PCC secretaries

In consultation with the Incumbent or vice-chair, the PCC agenda should be prepared and circulated to the PCC members in advance of the meeting. It can be helpful to establish a cyclical agenda to ensure important tasks or deliverables are not missed. See an example agenda as a guide (though note it may have more items listed than you need) and the annual calendar of parish deliverables, referred to below.

To keep the minutes CRR M20(2b) and to record, as part of the minutes, any resolutions passed by the PCC CRR M20(2c). 

• You need to keep the diocese and deanery (CRR M20(2d)) up to date of the key roles of PCC Secretary, Treasurer, Safeguarding Officer and Deanery Synod Rep (CRR M12(9)). Communications regularly go out from the diocese on information you need to know e.g. training courses, deadlines, new legislation PCCs need to comply with.  
• If changes in these personnel occur after the first PCC meeting after the APCM (in June annually, we’ll issue you with a contacts list for your PCC, requesting confirmation of key PCC contacts), you’ll need to complete and submit an M4 to CHO at the earliest opportunity.
• To respond to requests from the diocese and deanery as necessary, to direct or field to the relevant person.
• We also provide a quarterly newsletter with a round-up of important information may have missed as well events and deadline that are  coming up, which you’ll only receive if you are on the central contact database (CMS). Also, once on CMS you’ll be able to register for access to this and then have contact info for people in the deanery and diocese.
• New churchwarden appointments must be notified to the relevant Area Office.

To ensure the PCC is meeting its deadlines and deliverables, by being aware of the PCC’s deadlines and checking with the person responsible that this has been completed. We have provided an editable annual calendar of deliverables a PCC will typically need to do as an aide memoire, for you to amend.

Whilst this is not a requirement of the role, where there is not a parish administrator, the PCC secretary role may also include handling the correspondence on behalf of the parish. Thank you letters, in particular, can be much appreciated to those who may have helped the parish, as well as send out notes of condolence etc.

The PCC secretary can be an invaluable support to the Incumbent, by having a good knowledge of the rules over the governance of PCC meetings and membership and thus able to quietly advise the chair on the correct procedure where there is lack of understanding, ideally at an early stage to prevent issues arising. The Church Representation Rules are essential in this regard, but do contact sue.zajac@oxford.anglican.org with any queries on these. 

However, where there are any concerns over how the PCC is being run, this should be raised, in the first instance, with the churchwardens, as the Bishop’s officers, for follow up. However, if this is not appropriate given the issue, then raise with the Area Dean or Archdeacon.