What is the PCC and what is its role in the Church?
The PCC is known as the Parochial Church Council and its role is to promote ‘total mission’ within the parish.
‘Total mission’ includes pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical issues which are put forward for
consideration and discussion at monthly (or bi-monthly) meetings.
Furthermore, the function of the PCC is to be responsible for the church buildings and possessions, and agree upon
the forms of worship in the parish. As an ‘interested party’ in parish affairs the PCC must be involved in any
proposals for change.
PCC’s are elected at the APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting), and any communicant member of the Church of
England, over seventeen years of age, who is on the Electoral Roll, may be nominated for election. Other members
of the PCC will consist of Clergy; Churchwardens; the elected members of Deanery Synod. At the discretion of the
PCC others may be co-opted on to the PCC. Readers must be co-opted on at the APCM.
PCC’s usually set up different groups responsible for discussing topics such as Worship; Mission; Pastoral; and
Social; and then report back to the PCC for further consideration and any final decision making and action.
Further to these groups the PCC elects a Standing Committee (consisting of the incumbent, churchwardens and at
least two other members of the PCC), to meet together for emergency meetings where and when it is not practical to
draw all the other members of the PCC together (usually at short notice).
This is but a simplistic explanation of what the PCC is and does - to go into any greater detail would require
another 200 pages. For further information I would recommend the book “An ABC for the PCC” by John Pitchford
Steve Mason.
