A Measure passed by the General Synod of the Church of England to amend the law relating to synodical government and for purposes connected therewith.
[6th March 2003]
(1)In section 4(2) of the Synodical Government Measure 1969 (1969 No. 2) after paragraph (c) there shall be inserted the following paragraphs—
“(d)to consider proposals for the annual budget for the diocese and to approve or disapprove them;
(e)to consider the annual accounts of the diocesan board of finance of the diocese.”.
(2)The Church Representation Rules contained in Schedule 3 to that Measure shall have effect subject to the amendments specified in the Schedule to this Measure.
(1)The Pastoral Measure 1983 (1983 No. 1) shall have effect subject to the following amendments.
(2)After section 2 there shall be inserted the following section—
It shall be the duty of the pastoral committee of a diocese from time to time as may be directed by the bishop, and in any event at least once every five years, to review the arrangements for pastoral supervision in each conventional district in the diocese and, in cases where they consider it desirable, to make recommendations to the bishop in accordance with section 3 for any of the matters for which provision may be made under this Measure (other than section 36) by a pastoral scheme or pastoral order.”.
(3)In section 3(4) after the words “In the case of” there shall be inserted the words “recommendations under section 2A and of”.
(4)Paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 is hereby repealed.
(5)In paragraph 10 of Schedule 1 for the words “a majority of the members of the sub-committee shall be members” there shall be substituted the words “at least one of the members of any sub-committee shall be a member”.
(1)The amendment of rule 10(1) of the Church Representation Rules effected by paragraph 2 of the Schedule to this Measure shall not affect the term of office of any person who is a member of a parochial church council or deanery synod on the date on which that amendment comes into force.
(2)The amendment of rule 14(1) of those Rules effected by paragraph 4 of that Schedule shall not affect the term of office of any person who is a member of a parochial church council on the date on which that amendment comes into force and shall not apply to the first election of members of a parochial church council held after that date.
(1)This Measure may be cited as the Synodical Government (Amendment) Measure 2003.
(2)This Measure shall come into force on such day as the Archbishops of Canterbury and York may jointly appoint, and different days may be appointed for different provisions.
(3)Subject to subsections (4) and (5) below, this Measure shall extend to the whole of the provinces of Canterbury and York, except the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
(4)If an Act of Tynwald or an instrument made under an Act of Tynwald so provides, this Measure shall extend to the Isle of Man subject to such exceptions adaptations and modifications as may be specified in the Act of Tynwald or instrument.
(5)This Measure may be applied to the Channel Islands as defined in the Channel Islands (Church Legislation) Measures 1931 and 1957, or either of them, in accordance with those Measures.
Section 1(2)
1The Church Representation Rules shall be amended as follows.
2In rule 10(1) at the end of sub-paragraph (a) there shall be inserted the words “and, unless he is under the age of eighteen years at the date of the election, has been so entered for at least the preceding period of six months”.
3In rule 14(1) after sub-paragraph (a) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph—
“(aa)any clerk in Holy Orders who is duly authorised to act as chairman of meetings of the council by the bishop in accordance with paragraph 5(b) of Appendix II to these rules;”.
4In rule 14(1) in sub-paragraph (g) for the words from the beginning to “determined” there shall be substituted the words “six representatives of the laity where there are not more than fifty names on the electoral roll, nine such representatives where there are not more than one hundred names on the roll and, where there are more than one hundred names on the roll, a further three such representatives for every one hundred (or part thereof) names on the roll up to a maximum of fifteen such members, and so that the aforesaid numbers “six”, “nine”, “three” and “fifteen””.
5For rule 16 there shall be substituted the following rule—
“16(1)Subject to the following provisions of these rules, representatives of the laity serving on the parochial church council by virtue of rule 14(1)(g) shall hold office from the conclusion of the annual meeting at which they were elected until the conclusion of the third annual meeting thereafter, one third retiring and being elected each year, but, subject to rule 17, shall on retirement be eligible for re-election.
(2)Where a representative of the laity resigns or otherwise fails to serve for his full term of office the casual vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of his term of office in accordance with rule 48(1).
(3)Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this rule an annual meeting may decide that the representatives of the laity serving by virtue of rule 14(1)(g) shall retire from office at the conclusion of the annual meeting next following their election, but any such decision shall not affect the terms of office as members of the parochial church council of those due to retire from office at the conclusion of an annual meeting held after that at which the decision was taken.
(4)A decision taken under paragraph (3) above shall be reviewed by the annual meeting at least once every six years; and on any such review the annual meeting may revoke the decision, in which case paragraph (1) above shall apply unless and until a further decision is taken under paragraph (3).
(5)Persons who are members of a parochial church council by virtue of their election as lay members of a deanery synod shall hold office as members of the council for a term beginning with the date of their election and ending with the 31st May next following the election of their successors.
(6)At an annual meeting at which all the representatives of the laity serving by virtue of rule 14(1)(g) are elected to hold office in accordance with paragraph (1) above, lots shall be drawn to decide which third of the representatives is to retire in the first year following that in which the meeting is held, which third is to retire in the second year and which third is to retire in the third year.”.
6In rule 18—
(a)in paragraph 3(i) the words from “including” to “of this rule” shall be omitted,
(b)paragraph (5A) shall be omitted, and
(c)in paragraph (6) the words “or to apply for a designation referred to in paragraph (5A) above” shall be omitted.
7In rule 31(8) for the number “150” there shall be substituted the number “120”.
8In rule 54(1) in the definition of “parish” paragraph (d) shall be omitted.
9In Appendix II in paragraph 5—
(a)for sub-paragraphs (a) to (d) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraphs—
“(a)by the chairman of the council if he is present;
(b)if the chairman is not present, by the clerk in Holy Orders, licensed to or with permission to officiate in the parish duly authorised by the bishop with the clerk’s agreement, following a joint application by the minister of the parish and the council or, if the benefice is vacant, by the council for the purposes of this sub-paragraph;
(c)if neither the chairman of the council nor the clerk mentioned in sub-paragraph (b) above is present, by the vice-chairman of the council:”;
(b)for the words from “neither the chairman” to “rector” there shall be substituted the words “none of the persons mentioned above”.