Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007

47 Mission initiatives E

(1) Where a person or group of persons is carrying out or is proposing or wishes to carry out an initiative in any diocese or any part thereof (in this section and sections 48, 49 and 50 below referred to as a “mission initiative”) and—

(a) that person or group or any other person or body exercising ecclesiastical functions in the diocese requests the bishop of the diocese to make an order under this section, or

(b) the bishop, without any such request being made, considers that it would be appropriate to make an order under this section,

then, if the bishop is satisfied that the initiative would be likely, through fostering or developing a form of Christian community, to promote or further the mission of the Church or any aspect of it, he may make such an order.

(2) An order under this section shall endorse the initiative and make provision for it in accordance with this section and sections 48 to 50 below and shall be known as a bishop's mission order.

(3) Where any mission initiative is being or is to be carried out in more than one diocese the bishop's mission order shall be made jointly by the bishop of each diocese affected by the order and subsection (1) above shall have effect accordingly.

(4) Any bishop's mission order shall specify the objectives of the mission initiative and the areas in which it is being or is to be carried out and specify a person or persons or a group of persons who or which is to lead the mission initiative and be responsible to the bishop or bishops, as the case may be, for the conduct of it (in this section and sections 48 to 51 below referred to as the “leader” or “leaders”) and the role of the leader or leaders and the bishop or bishops shall make such provision in the order as he thinks fit or they think fit for the administration of the Sacraments in accordance with the enactments and other laws relating thereto.

(5) Any bishop's mission order may include provision—

(a) for participation in a local ecumenical project (commonly known as a “local ecumenical partnership”),

(b) for other ecumenical co-operation with other Churches, and

(c) for collaboration with any religious organisations,

and in this section and sections 48 to 50 below any provision mentioned in this subsection is referred to as a “co-operation provision”.

(6) Before making any bishop's mission order the bishop or bishops, as the case may be, shall—

(a) consult such other Churches and religious organisations as he thinks fit or they think fit,

(b) consult any person or group of persons who or which appear to him or them to have a significant interest in or to be likely to be significantly affected by the order, including any body which he or they consider would adequately represent the interests of any such person or group,

(c) consult the mission and pastoral committee in the diocese or each diocese affected by the order, and

(d) obtain the consent of the proposed leader or leaders.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (6)(b) above, the following shall be deemed to have an interest in the order—

(a) any person having or sharing in the cure of souls in the area of any benefice affected by the order, and

(b) any other person or body, including a parochial church council or registered patron, who may have an interest in the cure of souls in any such area,

and in considering whether a person or body has a significant interest in or would be likely to be significantly affected by the order, the bishop or bishops shall have regard to the objectives of the initiative endorsed by the order and any other circumstances which he or they think relevant.

(8) Without prejudice to subsection (6) above, where it is proposed to include a co-operation provision in a bishop's mission order, the bishop or bishops, as the case may be, shall, as well as carrying out such consultation as is referred to in that subsection, consult the appropriate authority of each Church or religious organisation which is to participate in the local ecumenical project, or which is otherwise concerned.

(9) The bishop, or bishops, as the case may be, may authorise a person or body to carry out the consultation referred to in subsections (6) and (8) above on his or their behalf.

(10) No person may officiate in any place in accordance with a bishop's mission order unless—

(a) if that person is ordained as a priest or deacon, he or she has received authority from the bishop by virtue of being instituted to a benefice or licensed by the bishop to serve or having written permission to officiate in any diocese affected by the order or may, otherwise, under any Canon of the Church of England, officiate in that place without the authority of the bishop, or

(b) if that person is a deaconess, reader or lay worker, he or she is authorised, under any Canon, to do so.

(11) Subject to subsection (10) above, any bishop's mission order may include provision authorising a minister to exercise his or her ministry in any place for the purposes of or in connection with the mission initiative in any manner specified in the order and, where he or she is not the minister who has the cure of souls in that place, without obtaining the permission of the minister who has that cure but, before including any such provision, the bishop or bishops shall consult—

(a) if the order affects one parish only, the incumbent or priest in charge of that parish,

(b) subject to paragraphs (c) to (e) below, if the order affects more than one parish in a diocese, either the incumbents or priests in charge of those parishes or the House of Clergy of the Deanery Synod of the deanery in which the parishes are situated, as the bishop or bishops thinks or think fit,

(c) if the order affects all the parishes situated in a deanery, the House of Clergy of the Deanery Synod of that deanery,

(d) if the order affects parishes situated in more than one deanery, the House of Clergy of the Deanery Synod of each deanery affected or the House of Clergy of the Diocesan Synod of the diocese in which the parishes are situated, as the bishop or bishops thinks fit or think fit, and

(e) if the order affects parishes situated in more than one diocese, the House of Clergy of the Deanery Synod of each deanery affected or the House of Clergy of the Diocesan Synod of each diocese affected, as the bishop or bishops thinks fit or think fit.

(12) Any alms collected in the course of or in connection with an office or service performed in accordance with the order shall be disposed of in such manner as the minister performing the office or service may, subject to the direction of the bishop or bishops of the diocese or dioceses affected, determine.

(13) Subject to subsection (10) above, any bishop's mission order may include provision authorising the performance of divine service, including Holy Communion, if so specified, in any building other than a parish church, parish centre of worship or place licensed for public worship in accordance with section 29(1) of the 1983 Measure or a guild church, with the consent of the person who has the general management and control of the building.

(14) Subject to subsection (10) above, any bishop's mission order may include provision authorising the performance of any divine service, including Holy Communion, in any parish church or place excluded from subsection (13) above with the consent of any minister having the cure of souls in that place.

(15) Nothing in this section shall authorise any act done in contravention of a resolution passed under section 3(1) or 4(1) of the Priests (Ordination of Women) Measure 1993 (1993 No. 2).

Commencement Information

I1 S. 47 in force at 31.3.2008 by 2007 No. 3, Instrument made by Archbishops