Annual meetings take place in parishes before 30 April each year. The annual meeting receives reports on changes to the electoral roll, general parish activities and financial matters. The annual meeting may also elect new members to deanery synods.

The legal aspects of convening and running annual meetings are covered in Part II of the Church Representation Rules. 

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

APCMs must be held every year in every parish, and not later than 30 April, and a notice of the meeting must be displayed for a period including the last two Sundays before the meeting. The minister of the parish chairs the meeting, or if he/she is not present, the vice-chair of the PCC.

The Business of the APCM

Receiving reports from the PCC

The annual meeting receives from the PCC and is free to discuss the report on changes in the electoral roll since the last meeting, an annual report on the proceedings of the PCC and the activities of the parish generally, the audited or independently examined financial statement of the PCC for the previous year, a report on the fabric, goods and ornaments of the church, and a report on the proceedings of the deanery synod.

Electing deanery synod and PCC representatives

The norm for PCC elections is now for one third of the PCC to be elected each year, although some APCMs have voted to retain whole PCCs being annually elected.

The numbers to be elected to the deanery synods by parishes are calculated on the basis of electoral roll numbers and other factors, every third year, and are agreed by the Diocesan Synod. The number of representatives for each parish remain for same for the three year term. If someone resigns, for instance and a vacancy occurs, this should be filled by a casual vacancy election, using the PCC if an APCM is not due to be held within two months.

Appointing sidespersons and an independent examiner or auditor

It is strongly advised to obtain a copy of ‘Church Representation Rules 2011’.

Annual Return

Following a parish's/church's annual meeting, the wardens are responsible for ensuring that the annual return is completed. The deadline for completion is 1 June, and it can be completed online or on paper.

• Annual Returns

Electoral Roll 

A new church electoral roll has to be prepared in 2013 in each parish. This means that everyone must come off the roll and re-apply. Read this article for details on how to prepare a new electoral roll. 

• How to prepare a new Electoral Roll 

Other useful forms

In the resources section of this page, you will find the necessary forms and notices for your Annual Meeting:

• Notice of Annual Parish Meeting
• Notice of meeting of parishioners to elect churchwardens
• Nomination forms for a churchwarden, deanery synod member and PCC member
• Annual Parish Meeting results

Deanery Synods

Each parish is entitled to a number of representatives on its deanery synod. The scales of representation are based on the number of people on a parish's electoral roll and agreed by the Diocesan Synod. For details, download 'Representation on Deanery Synods' from the resources section of this page. 

Churchwardens' length of service

A person is disqualified from being appointed to the office of churchwarden when he or she has served as churchwarden of the same parish for six years in succession. A person must have a gap of at least two years before serving again.

However, the annual meeting can pass a resolution to the effect that this section of the Measure shall not apply, which would allow the person in question to be appointed after the six years has expired. Such a resolution would take effect immediately. For details, download 'Election of Churchwardens from 2008' from the resources section of this page. 

For further information, contact the Synodical Secretary.