Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1986

Provisions which apply where benefice remains vacant for nine months U.K.

16 Presentation to benefices remaining vacant for nine months. U.K.

(1) If at the expiration of the period of nine months beginning with the date on which a benefice becomes vacant—

(a) no notice of presentation under section 13(6) of this Measure has been received by the bishop, or

(b) where the bishop is the registered patron, he has not received an acceptance of any offer made by him to collate a priest to the benefice,

the right of presentation to that benefice shall be exercisable by the archbishop in accordance with the provision of this section; and a notice to that effect shall be sent by the bishop to the archbishop.

(2) In calculating the period of nine months mentioned in subsection (1) above, no account shall be taken of any of the following periods, that is to say—

(a) a period during which the decision of the bishop to refuse to approve the making to a priest of an offer to present him to a benefice is under review by an archbishop,

(b) a suspension period within the meaning of the M1 Pastoral Measure 1983, [F1 or any period during which the benefice is vacant immediately before the declaration of a suspension period or between suspension periods,] and

(c) a period during which the exercise of rights of presentation is restricted under section 24 or 69 of that Measure.

(3) As soon as practicable after a right of presentation becomes exercisable by an archbishop under this section, the archbishop shall send to the secretary of the parochial church council of the parish concerned a notice requiring him within three weeks after receiving the notice to send to the archbishop copies of the statement describing the conditions, needs and traditions of the parish prepared in accordance with section 11 of this Measure together with copies of any additional observations which the council wishes the archbishop to consider.

(4) The bishop may, and if the archbishop so requests shall, send to the archbishop a statement describing in relation to the benefice the needs of the diocese and the wider interests of the Church.

(5) Before the archbishop decides on the priest to whom an offer to present him to the benefice is to be made he shall consult the bishop, the parish representatives and such other persons as he thinks fit, including other persons who in his opinion can also represent the views of the parishioners and, if during the period of nine months mentioned in subsection (1) above the approval of the bishop or the parish representatives to the making of an offer to a priest by the registered patron of the vacant benefice has been refused under section 13 of this Measure, the archbishop shall not make any offer to that priest under this section unless the consent of the bishop or, as the case may be, the parish representatives has been obtained.

(6) Where a priest accepts an offer to present him to a benefice made in accordance with the provisions of this section, the archbishop shall send to the bishop a notice presenting the priest to him for admission to the benefice.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 16(2)(b) inserted (11.6.2008) by Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007 (No. 1), ss. 63(3), 66(2); 2007 No. 3, Instrument made by Archbishops

Marginal Citations

M1 1983 No. 1.

[F2 16A Special procedure for appointment of priest in charge as incumbent U.K.

(1) This section applies where a benefice is vacant and—

(a) the bishop is aware that a suspension period in respect of the benefice is shortly to come to an end, or has come to an end, or a restriction on presentation to the benefice is shortly to cease to be in force, or has ceased to be in force, and

(b) the bishop proposes that a priest in charge who holds office in respect of the benefice should be admitted to the benefice.

(2) Where subsection (1) above applies, the bishop may give notice of his proposal to—

(a) the registered patron, unless the bishop is the registered patron;

(b) the priest in charge; and

(c) the parochial church council of each parish belonging to the benefice.

(3) Upon receiving the notice referred to in subsection (2)(a) above and after the suspension period has come to an end or the restriction has ceased to be in force, the registered patron may, if content with the proposal, send a notice to the bishop presenting the priest in charge to him for admission to the benefice, if the following conditions are satisfied—

(a) the priest in charge has stated in writing that he is willing to be admitted to the benefice, and

(b) the parochial church council of each parish belonging to the benefice has passed a resolution stating that it approves the proposal that the priest in charge should be admitted.

(4) No member of a parochial church council who is the priest in charge or the spouse or civil partner of the priest in charge or the registered patron or the representative of the registered patron shall attend a meeting at which the resolution mentioned in subsection (3)(b) is proposed to be considered.

(5) Unless section 2 of the 2010 Measure applies, where the bishop is the registered patron, and the conditions set out in subsection (3)(a) and (b) are satisfied, he may, after complying with the requirements of section 19, collate the priest in charge to the benefice.

(6) Where section 2 of the 2010 Measure applies and the bishop is the relevant bishop for the purposes of section 2(2), the bishop shall, if Her Majesty has not given notice under section 2(3), if the conditions set out in subsection (3)(a) and (b) are satisfied, present the priest in charge on behalf of Her Majesty for admission to the benefice.

(7) Where—

(a) the registered patron has given notice in accordance with subsection (3) above, or

(b) the bishop has complied with the requirements of section 19 under subsection (5) above, or

(c) the bishop has presented the priest in charge on behalf of Her Majesty for admission to the benefice under subsection (6) above,

the provisions of this Measure mentioned in subsection (8) below and section 88(d) of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 shall not apply.

(8) The provisions referred to in subsection (7) above are sections 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

(9) Where a registered patron (other than the bishop) proposes to send a notice to the bishop in accordance with subsection (3), sections 8 and 9 shall apply as if the notice given by the bishop under subsection (2) were a notice under section 7(4).

(10) In this section “suspension period” has the meaning assigned to it in section 85(1) of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 and “restriction” means a restriction on the right of presentation to a benefice imposed under section 38 or 87 of that Measure.]

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 16A inserted (1.1.2015) by Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2014 (No. 1), ss. 12(2), 21(2); S.I. 2014/2077, art. 2(2) (with Sch. para. 4)