Parochial Church Council (PCC)

The Parochial Church Councils are elected at the Annual Church Parochial Meeting (APCM) which must take place by the 30 April each year. The APCM is normally held on the last Sunday of April each year.

Annual Parochial Church Meetings (APCM)

The annual reports are published in individual churches.

Who can be a member of the PCC?

What follows is for guidance only and should not be seen as a definitive legal statement.

Certain people are by law members of the PCC. They are:

  • all priests licensed to the parish
  • all layworkers licensed to the parish
  • the church wardens
  • any person on the electoral roll who is a member of the Deanery Synod, the Diocesan Synod or the General Synod.

In addition there shall be 6 elected members who are chosen at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. This number is based on the number on the electoral roll  which in all cases in our benefices is less than 50. However, guidance suggests that if less than 6 are elected this is all right as long as there are no objections made.

Elected persons should:

  • have been on the electoral roll for at least 6 months
  • be over 16
  • consent to being elected
  • be actual communicant members of the Church of England having received communion at least 3 times during the previous year.

Co-opted Members to the PCC

The number who can be co-opted during the year is two or one-fifth of the elected members if that produces a greater number. Co-opted members are able to take part in discussions and also have a vote.

Appointed to the PCC

Normally the secretary and treasurer of the PCC are appointed from the elected members and thus have full voting rights.  

Failing such appointment the offices of secretary and treasurer shall be discharged by some other fit person who shall not become a member of the council and therefore does not have any voting rights.