St. James’ Church PCC
St. James’ Church mission is to pray, and to proclaim the Good News of the Risen Christ, of course, but while that’s being done, a back-up team has to take care of the details of church organisation, and that’s what the Parochial Church Council (PCC) does at St. James.
Every year, at the annual Parochial Meeting (often held in Holy Week), Churchwardens are elected and Sidespersons appointed. Every three years, two representatives are elected to the Deanery Synod. (Think of the organisation of the Church of England as being like the way our country is governed – the PCC is similar to the Parish Council, but we are also represented in the wider “government” that is Deanery, Diocese and General Synod!) The Vicar, Curate, Churchwardens and Deanery Synod Reps are members of our PCC by virtue of their position: at the annual Parochial Meeting another eleven or so people are elected to run our church. This year (2011/12) the full complement is the Vicar (vacant); the Curate (Dyllis); Churchwarden Lisa Farrington; Deanery Synod Reps Judith Kirkham (Reader) and Nicola Smith (Reader); and Elaine Duke, Elaine Evans, Dorothy Hillman, Pam Jackson, Gill Keighley, Ron Blakey, Paul Buckmaster (elected as Treasurer), Ken Jenkinson, John Evans, Mike Hewitt, and Derek Wolstenholme.
We meet every couple of months to discuss issues, such as (in no particular order):
- Finance, especially the ongoing deficit;
- Moving the church bank account from RBS to HSBC
to avoid bank charges;
- Meeting with the Sidespeople to discuss their
role;
- Water leaks through the church roof;
- Review of services, and planning worship for the
future;
- The Diocesan Parish Share arrears – a meeting
with the Diocesan Secretary;
- Interregnum: Statement of Needs and Parish
Profile;
- The future of ministry in the Over Wyre area;
- The removal of parts of two pews, for wheelchair
/ pram access;
- Accessibility Audit and its recommendations;
- Opening the church building during the day;
- Tree preservation order on the mature sycamore
(south-east of churchyard);
- Quinquennial Inspection
- Health and Safety Committee;
- “Life worth Living” course;
- The production of the Parish News;
- Stalmine
School Festival;
- Painting the porch;
- A possible church family holiday;
- Safe working with ladders;
- A project for the “4Gs” – links with Mrs Judith
Judkin in Tanzania;
- A new lawnmower – allowing some of the rear of the churchyard to go back to nature in a
controlled way;
- Memorials to Margaret Clegg and Nancy Poole;
- Social events;
- Arrangements to cover the absences of the
Organist / Treasurer;
- Attendance of the uniformed groups at Parade
Services;
- Parish Share calculation mechanism;
- Whether St. Aidan’s C of E Technology College
should become an Academy;
- Charitable donations;
- Reviews of recent services – plans for future
services/events.
The PCC has a number of legal powers and duties, and in an interregnum for example, has to deal with the recruitment of a new Vicar and help the Churchwardens to “hold the fort!”
If you’d like to see the minutes of a meeting, to see what’s been going on, then please contact
Paul Buckmaster on 01253 810086 who will be pleased to help.
Better still, make sure that you’re on the church Electoral Roll (see Lisa or Paul), and stand for election at the next AGM – PCC isn’t an exclusive club, and we’re always very glad of new members with new ideas.
