WHAT IS THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL?
A SUMMARY OF WHAT THE LAW SAYS
WHAT KIND OF ORGANISATION IS IT?
The P.C.C. is called a body corporate. This means that the P.C.C. is a separate body from the people who serve on it, and can hold assets and enter into legal agreements. The personal liability of its members is limited – as long as the P.C.C. acts lawfully, you cannot be made individually liable for its debts. Each new P.C.C. must honour the contracts and pledges undertaken by members of the previous P.C.C. (People who have been declared bankrupt cannot be P.C.C. members).
The P.C.C. has charitable status. A charity is an organisation which works for the public benefit, not for private gain. In the past P.C.C.s were ‘excepted’ from the requirement to register with the Charity Commission; but soon churches with larger incomes will have to register. The P.C.C. has charitable status (though without a charity number) and P.C.C. members are trustees.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY ABOUT THE P.C.C.’S DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS?
‘It is the duty of the minister and the P.C.C. to consult together on matters of general concern and importance to the parish.’
This means the parish priest and the P.C.C. should work together and support each other, discuss ideas and plans freely and take decisions jointly. The only matters which cannot be discussed are those said in confidence to the parish priest as part of his or her ministry which do not have safeguarding implications. In the case of matters with safeguarding implications, the safeguarding officer will be involved and matters escalated according to the set procedures in the safeguarding policy agreed by the P.C.C.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE P.C.C.
Co-operation with the minister in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the church,
pastoral –looking after individual people
evangelistic – sharing our faith
social – responding to local need, fighting injustice
ecumenical – encouraging good relations with other Christian denominations.
Consideration and discussions of matters concerning the Church of England, or any other matters of religious or public interest – but not the declaration of the doctrine of the church.
Note the last point; that it is not for the P.C.C. to declare the official teaching or beliefs of the church.
Making known and putting into effect any provision made by the diocesan synod.
Giving advice to deanery and diocesan synod on any matter referred to the council.
Raising matters that the council consider appropriate with deanery or diocesan synod.
This shows the link between the P.C.C., the deanery synod and the diocesan synod, and is the way in which the local church can influence and effect decisions made and matters discussed at higher levels – this can be the route to getting things discussed nationally at General Synod.
WHAT IS THE P.C.C. RESPONSIBLE FOR? – WHAT ARE ITS RIGHTS?
The church buildings and fabric
The P.C.C. is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the church and the churchyard, and for the movables in the church. Movables are furniture, equipment, paintings, valuables – anything that can be moved.
This includes:
The quinquennial report – a report by an inspecting architect on the state of the church building every 5 years, and the carrying out of works recommended in the report
Insurance – the church, its contents and the people who use its buildings against fire, theft, public liability and other usual risks
Annual inspection and report, carried out by the churchwardens and presented to the P.C.C.
The parish finances
The P.C.C. has overall charge of all expenditure. It should make an annual budget, and should take steps to raise the money required. At the end of each church year, the P.C.C. must present audited or independently examined accounts of the P.C.C. to the annual parochial church meeting.
Employment of Staff
The P.C.C. is the employer of staff who work for the church, and pays the salary of people such as the organist, verger, lay worker, administrator, secretary. Formal contracts on behalf of the P.C.C. should be signed by the parish priest and two other members of the P.C.C.
Rights regarding women priests
A P.C.C. can take steps to prevent a woman acting as priest in the parish, to vote on and pass resolutions as worded in the relevant Act.
Rights in relation to church appointments
When the parish priest leaves, there is a vacancy in the benefice. The P.C.C. prepares a written summary or profile, describing the conditions, needs and traditions of the parish, and the kind of parish priest the P.C.C. feel the parish needs. It also appoints two lay people known as the parish representatives, to discuss with the patron and/or the bishop who should be appointed.
Church services
The P.C.C. and the parish priest decide what form of services to have and when to have them.
Other rights
The parish priest cannot dismiss staff without the agreement of the P.C.C.
The P.C.C. can make representations to the bishop on any matter affecting the welfare of the church. In practice the P.C.C. would normally first raise the matter with the rural dean or the archdeacon.
The P.C.C. has a right to be consulted if the parish is to be the subject of a pastoral scheme, under which the area of land in the parish or arrangements for clergy to serve in the parish is altered.
The P.C.C. should agree to any church-sharing agreement by members of different denominations.
WHO IS A MEMBER?
Members by law:
all priests and deacons licensed to the parish
accredited lay workers licensed to the parish
the churchwardens
any person on the electoral roll who is a member of the deanery synod, diocesan synod or general synod.
Elected members:
chosen by the annual parochial church meeting
Co-opted members:
chosen by the P.C.C. during the course of the year; two, or one-fifth of the number of elected members.
THE TASKS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL
WITH THE PARISH PRIEST:
To think through the church’s mission
What does it mean to be the church in this place?
To look and listen
To needs of groups in the congregation
To developments in the local area
To buildings – repairs or developments needed
To the needs of people involved in areas of church life – training, resources
To plan
In response to church and parish needs
A budget to reflect that
To make decisions
Priorities
Best use of resources – money, people, buildings
How to meet new needs and challenges
Where you stand as a church
To communicate
What’s been decided
To promote church activities
To liaise between different groups
To involve
In church activities
In areas of the church’s ministry
To keep legal
Insurance
Accounts
Building regulations, including disability access
Child protection
Employment
To elect
Vice-chair, secretary, treasurer, electoral roll officer, members of standing committee.
Beyond the parish
To put resolutions to deanery or diocesan synod