This must take place by April 30th each year and, at St James's, normally take place in the hall at 11am, following Parish Communion. The business of the Meeting of Parishioners is to elect two churchwardens for the following year. All parishioners on either the church Electoral Roll or the Civil Electoral Register can vote at this meeting. There then follows the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM). All on the church electoral roll can take part in and vote at this meeting. There are reports from the vicar, the treasurer and other officers of the Parochial Church Council, on the events of the last year.
At this meeting, five representatives to the Deanery Synod are elected for three years. The number of representatives depends on the number on the Electoral Roll. They become ex-officio members of the PCC. A further election for eleven ordinary members of the PCC is then held. Ordinary PCC members must be elected annually. From their number they elect the secretary and the treasurer. The ordinary members serve for up to three years, so some new members are elected each year along with those re-elected for a further year. An auditor of the PCC's accounts has to be appointed. The auditor must not be member of the PCC.
So there is an important legal aspect to the APCM. But there is also a key spiritual aspect to the APCM. We celebrate what God has done through us during the previous year. The APCM is always interesting and offers an opportunity for anyone on the electoral roll to voice opinions on the way the church has been or is being managed.
Find out more
Annual Parochial Church Meeting Reports