What's New

25/02/09 - Church Buildings (Uses & Disposals) Committee Update

The Church Buildings (Uses & Disposals) Committee has published their 2009 meeting dates and these may be found here. Two new members will be joining the Committee, Reverend Canon Bob Baker and Mr Jacob Vince, following the loss of three previous members at the end of last year.

19/01/09 - Pastoral (Amendment) Measure 2006 Guide to Extended Use of a Church Building

The Pastoral (Amendment) Measure 2006 amended Section 56 of the Measure to allow for the lease of part of a church building without closing any part for regular public worship. The Guide to this piece of legislation is now available on our website here.

18/07/08 - Annual Report of the Pastoral Committee to the Board of Governors for 2007

The Pastoral Committee discharges, on behalf of the Board of Governors, the Commissioners' responsibilities for taking forward diocesan proposals for pastoral reorganisation and issues affecting churchyards, parsonage property and glebe. It has a quasi-judicial role in determining objections made to those diocesan proposals. The Committee also oversees the administration of the Commissioners' liabilities for chancel repairs and of loan schemes for church housing. Please click here for the Committee's 2007 Report. Please see the annexed representation graph for information on representation cases dealt with between 2003 and 2007.

18/07/08 - Annual Report of the Redundant Churches Committee to the Board of Governors for the year to 31 December 2007

The Church Buildings (Uses & Disposals) Committee (previously the Redundant Churches Committee) discharges, on behalf of the Board of Governors, the Commissioners' responsibilities for settling the future of church buildings closed for regular public worship. The Committee also adjudicates on representations made regarding particular proposals. Please click here for the Committee's 2007 report. Annex D to the report may be found here.

18/07/08 - Changes to the Names of the Redundant Churches Committee and Division

At their Annual General Meeting on the 18 June 2008, the Commissioners approved a change of name for what has previously been known as the Redundant Churches Committee. The Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007 changed the terminology surrounding church building closure.

It is now known as the Church Buildings (Uses and Disposals) Committee. Various other changes brought about by the Measure are described below.

The Redundant Churches Division is now the Closed Churches Division.

25/06/08 - Skeleton Bishops' Mission Order and Supplementary Instrument

A skeleton Bishop's Mission Order and Supplementary Instrument have been prepared in order to assist those preparing such Orders under the Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007 and can be downloaded here. This is intended as a guide in framing the documentation; different arrangements can be made locally if the bishop agrees. These documents will be reviewed in the light of experience.

11/06/08 - Pastoral Measure 1983 Code of Practice

The main amendments to the Pastoral Measure 1983 contained in the Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission measure 2007 take effect from 11 June 2008.

The Code of Recommended Practice of the 1983 Measure is in the process of being updated and will be available from this website shortly.

In the meantime any queries about any of the changes should be directed to your regular contact or pastoral@c-of-e.org.uk.

08/05/08 - Bishops' Mission Orders

Part V of the Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007 deals with new bishops’ mission orders which bishops can use to endorse and provide recognition and oversight for new forms of Church developing alongside traditional ones. The main provisions of Part V came into force on 31st March 2008.

The House of Bishops’ Code of Practice on bishops’ mission orders was approved by General Synod in February 2008 and can be downloaded here as a word document.  It includes the full text of Part V of the 2007 Measure.

08/05/08 - Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007

The Measure received the Royal Assent on 30 October 2007 and can be accessed by clicking here. Please click here to see the commencement dates of various parts as outlined in a letter of 21 December 2007 that was sent to all diocesan and suffragan bishops, all Diocesan Board of Finance secretaries and diocesan registrars by Mr William Fittall, Secretary General to the General Synod.

The Measure makes a significant number of amendments to the Pastoral Measure 1983. These will come into effect on 11 June 2008. For early sight of the text of the Pastoral Measure 1983 as it will be on 11 June 2008 onwards please click here.

If you want to see the changes that take effect on 11 June 2008 marked up on the Pastoral Measure 1983 as it currently stands please click here. New provisions are shown in bold type, while the provisions being repealed are shown stuck through by a horizontal line.

The Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007 also includes a number of other provisions which impact on, and therefore are to be read in conjunction with, the Pastoral Measure 1983. For ease of reference these are included here as an addendum.

Finally, click here for a summary timeline for when key provisions in the 2007 Measure come into force.

If you have a general enquiry or comments about these web pages please contact: Fiona McKenzie