The Church Representation Rules (Amendment) Resolution 1981

Team and group councils

9.—(1) After rule 17 there shall be inserted—

“Team councils

17A.—(1) Where a team ministry is established for the area of a benefice which comprises more than one parish the annual meetings of the parishes in that area may make a joint scheme to provide—

(a)for establishing a team council comprising—

(i)all the members of the team;

(ii)every assistant curate, deaconess and lay worker licensed to any such parish; and

(iii)such number of lay representatives elected by and from among the lay representatives of the parochial church council of each parish in the area as may be specified in the scheme;

(b)for the chairmanship, meetings and procedure of the team council; and

(c)for the delegation by the parochial church council of each such parish to the team council of such functions, other than its functions as an interested party under Part I of the Pastoral Measure 1968,

(2) Subject to the scheme and to any pastoral scheme relating to the team council made under paragraph 3(7) of Schedule 3 to the said Measure, the parochial church council of any such parish may delegate to the team council such of its functions, other than its functions as an interested party under the said Part I, as it thinks fit.

(3) The team council shall meet from time to time for the purpose of consulting together on matters of common concern.

(4) No scheme under this rule shall be valid unless approved by at least two-thirds of the persons present and voting at the annual meeting of each parish. Every such scheme shall, on its approval, be communicated to the secretary of the diocesan synod, who may if he considers it appropriate lay the scheme before the bishop's council and standing committee of that synod (hereinafter referred to as “the bishop's council”) which may determine that the scheme shall not come into operation.

(5) After receiving a scheme under this rule the secretary of the diocesan synod shall serve a notice on the secretary of the parochial church council of each parish concerned informing him, as the circumstances require, either that he does not propose to lay the scheme before the bishop's council or that he has laid the scheme before the bishop's council and of the determination made by that council.

(6) Subject to paragraph (8) of this rule, a scheme under this rule shall come into operation immediately after the day on which the secretary of the parochial church council of each parish concerned receives a notice under paragraph (5) of this rule informing him either that the scheme is not to be laid before the bishop's council or that the bishop's council has determined that the scheme shall come into operation.

(7) A special parochial church meeting of a parish to which this rule applies may be convened for the purpose of deciding whether to join in making such a scheme, and where such a meeting is convened the foregoing provisions shall have effect with the substitution for references to the annual meeting of references to the special meeting.

(8) Where a pastoral scheme establishing a team ministry, or an instrument of the bishop made by virtue of that scheme, establishes a team council for that ministry, no scheme under this rule relating to that ministry shall provide for the scheme to come into operation until on or after the date on which the provisions of the pastoral scheme or of the instrument, as the case may be, establishing the team council cease to have effect.

(9) A scheme under this rule may be varied or revoked by a subsequent scheme thereunder to be”.

Group councils

17B.—(1) Where a pastoral scheme establishes a group ministry, the annual meetings of the parishes in the area for which the group ministry is established may make a joint scheme to provide—

(a)for establishing a group council comprising—

(i)all the members of the group ministry,

(ii)every assistant curate, deaconess, and lay worker licensed to any such parish, and

(iii)such number of lay representatives elected by and from among the lay members of the parochial church council of each such parish as may be specified in the scheme;

(b)for the chairmanship, meetings and procedure of the group council; and

(c)for the delegation by the parochial church council of each such parish to the group council of such functions, other than its functions as an interested party under Part I of the Pastoral Measure 1968, as may be so specified.

(2) If the area of a group ministry includes the area of a benefice for which a team ministry is established, a scheme under this rule shall provide for the vicars in that ministry, as well as the rector, and all the other members of the team to be members of the group council.

(3) Paragraphs (2) to (9) of rule 17A shall apply in relation to a scheme under this rule as they apply in relation to a scheme under that rule with the modification that for the references to a team ministry and a team council there shall be substituted references to a group ministry and a group council respectively.”