaps they ought to be) and the published edition does not list what has actually changed since the previous (2004) edition. The changes are in Statutory Instrument 2004 No 1889, the legal instrument that put them into effect. As this will make little sense without (and probably even with) reference to the old version of the rules I give a summary of the changes below the fold.
Rule 2(4)
The next year in which a new electoral roll must be prepared has been brought forward from 2008 to 2007. Subsequent new rolls will continue to be required every six years, ie in 2013, 2019 etc.
Rule 2(9)
This has been clarified to make it clear that the new roll comes into effect immediately on publication.
Rule 9(4)
The requirement to publish the annual report and statements after the annual meeting has been removed. [They still have to be published before the meeting.]
Rules 10(1)(c), 24(6) and (7), and 30(5)(c)
The minimum age for election to a deanery or diocesan synod is reduced to sixteen.
Rules 11(7) and (11) and 12(1)
The rules on the method of voting at annual meetings have been amended.
Rule 24(2)(e)
The qualification for retired clergy to be eligible for membership of a deanery synod is changed from receipt of a pension to either permission to officiate or being a habitual worshipper.
Rule 25(2)
A diocesan synod may now take into account the number of parish churches (or districts) in each parish when deciding numbers to be elected to deanery synods.
Rule 27(1)(b)
In cathedrals which are not parish churches lay people must now be on the community roll to be eligible for election to a deanery synod (rather than being a “habitual worshipper”). This does not apply to the Royal Peculiars or to Christ Church Oxford.
Appendix I [Synodical Government Forms]
Section 4
Words have been added to the end of note 2(a). This reflects a change made to Rule 10(1)(a) on an earlier occasion.
Note 2(c) has been changed to reflect the change to Rule 10(1)(c) etc.
Section 4A
The rule number in the heading has been corrected.
Sections 7 and 8
The column “Mark your vote in this column” has been moved from the right to the left hand side of the form.
Appendix II [General Provisions relating to PCCs]
Paragraph 4(b) has been amended to permit the use of email when giving notice of PCC meetings.
In addition changes affecting diocesan synods and the General Synod have been made to rules 31(3), 35(1), 36, 37, 39, 41, 46.
I asked CHP if/when they were planning to put these on line. I was told they had no plans to do so, and they needed to sell the copies. What I particularly wanted was the specimen forms in the appendices – which would be very helpful indeed to those of us who have multiple Annual Meetings to conduct and manage (13 in our case)
Jeremy
Your summary of the CRR is most helpful – pity they don’t highlight changes year-to-year in the book! Have you any idea why the next New Roll must be produced in 2007 rather than 2008?
Nick
Nick
1) I agree that highlighting the changes would be a very good idea.
2) The size of a parish’s roll determines how many lay members it has on the deanery synod. These members are also the electorate for the diocesan and general synod. It is therefore a good idea to have the deanery synod elections in years when the electoral roll is as up to date as possible. By moving the revision forward a year this will be achieved.
What is the operative date of these changes?
I trust they are not intended to affect this year’s APCMs. If they were, the publication is almost as delayed as Wembley stadium.
I agree entirely that they should be available on the internet. They change them too frequently; they are are unnecessarily complex.
Rule 2(1) requires a notice of intended revision of the electoral roll to be published 14 days before it commences. Having to wait 2 weeks before you start adds to the complexity and increases the time scale of the operation, for no purpose whatsoever.
Ashton
All the changes are in effect now, and, where appropriate, apply to this year’s APCM. Whilst I agree that the publication has been delayed too much, it is just in time.
I don’t understand why you have queried rule 2(1) here as this has not been changed. One reason for the two weeks’ notice is to allow people not on the roll time to apply to be entered. This must be done before the revision if new people are to be eligible to vote at the APCM.
Thank you for drawing to attention the fact that the a new electoral roll has to be prepared in 2007 rather than 2008. I have commented on this in my electoral roll report having just carried out the annual revision of the current roll
This is extremely helpful. Would it be possible to reproduce this on our diocesan website (or add a link)?
You might try http://www.diochi.org.uk (Annual Meetings) for specimen forms.J
The 2004 rule 11 (2) permitted people to be nominated and seconded ‘at the meeting’. Does anyone know if this has been changed – I take it from the excellent summary above it remains in place.
Rule 11 (2) remains unchanged. Don’t forget that a different rule applies to churchwardens, who must be proposed and seconded in writing before the meeting.
I’m rather out of date as I have a 2001 copy of the rules i.e. when I was synod secretary. I don’t think I’ve got time to buy a copy of the current rules before Tuesday and have a rather urgent question. Our Deanery Synod has elections to Diocesan Synod this week. I suspect that for the first time that I can remember, we may actually have an election for House of Laity places – the diocese has decreased the numbers to be elected from 7 to 4. Do elections still have to be on a voting paper, the form… Read more »
Yes – elections must be by a postal ballot as you describe. The form is specified in the Church Representation Rules. It is also a requirement that each elector is sent or given a letter inviting nominations. It is the duty of the bishop to appoint a presiding officer for each election to the diocesan synod. Presumably the presiding officer for your HoL election (who must not be a member of your HoL) has been sent information on how to conduct the election. In my own diocese, the deputy diocesan secretary has been appointed the returning officer for all the… Read more »
We have been wondering for some time, and cannot find a definitive answer anywhere – if someone is elected to deanery synod by their own PCC and then elected to diocesan synod by the deanery, what happens further on in time, if meanwhile the person’s PCC has elected someone different to represent the parish on deanery synod – on the grounds that a diocesan synod member sits on deanery synod ex (diocesan) officio, and sits on the PCC for the same reason! It sounds rather circular but it has been argued that once someone is on diocesan synod they can… Read more »
Does a memmber of a deanery or diocesan synod have a right ( taking a full part) to be an ex-officio member of the PCC or is it by invitation if they have not been elected to said PCC. Any help would be greatfully received.
Church Representation Rule 14(1) provides that “(f) all persons whose names are on the roll of the parish and who are lay members of any deanery synod, diocesan synod or the General Synod” are members of the parochial church council.
This is subject to a provision in rule 1(4) that any person on more than one roll must chose one of these for the purposes of rule 14(1)(f).
So, to answer Ian’s question, they are PCC members by right and thay have the same speaking and voting rights on the PCC as any other member.
Who may call a meeting of the Standing Committee of the PCC?
Help! I’m church administrator and have only just found out about this! No-one on the PCC appears to be aware of it either! How were we supposed to know about it? Shouldn’t someone on the PCC automatically get these kind of rule updates?
Our Vicar insists on the Standing Committee being held in ‘complete confidence’ to only those on the committee,Vicar, Churchwardens x2 and PCC sectretary and myself. Nothing is to be discussed with the rest of the PCC members and no minutes are taken.I thought I was elected by my fellow PCC members to report back to them. I am not at all happpy about everything being confidental and there are things being discussed that the rest of the PCC should know about! Is this allowed?
The Standing Committee is a committee of the PCC which has “the power to transact the business of the council between the meetings thereof subject to any directions given by the council” [paragraph 14(b) of Appendix II to the Rules]. I cannot see anything beyond this about how the standing committee is to conduct its business, but it is clear that the PCC can instruct the standing committee to keep minutes and to present them to the PCC. I would think that this would be particularly important when the committee is making decisions on behalf of the PCC. Different considerations… Read more »
Are there any restrictions on how long a Churchwarden can serve provided they keep being re eleccted?
Peter, From what you have typed at the top of this thread in 2007 there is a requirement for all electoral rolls to be compiled from scratch again. Is is this widely known?
If a church does not do this (either through negligence or a PCC vote) what could a member of the electoral role do? As a follow up to this if the roll falls does the PCC membership have to be reduced that year?
Thanks,
First, in reply to Roger Kenrick. Churchwardens can serve for a maximum of six years continuously. They are then ineligible for election for two years. This rule came into effect in 2002 and was not retrospective, so it can first be applied in 2008. A Meeting of Parishioners can vote that the rule shall not apply to their parish. Second, in reply to Richard. My diocese (Liverpool) has written to all incumbents and electoral roll officers about the requirement to compile a new roll this year and has put details on the diocesan website. I would be surprised if other… Read more »
Can anyone tell me the formula for calculating the number of the ordinary PCC members from the size of our new electoral roll?
Can anyone tell me whether a retiring Church Warden is allowed to be elected immediately as an ordinary PCC member?
Yes. Provided he or she satisfies the relevant qualifications there is nothing to stop a retiring churchwarden being elected immediately as an ordinary PCC member.
The number of “ordinary” members of the PCC (technically representatives of the laity) is: electoral roll not more than 50 – six reps roll 51 to 100 – nine reps roll more than 100 – an extra three reps for every 100 (or part thereof) names up to a maximum of 15 This last bit translates as roll 101 to 200 – 12 reps roll more than 200 – 15 reps Unless the APCM has voted otherwise one third of the reps are elected each year for a three year period of office. The APCM can also vote to change… Read more »
Thank you Peter
Last year, my church only had 12 reps instead of the required 15 and this year’s APCM is due to be held in two days time. If I point out the discrepancy at the meeting, are we obliged and are we permitted to elect three more lay reps at the meeting or must we wait a year for the change to come into effect? Likewise, my church does not recognise that lay readers are ex-officio members of the PCC. If this year’s APCM recognises that they should be ex-officio members, does the ruling take effect immediately or must it wait… Read more »
The rules are silent on what to do if the number of reps changes. An increase is probably easier to deal with than a decrease. I assume that you have been electing four reps each year instead of the correct five. So in effect you have some casual vacancies for people who should have been elected one or two years ago. I also assume that four of your current reps will retire this year after completing their three year term of office. So you elect five reps for three years, one for two years and one for one year. The… Read more »
Further to my comment above, there is some good advice on the Diocese of Chichester website.
http://www.diochi.org.uk/resources/apcm/index.htm
What is the proceedure for asking for a vote in Diocesan Synod to be taken in houses?
There are a few occasions when a vote by houses is compulsory in a diocesan synod. Such a vote is not permitted for a vote on a matter of procedure. For other votes the president or any ten members can require a vote by houses. This is all set out in Church Representation Rule 34(1). Unless your diocesan synod standing orders say otherwise the normal procedure would be for a member to rise on a point of order and ask for a vote by houses. The person in the chair would then ask members to show their support and if… Read more »
Thanks for this mine of information. We are in a benefice of 7 separate parishes with their own PCCs. I am a Deanery Synod Rep from one PCC and treaurer of another and wsa happily accepted on the electoral of 4 of the parishes. I am also a member of Diocesan Synod (but no longer on General Synod!). Can someone tell me what I can do or perhaps let sleeping pariochial dogs lie?!). I gather Treasurer does not have to be elected so that could make 2 legal positions,but what about the rest? What happens if a new churchwarden cannot… Read more »
I am seeking comments
A PCC does not put out any notices concerning the election of Churchwardens or election of PCC members.This seems to have been going on for years
The notice just says there is an AGM to be held on ‘x’ date.
Is this acceptable, I am fully aware of the legislation.
Any comments on the legality of those elected in such circumstances ?
I am a Reader and Diocesan Synod member who has moved parishes within the Deanery. The PCC Secretary claims that I must be on the electoral roll for 6 months before going on the PCC. I claim that if the APCM agree to have Readers on the PCC, and the new PCC (and the vicar) welcomes my transfer I am on. I claim that the 6 month rule only applies to people being elected or chosen to represent the laity at the APCM and not to ex-officio members. Help! How many days before the APCM does the agenda have to… Read more »
I agree with you Stephen. The requirement to be on the electoral roll for six months is in rule 10(1) and explicitly refers to “a person to be elected a parochial representative of the laity to either the parochial church council or the deanery synod”. Rule 14(1)(e), which allows the annual meeting to decide that some or all of the readers licensed to the parish shall be members of the PCC, does not have this restriction.
PS to Stephen Since you have moved within a deanery my understanding is that you retain your membership of the diocesan synod provided that you are remain on the electoral roll of a parish in the deanery. This makes you an ex officio member of your new parish. I don’t think that there is anything in the rules that requires the publication of an agenda for the annual meeting. There is a requirement [rule 7(1)] to post a notice on or near the principal door of the church for a period including the two previous Sundays. The form of the… Read more »
Thank you Peter for your prompt reply and enjoy the heatwave.
Is it possible for a person to vote at an annual meeting by proxy?
There is no provision in the rules for proxy voting.
I am on two electoral rolls, one PCC and one Deanery Synod for one of the rolls.
I have been put forward for election to another PCC in the same Deanery. Will Church Representation Rules allow me to be on two PCCs as long as I remain on the Deanery Synod for only one of the PCCs?
Christopher You are allowed to be on the electoral roll of two parishes and to be elected to the PCC of each parish. But you must choose one of these for the purposes of elections to deanery synod (and other higher synods). In your case you have already in effect chosen the parish that has elected you to deanery synod. So if you really want to be on two PCCs there is nothing to stop you standing for election in the second parish. By the way this applies even if the two parishes are in different deaneries. The relevant rule… Read more »
In an interregnum, does the vice chair of the PCC have any powers other than presiding over the meeting? He is not a Churchwarden.
Fiona
In an interregnum, the vice-chair of the PCC is also responsible for convening and chairing the annual meeting.
Is it true that husbands and wives should not be on a PCC together? Also, I have just seen the above, most of which I was unaware of, and we have just had our AGM and have 13 members of PCC, when we should have 9. And there is no arrangement in place regarding serving for 3 years. Should we do anything about this or wait for next year’s AGM.
And another – is there any arrangement in place for removing a member of a PCC should the majority of members wish to do so?
Philip 1) There is no legal impediment to husbands and wives being on the PCC together. 2) My advice is to wait until next year to sort out the correct number of members. For the time being rely on rule 53(3) which says that your proceedings are not invalidated by “any defect in the qualification, election or appointment of any members thereof.” If, as I understand, you have just elected 13 people for one year, then elect nine next year. After the election draw lots to decide which three will retire after three years, which after two and which after… Read more »
Very useful information, thankyou, but a potential nightmare. For example, I persuaded one person to join PCC to be Secretary, since no-one on PCC wanted to be Secretary. This person had not been on the electoral roll for 6 months. Also she might not have got elected if we could only elect 9 out of 13. So we would be struggling for a PCC Secretary. For myself, I am Treasurer, because again no-one else on PCC wnated to do it or thought themselves able to do it. If I had not got elected presumably we would have no Treasurer. Next… Read more »
Incidentally there’s a website that has the Church Representation Rules, albeit for the Isle of Man, http://www.gumbley.net/crr_1.htm
The PCC secretary and treasurer do not have to be members of the PCC. See these extracts from Appendix II to the rules: 1(d)(i) The Council may appoint one of their number to act as secretary of the Council. Failing such appointment the office of secretary shall be discharged by some other fit person who shall not thereby become a member of the Council, provided that such person may be co-opted to the Council in accordance with the provisions of rule 14(1)(h). (e)(i) The council may appoint one or more of their number to act as treasurer solely or jointly.… Read more »