Role of the Parochial Church Council (PCC)

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is the body that, with the minister, steers the life of the church in its mission, witness and service in the parish. The PCC’s role is governed by law (the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956).  It is a charitable trust and PCC members are charitable trustees, and so all the provisions of charity law apply to their corporate responsibilities, financial management and decision making. This is true whether or not the charity is registered with the Charity Commissioners. You cannot be a PCC member if by law you are not permitted to be a trustee.

Being elected to the PCC

A person is eligible for election to the PCC by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting if:

• his/her name has been on the Electoral Roll of the parish for at least the preceding six months (unless under the age of 18 at the date of the election)
• he/she is an actual communicant (receiving Communion at least three times in the previous 12 months)
• Because of their responsibilities, PCC members will be expected to attend Safeguarding training. You cannot be a PCC member if convicted of a specified safeguarding offence or included in a barred list.

Serious Incidents

All PCCs are charities and so are required to report all Serious Incidents (safeguarding and otherwise) to the Charity Commission.  A safeguarding Serious Incident is an adverse event, whether actual or alleged, which results in or risks significant harm to the charity’s beneficiaries, employees, office holders, volunteers or to others who come into contact with the charity through its work. This includes where there are allegations or incidents of abuse of or risks to beneficiaries or others connected with the charity’s activities. What is considered to be “significant” is a matter for the trustees to determine, as it will depend on the context of the charity, taking into account its operations, staff, finances and reputation.

Church of England guidance | PDF

Template | DOCX

FAQ | PDF

Reserves Guidance

Reserves guidance | PDF

Further information

For full details about the role of the PCC please visit:

Parish Resources | Weblink 

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For more than twenty years Practical Church Management has provided essential information on all aspects of modern church life. Its clear layout and practical approach have made it a favourite with clergy, church wardens, PCC treasurers, Gift Aid secretaries, PCC members, and all others involved with church management, both at parish and at diocesan level.  This book is available to purchase for £30 and the ISBN number is: 978 0 85244 786 4.