Vacancy

What to do before your Parish Priest leaves and how the new Parish Priest is chosen.

What to do before your Parish Priest leaves

When a parish priest retires or leaves, there is a gap before a new priest is appointed.  This is called a vacancy or an interregnum.
Churchwardens should make sure they know:

• Where all the parish records are and the contents of all files and correspondence.
• Practical arrangements about the vicarage - where the keys and the meters are and what needs repairs.

Churchwardens should discuss with the Rural Dean the pattern of services during a vacancy.

How the new Parish Priest is chosen

The new parish priest is chosen by a person called the Patron, acting together with the Bishop and two parish representatives appointed by the PCC.

The Bishop or the diocesan office sends a notice of the vacancy to the PCC.  Within four weeks, the PCC should meet and do the following:-

• Prepare a written summary or profile, describing the conditions, needs and traditions of the parish and the kind of parish priest the PCC feels the parish needs.
• Appoint two parish representatives (who should be lay) to contact the Patron and the Bishop. They are not necessarily the churchwardens.
• Decide whether to ask the Patron to consider advertising the vacancy. The final decision on advertising rests with the Patron.
• Decide whether to ask for a joint meeting with the Bishop and the Patron.
• Decide whether to ask the Bishop how the parish relates to the needs of the Diocese and the wider interests of the Church
• Decide whether or not to pass a resolution saying that the PCC would not accept a woman as the new parish priest, or as a priest to lead Holy Communion or say the Absolution in the parish.

If the PCC has asked for a meeting with the Bishop and the Patron, this takes place within six weeks.  The Rural Dean and the lay chairman of the Deanery Synod should be invited to the meeting.  The purpose is to exchange views on the PCC's wishes and on the Bishop's views on how the parish relates to the needs of the Diocese.

When the Patron finds a person whom he would like to appoint, he sends notices to the Bishop and to the parish representatives, naming the person he proposes to offer the position to.  The Bishop has four weeks to make up his mind whether or not to accept this person and the parish representatives have two weeks.  In other words, both have a power of veto over the candidate put forward by the Patron.  If the parish representatives wish to veto a candidate, they should be prepared to justify their reason for doing so.
If the position remains vacant for nine months, then the right to choose the new parish priest passes from the Patron to the Archbishop.

Click here for the next section on Suspension of Presentation.

Please click on any of the following links below for further information:

• Churchwarden's Qualifications
• Disqualifications
• Length of Service and Election
• Meeting of Parishioners
• Minister's Veto
• Admission
• Vacation of Office
• Parochial Church Council
• Members and Officers of the Parochial Church Council
• General Provision relating to Parochial Church Councils
• Church Electoral Roll
• Annual Parochial Church meeting
• Functions of the PCC
• Land and other property
• Church and Churchyard
• Contents of the Church
• Insurance
• Food and Drink
• Employees
• Church Records
• Terrier, Inventory and Log Book
• Inspection and Reporting
• What to do before your Parish Priest leaves
• How the new Parish Priest is chosen
• Suspension of Presentation
• Running the Church during the vacancy
• Sources

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