Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1986

4 E For section 11(1) there shall be substituted:—

“(1) [F1 As soon as practicable after the start date specified in the notice under section 7(4) and in any event before the end of the period of six months beginning with that date, one or more joint meetings of the parochial church councils concerned] shall be held for the purposes of—

(a) discharging the duties imposed on them by subsection (1A) below;

(b) appointing such number of persons, but not less than four, as will enable each of those councils to have at least one representative, [F2 but not more than two representatives,] to act as representatives of those councils in connection with the selection of an incumbent;

(c) deciding whether to request the registered patron to consider advertising the vacancy;

(d) deciding whether to request a meeting under section 12 of this Measure;

(e) deciding whether to request a statement in writing from the bishop describing in relation to the benefice the needs of the diocese and the wider interests of the church;

and each person appointed under paragraph (b) shall be a member of one of the parochial church councils concerned.

(1A) At the meeting, or the first meeting, convened under this section, the parochial church councils shall decide whether they will join in preparing a statement describing the conditions, needs and traditions of the parishes belonging to the benefice or whether the parochial church council of each parish will prepare such a statement in relation to that parish, and that decision having been made, the parochial church councils of those parishes or the parochial church council of each parish, as the circumstances require, shall prepare such a statement.”

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Sch. 2 para. 4 substituted (1.1.2020) by The Legislative Reform (Patronage of Benefices) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/1183), arts. 1(1), 3(4) (with arts. 8, 9)

F2 Words in Sch. 2 para. 4 inserted (1.6.1992) by Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 1992 (No. 1), s. 17(1), Sch. 3 para.27 (with s. 18);Instrument dated 27.5.1992 made by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.