Welcome to this page.

It may not seem the most exciting topic, however it is an important one.
When I became an active member of the Church of England, the Anglican Church, how it worked seemed a mystery! If you believe the press you would think the Church of England doesn’t work and is quite dysfunctional, but like any family it has different views within it which create tensions. These views are often strongly held and expressed in the heat of human passion in ways that may be thought of as unloving. But in all this we must remember we are not a perfect people, our perfection is only to be found in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is His will we need to seek, His purpose we need to live out and here at Christ Church we believe that the Bible is core to understanding His purpose for us.
Praise God, all of us are created differently; however, that should never stop us as we seek to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.

So what has that got to do with Electoral Rolls and Parochial Church Councils?

Quite a lot really. It’s about identity, co-responsibility, mutuality, community and mission.

The Electoral Roll is a register of all those who are committed to, and attend the church on a regular basis. Someone offering themselves to the church family to be elected as a member of the Parochial Church Council (PCC), to represent them in the governance of the church, needs to have been on the Electoral Roll for more than six months.

You do not need to live within the Parish of Christ Church, Southchurch, to be on the Electoral Roll. In fact at present the majority of those on the Electoral Roll live outside the parish boundary.
It is also worth noting that you do not need to be a ‘signed up’ member of the Church of England to be a member of Christ Church. (see note 1)

The PCC.
An important group within the life of the church. What is its role?

“The function of the parochial church councils shall include - (a) co-operation with the minister in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical” (note 3)
The primary objective then is to shape with the incumbent (vicar) the mission objectives of the church family. However, they also have legal responsibilities as Trustees of the church. (Christ Church is a charity - Reg 1130922) (note 2)

Quite often PCCs are seen as a ‘talking shop’ where the minutiae of the church’s administration are covered, sometimes more than once! That should not be the case.
It is a vital role of the PCC to be aware of the church’s accounts and to support the Church Treasurer in their role in making sure all statutory financial requirements are fulfilled and the church family contribute towards their share of the Parish Share (Family Purse). But it has potential to be much more than that.
They are also called upon to discuss and advise on matters referred to them by the Diocesan and Deanery Synods. They too can discuss issues that can be referred to Synods for discussion.
A PCC meeting should be an open and honest forum for discussion about the mission of the ‘Church’, with all able to contribute to the ideas and shaping of church family life and the way that will impact on others within the parish. As the elected members of the church they (we)are called to model what it means to be the ‘light of Christ’ in the world and enable others to do the same.

(Further reading suggestions)