Charities have a range of Governing Documents. Charitable Trusts are governed by Trust Deeds, Charitable Companies will have a Memorandum and Articles whilst Charitable Associations usually have a Constitution. Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) are charities, which are governed by two pieces of legislation, called Measures. These are :
The Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended. This defines the principal function, or purpose, of the PCC as “promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church”.
Latest available (revised) full text of the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure 1956
and
The Church Representation Rules (contained in Schedule 3 to the Synodical Government Measure 1969 as amended). These are the rules that govern local, diocesan, and national governance of the Church of England.
Latest available (newly amended) full text of the Church Representation Rules
A hard copy of The Church Representation Rules can be purchased from Church House Publishing.
A PDF summarising our Governing Documents can be downloaded here. This summary is sufficient as supporting documentation for applications to be registered with the Charity Commission.
Last updated
07 May 2024- Updated links and wording for clarification of resources