Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1986

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

“(1) Before the expiration of the period of four weeks beginning with the date on which the notice under section 7(4) of this Measure is sent to the secretaries of the parochial church councils concerned one or more joint meetings of those councils 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, 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.”