Synodical Government Measure 1969

Part I E Church Electoral Roll

Formation of Roll E

1 (1) There shall be a church electoral roll (in these rules referred to as “the roll”) in every parish, on which the names of lay persons shall be entered as hereinafter provided. The roll shall be available for inspection by bona-fide inquirers.

[F1 (2) A lay person shall be entitled to have his name entered on the roll of a parish if he is baptised, of sixteen years or upwards, has signed an application form for enrolment set out in Appendix I of these rules and declares himself either—

(a) to be a member of the Church of England or of a Church in communion therewith resident in the parish; or

(b) to be such a member and, not being resident in the parish, to have habitually attended public worship in the parish during a period of six months prior to enrolment; or

(c) to be a member in good standing of a Church which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity (not being a Church in communion with the Church of England) and also prepared to declare himself to be a member of the Church of England having habitually attended public worship in the parish during a period of six months prior to enrolment.

Provided that where a lay person will have his sixteenth birthday after the intended revision of the electoral roll or the preparation of a new roll but on or before the date of the annual parochial church meeting, he may complete a form of application for enrolment and his name shall be enrolled but with effect from the date of his birthday.

(3) Where a person resides in an extra-parochial place he shall be deemed for the purposes of these rules to reside in the parish which it abuts, and if there is any doubt in the matter a determination shall be made by the bishop’s council and standing committee.]

[F2 [F3 (4)] A person shall be entitled to have his name on the roll of each of any number of parishes if he is entitled by virtue of F4 . . . [F5 paragraphs (2) and (3)]of this rule to have his name entered on each roll; but a person whose name is entered on the roll of each of two or more parishes must choose one of those parishes for the purpose of the provisions of these rules which prescribe the qualifications for election to a deanery synod, a diocesan synod or the General Synod or for membership [F6 of a parochial church council under rule F7 . . . [F8 14(1)(f)]or] of a deanery synod under rule [F9 24(6)(b)].]

[F3 (5)] The roll shall, until a parochial church council has been constituted in a parish, be formed and revised by the minister and churchwardens (if any), and shall, after such council has been constituted, be kept and revised by or under the direction of the council. Reference in this rule to a parochial church council shall, so far as may be necessary for giving effect to these rules, be construed as including references to the minister and churchwardens (if any).

[F10 [F3 (6)] Where a new parish is created by a pastoral scheme, the roll of that parish shall in the first instance consist—

(a) in the case of a parish created by the union of two or more former parishes, of the rolls of those parishes combined to form one roll;

(b) in any other case, of the names of the persons whose names are at the date of the coming into existence of the new parish entered on the roll of a parish the whole or any part of which forms part of the new parish and who are either resident in the new parish or have habitually attended public worship therein.]

[F3 (7)] The parochial church council shall appoint [F11 a church electoral roll officer] to act under its directions for the purpose of carrying out its functions with regard to the electoral roll.

[F3 (8)] The names of persons who are entitled to have their names entered upon the roll of the parish shall, subject to the provisions of these rules, be from time to time added to the roll. F12 . . . [F13 It shall be the duty of the electoral roll officer to keep the roll constantly up to date by the addition and removal of names as from time to time required by these rules and to report such additions and removals at the next meeting of the parochial church council.]

[F3 (9)] Subject to the provisions of this rule, a person’s name shall, as the occasion arises, be removed from the roll, if he:—

(a) has died; or

(b) becomes a clerk in Holy Orders; or

(c) signifies in writing his desire that his name should be removed; or

(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F14

[F15 (d) ceases to reside in the parish, unless after so ceasing he continues, in any period of six months [F16 habitually], to attend public worship in the parish, unless prevented from doing so by illness or other sufficient cause; or]

[F17 (e)] is not resident in the parish and has not [F18 habitually]attended public worship in the parish during the preceding six months, not having been prevented from doing so by illness or other sufficient cause; or

(g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F14

[F17 (f)] was not entitled to have his name entered on the roll at the time when it was entered.

[F3 (10)] The removal of a person’s name from the roll under any of the provisions of these rules shall be without prejudice to his right to have his name entered again, if he [F19 has or acquires that right].

[F3 (11)] The roll shall where practicable contain a record of the address of every person whose name is entered on the roll, but a failure to comply with this requirement shall not prejudice the validity of any entry on the roll.

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 3 rule 1 para. (2)(3) substituted for (2) (1.1.1995) by virtue of S.I. 1994/3118, para. 1.

F2 Rule 1(3) (now renumbered (4)) substituted by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 1(2)

F3 Sch. 3 rule 1 paras. (3) to (9) renumbered (4)-(11) (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 1.

F4 Words in Sch. 3 rule 1 para. 1(4) omitted (1.1.1995) by virtue of S.I. 1994/3118, para. 2.

F5 Words in Sch. 3 rule 1 para. (4) substituted (1.1.1995) by virtue of S.I. 1994/3118, para. 2.

F6 Words inserted by S.I. 1980/178, para. 1(2)

F7 Words in Sch. 3 rule 1 para. (4) omitted (1.1.1996) by virtue of S.I. 1995/3243, para. 1

F8 Words in Sch. 3 rule 1 para. (4) inserted (1.1.1996) by virtue of S.I. 1995/3243, para. 1

F9 Words in Sch. 3 rule 1 para. (4) (originally (3)) amended (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 63, Sch.

F10 Rule 1(4A) (now renumbered (6)) inserted by S.I. 1981/959, para. 1

F11 Words substituted by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 1(3)

F12 Words in Sch. 3 rule 1 para. (8) omitted (1.1.1995) by virtue of S.I. 1994/3118, para. 3

F13 Words in Sch. 3 rule 1 para. (8) inserted (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 3

F14 Rule 1(7)(d)(g) (as originally enacted) repealed by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 1(4)

F15 Rule 1(7)(d) (now renumbered 1(9)(d))substituted by S.I. 1984/1039, para. 1(2)

F16 Word in Sch. 3 rule 1 para. (9)(d) inserted (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 4

F17 Rule 1(7)(d)(e)(f) (originally (e)(f)(h)) re-lettered by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 1(4)

F18 Word in Sch. 3 rule 1 para. (9)(e) inserted (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 4

F19 Words substituted by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 1(5)

Revision of Roll and Preparation of New Roll E

2 (1) Except in a year in which a new roll is prepared, the roll of a parish shall be revised annually by or under the direction of the council. Notice of the intended revision in the form set out in section 2 of Appendix I to these rules shall be affixed by the minister or under his direction on or near the principal door of every church in the parish and every building in the parish licensed for public worship and remain so affixed for a period of not less than fourteen days before the commencement of the revision. The revision shall be completed not less than fifteen days or more than twenty-eight days before the annual parochial church meeting. E

(2) Upon every revision all enrolments or removals from the roll which have been effected since the date of the last revision (or since the formation of the roll, if there has been no previous revision) shall be reviewed, and such further enrolments or removals from the rolls as may be required shall be effected.

(3) After the completion of the revision, a copy of the roll as revised shall, together with a list of the names removed from the roll since the last revision (or since the formation of the roll, if there has been no previous revision), be published by being exhibited continuously for not less than fourteen days before the annual parochial church meeting on or near the principal door of the parish church in such manner as the council shall appoint. F20 . . . [F21 During the period while the copy is so exhibited any errors and omissions in the roll may be corrected but subject thereto and to the provisions of rule 1(2), no names shall be added to or removed from the roll during the period in any year between the completion of the revision and the close of the annual parochial church meeting.]

(4) Not less than two months before the annual parochial church meeting in the year [F22 1990] and every succeeding sixth year notice in the form set out in section 3 of Appendix 1 to these rules shall be affixed by the minister or under his direction on or near the principal door of every church in the parish and every building in the parish licensed for public worship and remain so affixed for a period of not less than fourteen days. On the affixing of the notice a new roll shall be prepared.

[F23 At every service held on each of the two Sundays within the period of fourteen days beginning with the date of the affixing of the notice or, in the case of a church in which no service is held on either of those Sundays, at every service held in that church on the first Sunday after that date the person conducting the service shall inform the congregation of the preparation of the new roll.]

[F24 (5) The parochial church council shall take reasonable steps to inform every person whose name is entered on the previous roll that a new roll is being prepared and that if he wishes to have his name entered on the new roll he must apply for enrolment. No such steps need be taken with respect to any person whose name could be removed from the previous roll under rule [F25 1(9)].]

(6) The new roll shall be prepared by entering upon it the names of persons entitled to entry under rule 1(2), and a fresh application shall be required from persons whose names were entered on the previous roll. A person whose name was so entered shall not be disqualified for entry on the new roll by reason only of his failure to comply with the conditions specified in rule [F26 1(2)(b) and (c)], if he was prevented from doing so by illness or other sufficient cause, and the circumstances shall be stated on the application form. The preparation of the new roll shall be completed not less than fifteen days or more than twenty-eight days before the annual parochial church meeting.

(7) After the completion of the new roll, a copy shall be published by being exhibited continuously for not less than fourteen days before the annual parochial church meeting on or near the principal door of the parish church in such manner as the council shall appoint. F27 . . . [F28 During the period while the copy is so exhibited any errors and omissions in the roll may be corrected but subject thereto and to the provisions of rule 1(2) no names may be added to or removed from the roll during the period in any year between the completion of the new roll and the close of the annual parochial church meeting.]On the publication of the new roll the previous roll shall cease to have effect

(8) Upon the alteration of the boundaries of any parishes the parochial church council of the parish from which any area is transferred shall enquire from the persons resident in that area whose names are entered on the roll of the parish, whether they wish to have their names transferred to the roll of the other parish. The parochial church council shall remove the names of persons answering in the affirmative from its own roll and shall inform the parochial church council of the parish in which such persons now reside, which shall enter the names on its roll without any application for enrolment being required.

Textual Amendments

F20 Words in Sch. 3 rule 2 para. (3) omitted (1.1.1995) by virtue of S.I. 1994/3118, para. 5.

F21 Words in Sch. 3 rule 2 para. (3) inserted (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 5.

F22 Words “1990” substituted (in place of “1972”) by virtue of S.I. 1984/1039, para. 2(2) (where the substitution is expressed as follows: In rule 2(4) for the word “1978” there shall be substituted the word “1990”)

F23 Para. inserted by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 2(1)

F24 Rule 2(5) substituted by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 2(2)

F25 Words in Sch. 3 rule 2 para. (5) amended (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 63, Sch.

F26 Words in Sch. 3 rule 2 para. (6) amended (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 63, Sch.

F27 Words in Sch. 3 rule 2 para. (7) omitted (1.1.1995) by virtue of S.I. 1994/3118, para. 6.

F28 Words in Sch. 3 rule 2 para. (7) inserted (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 6.

Procedural provisions relating to entry and removal of names E

3 (1) When a person applying for enrolment on the roll of any parish signifies his desire that his name should be removed from the roll of any other parish, notice of that fact shall be sent by the parochial church council receiving the application to the parochial church council of that other parish. E

(2) When the name of any person is removed from the roll of the parish owing to his having become resident in another parish, notice of that fact shall, whenever possible, be sent by the parochial church council of the first mentioned parish to the parochial church council of the last mentioned parish.

(3)—(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F29

Textual Amendments

F29 Sch. 3 rules 3(3)–(5), 4(3)(4), repealed by S.I. 1984/1039, para. 4(b)

Certification of Numbers on Rolls E

[F30 4 E Not later than the 1st June the chairman, vice-chairman, secretary or church electoral roll officer of the parochial church council shall notify in writing the secretary of the diocesan synod of the number of names on the roll of each parish as at the date of the annual meeting and a copy of such notification shall be affixed at or near to the principal door of every church in the parish and every building licensed for public worship in the parish when notification is sent to the secretary of the diocesan synod, and shall remain so affixed for a period of not less than fourteen days.]

Textual Amendments

F30 Sch. 3 rule 4 substituted (1.1.1995) by virtue of S.I. 1994/3118, para. 7.

[F31 [F32 5] (1) A person whose name is entered on the roll of a guild church shall for the purpose of the provisions of these rules which prescribe the qualifications for election to a deanery synod, a diocesan synod or the House of Laity of the General Synod, or for membership of a deanery synod under rule [F33 24(6)(b)], be deemed to be a person whose name is on the roll of the parish in which the guild church is, and references in those provisions or in rule [F33 1(4)] to a person whose name is on the roll of a parish or on the roll of each of two or more parishes, and in rule [F33 46] to entry on the roll of a parish, shall be construed accordingly. E

(2) In this rule “guild church” means a church in the City of London designated and established as a guild church under the City of London (Guild Churches) Acts 1952 and 1960.]

Textual Amendments

F31 Rule 4A added by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 5.

F32 Rule 5 (originally 4A) renumbered (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 8.

F33 Words in Sch. 3 rule 5 para. (1) (originally 4A para. (1)) amended (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3118, para. 63, Sch.