Synodical Government Measure 1969

[F1 Interpretation: references to Church offices, structures etc. E

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 3 substituted (1.1.2020) by Church Representation and Ministers Measure 2019 (No. 1), s. 1(3), Sch. 1 (with Sch. 3); S.I. 2019/1460, art. 2

83 (1) In these Rules, “minister”, in relation to a parish, means— E

(a) the incumbent or priest in charge of the benefice to which the parish belongs or, in the case of a conventional district, the curate in charge, or

(b) a vicar in a team ministry to the extent that the duties of a minister are assigned to the vicar by a pastoral scheme or order or by the vicar's licence from the bishop.

(2) In these Rules, “actual communicant” means a person—

(a) who has received Communion according to the use of the Church of England or a Church in communion with it at least three times during the 12 months preceding the date of the person becoming a member of a body the eligibility for membership of which depends on a person being an actual communicant, and

(b) who either is confirmed or ready and desirous of being confirmed or is receiving Communion as referred to in paragraph 1(b) of Canon B 15A (communicant members of other Churches subscribing to doctrine of Holy Trinity).

(3) A question as to whether a Church is in communion with the Church of England is to be decided for the purposes of these Rules by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York acting jointly.

(4) Where a question as to whether a Church is in communion with the Church of England has been determined under section 6(2) of the Overseas and Other Clergy (Ministry and Ordination) Measure 1967, that determination has effect for the purposes of these Rules (as well as for the purposes of that Measure).

(5) In these Rules, “public worship” means public worship according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England; and a reference in these Rules to a building licensed for public worship includes a reference to a building only part of which is so licensed.

(6) In these Rules, “community roll”, in relation to a cathedral church, means the roll kept in the case of that cathedral church for the purposes of [F2 section 6(1) of the Cathedrals Measure 2021] [F3 ; but for the purposes of these Rules, a person’s name is to be treated as being on the community roll of a cathedral church only if the dean has declared the person to be a habitual worshipper].

(7) A reference in these Rules to a person's name being on the roll of a parish is, in the case of a person whose name is on the roll of a guild church, a reference to the person's name being on the roll of the parish in which the guild church is situated.

(8) In these Rules, “guild church” means a church in the City of London designated and established as such under the City of London (Guild Churches) Acts 1952 and 1960.

(9) A reference in these Rules to the occurrence of a casual vacancy includes a reference to a case where there are not enough candidates nominated to fill the places available.

(10) A person who has executed a deed of relinquishment under the Clerical Disabilities Act 1870 is, for the purposes of these Rules, not to be treated as a clerk in Holy Orders (and is accordingly to be treated as a lay person) if—

(a) the deed has been enrolled in the High Court and recorded in the registry of a diocese under that Act, and

(b) no vacation of the enrolment of the deed is recorded in a diocesan registry under the Clerical Disabilities Act 1870 (Amendment) Measure 1934.]

Textual Amendments

F2 Words in Sch. 3 rule 83(6) substituted (coming into force in accordance with s. 53(3) of the amending Measure) by Cathedrals Measure 2021 (No. 2), Sch. 4 para. 13 (with ss. 42(4), 48, 52(1))

F3 Words in Sch. 3 rule 83(6) inserted (15.7.2020) by The Church Representation Rules (Amendment) Resolution 2020 (S.I. 2020/406), paras. 1(3), 14