What on earth are we here for? (and other existential questions) St Andrew’s PCC What on earth are we here for? (and other existential questions)

What’s the PCC for? Support the vicar in carrying out the mission of the church Represent church members Charity trustees – legal role Church leadership – reflecting biblical model

What does it do? Until recently we met on Monday evenings roughly once a month Approval of budget, receives reports of church activities and discusses forthcoming issues for the church

Who’s on the PCC? There are currently 26 PCC members: 14 elected members (excludes 1 current vacancy) 4 Deanery Synod representatives 3 clergy 2 church wardens 1 lay reader 1 Diocesan Synod member 1 General Synod member

A few changes… Following training and discussion in January, we hope to: Make the PCC more strategic Improve communication with the church (and vice versa)

To do this we want to… Reduce the size of the PCC – make it more more focused and efficient This will be voted on this evening – to take effect from April 2015 On a voluntary basis we also hope to align some Deanery Synod reps with elected PCC places Reduce the number of meetings and encourage a strategic/thematic emphasis Improve publicity and interaction between church and PCC There are two special resolutions about to be put before you. Note that under CoE law, a 12 month notice period is required before either can take effect. i.e. if these resolutions are passed, they will not take effect tonight, but rather at our 2015 APCM. The first resolution is to reduce the number of directly elected members of PCC from 15 to 9, thus reducing overall PCC size by 6. The second resolution is to require all directly elected PCC places (i.e. 9, assuming the first resolution is passed) to be re-elected en masse at our April 2015 APCM. The reason for this resolution is that normally only one third of the PCC is (re-)elected each year. (Hence why there are 5 places up for election this evening.) Without this second resolution the first would therefore take 3 years to be implemented in full. i.e. there would be a reduction of 2 places per year over the period 2015-2017. This way all 6 places will be reduced at once in April 2015. After 2015 it is the intention to revert to the current practice of re-electing one third of the PCC each year; i.e. from 2016 onwards each year 3 of the new total of 9 elected places will be up for re-election each year. Note that if this resolution is passed an implication will be that anyone elected to PCC (but not to Deanery Synod) tonight will effectively be elected for one year only.

We’re here to represent you – so keep in touch: Increased contact with you – including short presentations like this a few times a year PCC meeting minutes available for review Mugshots and names of PCC members will soon appear on the board in foyer and on the website Accost (in the friendliest way possible) a PCC member or church warden after church services Any further questions – email the church office and they will forward your query We hope soon to make PCC minutes easily available to all church members by making them available online and by placing a copy in the foyer. However under church law we first need to pass a special PCC resolution. In the meantime provided you are on the church’s electoral roll you may request to view a copy by asking the church office. Note that minutes get finalized only at or after the following meeting. So there is inevitably a delay before the publication of each set.