Term of office - all churchwardens must be 'admitted to office' by making the necessary declarations before their Archdeacon (or another appointed by the Bishop) by 31 July in the year of their election. They are appointed for a one year term of office which commences on the date on which they are formally admitted to office, and continues until they or their successors are again duly admitted, or until 31 July in the year following their election at the latest. However, churchwardens become ex-officio members of their church council from the actual date of their election. Once in office, a churchwarden may resign his office by written notice to the bishop by post and shall take effect two months after the notice is served or at an earlier date agreed by the bishop in consultation with the minister and other churchwardens.
After six successive periods of office a person cannot be re-appointed as churchwarden unless the meeting of parishioners positively passes a resolution to allow this to happen. Such a resolution can be revoked at any subsequent meeting of parishioners. Any person who has served six successive years as churchwarden cannot be re-appointed for another two years (again, unless the meeting resolves otherwise). The year from which this provision takes effect is 2002. Therefore the first year in which six successive terms will come to an end is 2008.
Churchwardens automatically vacate their office if they cease to have their name entered on the church electoral roll, and a casual vacancy arises. A casual vacancy also arises if a person elected to be a churchwarden fails to be admitted to office by 31 July in the year in which they were elected.
In the event of a casual vacancy during the year of office, the vacant place may be filled in the same manner as the person being replaced had originally been appointed (i.e. election or Incumbent's nomination) except where, in the case of nomination by the minister and that minister has ceased to hold office in the parish, the casual vacancy shall be filled by election by a meeting of the parishioners. A person elected to fill a casual vacancy must be admitted to office within three months of the election or before the next Annual Meeting of Parishioners if earlier.
GUILD CHURCHES: Guild churchwardens are admitted to office in like manner and remain in office until their successors are admitted to office. They may not resign their office, nor do they become disqualified if they cease to have their name entered on the church electoral roll. There is no limit to the number of successive terms that may be held.
