Church Planting Guidelines

Guidelines

Oversight of Ministry and Mission

The oversight of ministry and mission is entrusted to the Bishop as representative of the Church's catholicity. This oversight is shared with Incumbents and Priests in Charge.

Strategy for Mission

Praying and planning a strategy for mission is a high priority for Bishop, Parishes, Deaneries, and "Towns" (historic areas which have an identity but may comprise several parishes). Areas, deaneries and parishes should take responsibility to identify unchurched areas or communities or networks. Initiatives may be taken at any level.

Initiatives Towards a Church Plant

Initiatives towards a church plant will often come from a sponsoring parish, in which case an incumbent and PCC should contact the Area Bishop at a very early stage in its thinking and planning. Initiatives may come from the Bishop and the Area Staff, a potential receiving parish seeking help with an unchurched area or network, a Deanery, or a "Town" where parishes are thinking together strategically about mission.

Consultation

When the planting of a new congregation across parish boundaries is proposed the Area Bishop, through his staff, should initiate a consultation with appropriate bodies, normally with the sponsoring and receiving PCCs and congregations, the Deanery and "Town". Resources within the parishes will be considered, as well as resources within the "Town" (e.g. available buildings), and ecumenical possibilities.

Programme for Establishment of the Plant

If the Area Bishop wishes to proceed with the proposal a programme for the establishment of the new congregation should be drawn up and agreed by sponsoring and receiving PCCs ("The Agreement"). The Area Bishop or the relevant Area Dean should present this to the Area Council for their comments.

Responsibility and Accountability

1. The Agreement must have the approval of the incumbents and PCCs of sponsoring and receiving parishes, and of the Area Bishop.
2. The requirements of the Pastoral Measure should be observed.
3. Whether ordained or lay, the leader of the new congregation must have appropriate and evident gifts of leadership, must be acceptable to the PCC and must have the licence or commission of the Area Bishop. Appointments of priests or accredited lay staff must be made within the agreed overall establishment numbers for clergy for the Area.
4. The Area Bishop's approval must be sought where there is to be a celebration of the Holy Communion in a building not consecrated for public worship.
5. Whilst the aim must be to work towards the use of authorized forms of worship, there may need to be flexibility especially in the initial stages.
   

Review

1. There should be a review of the life and work of a new congregation, normally after two years, in the light of its aims as specified in the Agreement. All affected parties should be invited to contribute to the review.
2. In the light of the review there will need to be a decision by the Area Bishop and the Area Council whether to give further support to the initiative, or to modify the Agreement, or to end the initiative.