Last updated 19th September 2023

Archdeacons' Annual (Deanery) Visitations

Every year parishioners elect Churchwardens to represent them and to work with their parish priest in enabling Christian mission and ministry in their parish. In June 2023, there will be seven visitations, split between each archdeaconry. Wardens will be sworn in by the Archdeacons as officers of the Diocesan Bishop. Details will be added to this page in the run up to the visitations.

If you cannot attend a visitation, then please let the Archdeacon's PA know. It is important that you are sworn in by 31 August otherwise your election will not be legally confirmed. It is a requirement that wardens be sworn in by an Archdeacon unless there are exceptional circumstances. This year there is more flexibility and wardens could visit another Deanery Visitation - again let the Archdeacon's PA know. If that is not possible then please contact your Archdeacon's office so that he can make an arrangement for alternative provision.

Church door notice (click on name for link to document)	Visitation venue	Visitation date	Visitation time
Blackburn Archdeaconry
Accrington will be held jointly with Blackburn with Darwen	Blackburn St James	Wednesday, 19th June	19.30
Burnley and Pendle	Burnley St Cuthbert	Wednesday 12th June	19.30
Chorley will be held jointly with Leyland	Chorley St James	Monday, 17^th June	19.30
Whalley	Chipping St Bartholomew	Wednesday 5th June	19.00

Lancaster Archdeaconry
Preston will be held jointly with Kirkham			19.30
Blackpool will be held jointly with Poulton to serve the Fylde Coast			19.30
Lancaster and Morecambe will be held jointly with Tunstall Garstang Deanery Churchwardens		Notice for the Church Door	19.30

Churchwardens' Briefings

The briefing for the Blackburn Archdeaconry will be held on 3rd July, details from Kelly Quinn. The briefing for the Lancaster Archdeaconry will be held on 5th July. Details from Gill Beeley.

Each briefing will be held by zoom, and include presentations on insurances, buildings, legals and environmental/eco issues.

Archdeacons' Charity

This year, following Bishop Joseph's visit to the Diocese, the Archdeacons have chosen CRESS as their charity. https://cressuk.org/contact/ CRESS was established to educate and train South Sudanese people with the knowledge and skills to empower them to establish self-sustaining communities. CRESS works with the local church as this is not only a good strategy, it’s at the very heart of their work. CRESS wants to see local churches creating and leading change in their communities.

To donate, use this link or this QR code

Churchwardens' Yearbook 2024 is now available to order- order form in word here. The yearbook contains a useful outline of churchwardens’ duties; recommended reading matter and websites; helpful organistions and sources of finance; contact details for key personnel in all Anglican dioceses in England, Wales and Europe; religious festivals of other faiths; Parochial Fees tables. The diary section is detailed and guide to readings and all manner of information. Copies of the 2023 yearbook are available at a reduced price (£9.95) which may be useful for new wardens, as it will see you through to the remainder of this year.

The rest of this page contains all the paperwork relating to election of Churchwardens and other paperwork required to be legally compliant in the run up to the election of Churchwardens. Please be aware that there are new Church Representation Rules effective from 2020 which impact on how PCCs and APCMs are organised, as well as the instruments.

VISITATIONS 2023

The Archdeacons are writingto all parishes with details relating to the year end and visitations for 2023. The APCM has to be held by the 31 May, rather than April, in line with the Church Representation Rules 2022. It is recommended that APCMs should be held after 17 May and before 31st May, ie as late as possible. The wardens need to be admitted by 31 August if they do not attend a visitation.

Letter to PCC Secretaries, Feb 2023

Letter of thanks to Churchwardens March 2023

Details of VIsitations - letter from Archdeacons office March 2023

Details of the dates and venues of the Visitations for 2023 are above. The invitations to services this year are for churchwardens and incumbents as has become the custom. The wardens from Garstang Deanery are invited to attend any of the three Visitations being held in the Lancaster Archdeaconry.

If you cannot attend your deanery visitation and wish to attend another, please advise your Archdeacon's PA. If you cannot under exceptional circumstances attend at all, then again let us know so that the Archdeacon can make arrangements for you to be sworn in. Should this arrangement be conducted locally to you, then these words should be used from the service sheet, complete this declaration and send it back to Gill Beeley or Kelly Quinn.

Note that existing wardens' term of office continues until the new warden has been sworn in at the Visititation (Canon E1 and Churchwardens Measure 2001 61b). For the purposes of updating the website, where we know a warden is standing down, the date they finish is 31 August. The intention is to update this on our database as soon as possible after the date of the Visitation when we know who has been admitted to office.

If you have any questions regarding the admission of wardens, please contact Kelly.quinn@blackburn.anglican.org in the first instance.

The Notice for the Church door or noticeboard is the official Invitation from the Archdeacon to Churchwardens to attend a Visitation Service. The notice should be displayed from the first Sunday after receiving the full documentation directly from the Archdeacon until the date of the Visitation. For the notice to display in your church, please click on the deanery link above

Election of a Churchwarden

All forms relating to the election of churchwardens can be found on the Parish Resources Website.

This site also contains the forms for the election of PCC members, Deanery Synod members and administration of the electoral roll.

Nomination as a Churchwarden

The Nomination Form for Churchwarden should be made available for anyone on the church electoral roll to nominate someone as Churchwarden. The Archdeacons do not need to see the the completed form(s); please do not send them in! You sould note that there are strict criteria regarding becoming a warden which are detailed on the nomination form.

After election as a Churchwarden - Declaration forms

After election at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), the PCC secretary should advise Kelly Quinn (Blackburn) or Jude Causer (Lancaster) of the names and emails of any new wardens. The Churchwarden's declaration will be completed at the Visitation and handed to the area dean. We are trying to reduce the amount of printing and paper we use in line with our Environmental Policy. After the Visitation, church wardens will be sent an electronic link which enables them to check that their details held on our database are correct and enable then to amend them as necessary, including their GDPR preferences. Details will sent to you in due course. Alternatively, please complete this Declaration in Word and email it back to the office. Please do not bring printed declarations to the Visitation. Please note that as a warden is a public office, at least one contact detail should be public, whether mobile, landline or email address.

Further support and information can be found on the Parish Resources website

Electoral Roll

The Electoral Roll was revised in 2019. The link to information is here.

Articles of Enquiry

The Articles of Enquiry are now completed via the Parish Returns Online - in the same way as you would complete other returns. There are no Articles of Enquiry this year.

Quicklinks

Archdeacons' Annual (Deanery) Visitations

VISITATIONS 2023

After election as a Churchwarden - Declaration forms

Resources

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