Update on arrangements for annual meetings of parishioners and annual parochial church meetings
2020 Annual Meetings
Earlier this year Bishop Paul extended the deadline for holding your annual parish meetings until 31st October 2020. If you have not already held your 2020 annual parish meetings you need to plan this now so that you have held them by the end of October.
You should give notice in the usual way, including for the revision of the electoral roll. You can find details here if you need them.linkneeded
In addition, from now on you should give notice of these meetings in any general notices addressed to the congregation (online, email or paper).
Holding Annual Meetings online
This week the Bishop has made an instrument (attached) to allow parish meetings to take place online from now until 31st October, in order to improve safety and accessibility of annual parish meetings in this emergency period.
If you wish, you may hold your meetings this year online or in a hybrid (some people meeting in person, others online) format. This is your PCC’s choice. If you would normally expect numbers at your annual parish meetings that you can safely accommodate in your building there may be no need for any change, even if your numbers are restricted. However, if you would expect more than you can safely accommodate, or if you know of people who wish to attend but cannot safely attend in person, you may wish to offer this option.
If you choose to use an online or hybrid format, please note the following:
- The rules on participation in annual parish meetings have not changed, therefore everybody must be able equally to hear the business of the meeting and be heard when they speak. In practice this means that an interactive platform (e.g. Zoom) may be used, while e.g. Facebook Live may not.
- You will need to consider how votes are to be taken and recorded. Votes at annual meetings are normally taken by show of hands, which will present few problems on a video platform. Anybody present may require a recorded vote, normally on signed papers: you will need to consider to use text, chat or other function for this purpose if you need to. Note that a recorded vote at annual parish meetings is not a secret ballot.
- The PCC must provide for the annual parochial meeting copies of its annual report, and of the electoral roll. Where some people are participating online you will need to find ways of making these available online, by email, or in advance paper copy.
- Where meetings are held online you should consider where and how signed paperwork will be required. Nominations for churchwardens must be made in writing and in advance of the Annual Meeting (but this may be done by email). Declarations of Trustee eligibility for newly-elected PCC members should be filled in and signed in hard copy, but this may be done after the meetings if necessary.
- There is no provision for proxy voting at annual parish meetings. Postal voting by those not present at the meeting is not possible unless a previous annual meeting has passed a resolution to allow it.
If you need further advice about any of this, please contact your archdeacon.
2020 Visitations
In November we will be arranging archdeacons’ visitations for the admission on churchwardens elected during 2020.
These will be online on
Monday 9th November 19:30hrs
Sunday 15th November 18:30hrs
Thursday 19th November 19:30hrs
Booking will be via Eventbrite with details to follow
New Deanery Synods
2020 is the year for the election of new deanery synods. Please note that this year the newly-elected deanery synod will not come into existence until 1st December 2020. Until then the previous deanery synod members remain in post.
2021 Annual Meetings
You should hold your 2021 annual parish meetings at the usual time, on any date from 1st January to 31st May 2021. For those elected for a one year term in 2020 it may therefore be a short “year”. Remember that whatever the date of the APCM your annual PCC reports are reports for the previous calendar year.