Vacancy guidelines

Gracious God, you are with us always.

We thank you for guiding us by your Spirit

through our life together as church.

[We thank you for the ministry of X,

and pray your blessing on her/him].

We pray that we may hear your voice in this time of vacancy;

give us patience, vision and courage as we seek a new priest

and as we become

a more Christ-like church, for the sake of God’s world:

contemplative, compassionate and courageous.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

• Ensure the Churchwardens know the whereabouts of parish registers, baptism and wedding certificates;
• Hand over all keys, parish records, confidential files etc;
• Brief the Churchwardens on the different areas of parish life - a sheet entitled ‘Who does what’ can be helpful here;
• Hand over any child protection and safeguarding paperwork/forms to the Parish Safeguarding Officer that they may be held securely during the vacancy;
• Make sure that all vicarage utility meters are read and the wardens as well as the utility companies are given the readings;
• Ensure the vicarage is empty of all furniture and rubbish - this is important since the parish has to pay for the removal of anything left behind.

During a vacancy, the Churchwardens and Area Dean become ‘sequestrators’, which means that they are responsible for the maintenance of services, care for the vicarage and preparation for the arrival of the new vicar. The sequestrators are also responsible for the money – see Fees and Finance below. 

The Area Dean is a valuable resource, as well as holding joint legal responsibility with the Churchwardens during the vacancy, and will be available to answer questions or help handle practical issues.  

It is often a good idea for a small management group to help the Churchwardens with day-to-day care of the parish/benefice (arranging rotas, pastoral care, worship provision etc). This team could be the standing committee, or could be drawn from other members of the PCC. A possible way for a multi-parish benefice to handle all of this is given below. If there is a curate or associate minister and LLMs in the parish it may be right for them to be included in this group. But note that the group is responsible to the Churchwardens and the PCC, and this is not an opportunity for mavericks to get their own way!

It’s useful to publicise the list of who is going to look after different areas of church life such as enquiries about baptism, pastoral visiting, home/study groups, church rotas etc.

A vacancy is not just a period of ‘marking time’ but may be a time of creative discovery and for enjoying the benefits of co-operative ministry within the church and with neighbouring parishes. The Area Dean and Archdeacon are key resources from the wider church to help facilitate this. 

In a multi-parish benefice, it is very useful for the wardens of the different parishes to meet regularly to share information and encouragement and to work co-operatively where this is most useful (e.g. it may be sensible to rationalise the service pattern for the duration of the vacancy if it is proving hard to get cover). This may take the form of regular Benefice Council meetings, or other, ad hoc gatherings. If the benefice has associate ministers, a curate and/or LLMs, it’s good practice to include them in these meetings too.

In a Team Ministry, the Team Rector holds legal responsibility during a vacancy and will normally organise the day-to-day running of the parish(es). If it is the Team Rector’s post which is vacant, then the Team Vicar(s) will normally organise the day-to-day running of the parish(es), although legal responsibility is held by the Churchwardens and Area Dean.

If the post is for a House-for-Duty Associate Clergy, the incumbent remains responsible for management and organisation. If it is an incumbent’s House-for-Duty post, the Area Dean and Churchwardens hold legal responsibility, though as above it can be useful for others such as PCC members to help on an ad hoc basis with the day-to-day arrangements. 

It should be noted that any House-for-Duty clergy remaining in the benefice continue to offer ministry for 2 days plus Sundays. It should not be assumed that they will offer more during a vacancy, and while they do not assume responsibility it is hoped that they will be in close touch with the Area Dean and Churchwardens.

The chair of the PCC is the incumbent and all PCCs should appoint a Vice-Chair if it has not already done so. During a vacancy the Vice-Chair takes the chair at the PCC. If your PCC is normally chaired by a lay person, they simply continue in this role. It continues to meet regularly to promote the whole mission of the church.

An experienced Associate Priest or Self-Supporting Minister does not become Priest-in-Charge in the vacancy, even if they find themselves bearing extra responsibilities. The Area Dean may be able to advise about the running of the Annual meeting(s) if one falls during the vacancy.

Your meeting pattern is probably well established, but there may well be a need for extra meetings during the vacancy so that everyone stays well informed and the parish’s part in the process of making the new appointment can stay on track. In a multi-parish benefice, regular contact between the different PCCs is important, and this may take the form of regular Churchwardens’ meetings or more frequent Benefice Council meetings.

Further information about preparing for and conducting PCC meetings and annual meetings can be found in the Church Representation Rules (see Part II and Appendix II).

In a vacancy, the Churchwardens and Area Dean are jointly responsible for ensuring that regular services of worship take place and other aspects of the church’s ministry are kept up - as far as possible, your regular service pattern should be maintained. This is not the time to make radical changes, although you may need some flexibility.

Before the vacancy begins, the Churchwardens within the benefice should discuss with the Area Dean (and any assistant clergy and/or LLMs) the pattern of services, bearing in mind:

• the needs of the parish/benefice;
• the availability of clergy and LLMs;
• the cost of providing the services;
• the pastoral considerations.

Non-Eucharistic services may be led by Licensed Lay Minister, but you will need a priest to take Communion and Baptism services.

If you are part of a multi-parish benefice, this may be a time when you increase the number of benefice services and come together more frequently as congregations.

It may not always be possible to provide a full pattern of services. If changes are necessary during the vacancy, the following guidelines are suggested:

• Holy Communion should be celebrated each Sunday in every parish church, where this is the usual practice. In a united benefice or plurality, Holy Communion should be celebrated in at least one of the churches in the benefice each Sunday;
• If there is a regular well-attended service, every effort should be made to retain it at the usual time;
• If it is not possible to offer a service of Holy Communion at its usual time, a similar service should be offered at an alternative time, such as a Sunday evening or on a weekday;
• If no clergy are readily available, a service of Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer or A Service of the Word should, if possible, be led by those who are formally licensed to do so. The Area Dean will help whenever necessary to seek help from the other clergy or LLMs in the area.

If none of these is available, Canon B11 allows for lay people to conduct Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. The permission does not include preaching. The Area Dean should be prepared to offer guidance regarding readings in place of a sermon, and arrange for the training of those leading worship. It is good practice to invite a small group of people to share in leading such services.

If Holy Communion cannot be provided at the normal time, alternative provision should be made for Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer or A Service of the Word at the same time.

Baptisms should normally take place during a regular service, or if this is impossible, immediately following a service. The priest leading the service should also be asked to perform the baptism, if appropriate.  

Midweek services of Holy Communion may continue to be held in a vacancy, if clergy are available to lead them. Arrangements for Home Communion for those who are ill are explained under Pastoral Care below.

Questions about the pattern of services during the vacancy that cannot be settled by the Area Dean should be referred to the Bishop, or Archdeacon/Associate Archdeacon.

The task of finding someone to take each service may seem onerous, but you may have access to retired clergy or associate ministers from other parishes. Do consult the Area Dean, who shares this responsibility with you and who will have the overview of what assistance is available from the Deanery, and may also be available to help out him/herself. Vacancies vary in length, but a minimum of six months is not unusual, so forward planning is very much advised.

Be sensitive in arranging services, so as to ensure that associate clergy, SSMs, LLMs and, where appropriate, retired clergy, are neither left out nor exhausted. During a vacancy SSMs and LLMs have their working agreements revised and this is done by the Area Dean in conjunction with the Archdeacon. A vacancy is a good time to invite clergy from beyond your own benefice to lead worship, including the Archdeacon and Area Bishop. 

Travelling expenses should be offered to all visiting clergy and LLMs. These payments are the responsibility of the parish/benefice – which will not be paying the incumbent’s expenses during this period. Fees for clergy during a vacancy can be reclaimed (see later).

It is helpful to provide a simple briefing sheet describing key points that visiting clergy need to be aware of before taking the service – so that they at least know the expectations of the congregation. One of the fruits of a vacancy is for congregations to experience different styles of presiding and preaching.

There should be policies in place in relation to issues such as baptism and marriage of divorced persons. The Churchwardens and PCC should be aware of these and they have a responsibility to maintain them. A vacancy is not the time for changing these. If there is doubt, consult with the Area Dean. Existing policies should be stated in the Parish/Benefice profile.

You may have a well-oiled parish or benefice office which deals with these enquiries, or it may have been an area of ministry which has been handled solely by the vicar. In any event, it is important to have a clear system in place for dealing with enquiries and arrangements.

If you have a parish/benefice administrator, so much the better. If not, it is sensible to designate one member of the management group to be the contact person and ensure that arrangements are in place. It may be useful to discuss this with the vicar before s/he leaves so that you have a clear understanding of what is needed.

Baptisms

There is no statutory fee for baptisms. As a minimum, you need to ensure that all Godparents have been baptised. Make sure that a certificate is given to parents, cards to Godparents, and the register is filled in. Any other enquiries should be referred to the Area Dean.

Weddings

You need to be clear about your parish fee structure for weddings, including additional optional items such as organists, choir, flowers, bells. Weddings which have already been booked will need to be handed over to an ordained person to conduct.

Because weddings involve legalities, including establishing a qualifying connection, calling of banns, and registration it would be sensible to involve the Area Dean or to seek advice from the Registrar before any wedding is booked in order that the couple’s right to be married in the church can be checked. It is most beneficial to have one person who liaises with wedding couples.

Funerals

You should contact the local funeral directors so that they know that the parish is in a vacancy. If you have no assistant/associate clergy, they will normally ask someone from outside the parish to take the funeral, either at the crematorium or in church. If a funeral takes place in church, it is normal for the parish to provide an organist. Fees are payable for funerals (see following section) and usually for additional services, such as an organist, too.

The Churchwardens and Area Dean are responsible for receiving fees and making payments during the vacancy. These should be recorded as usual and remitted to the diocese in the normal way (if you are uncertain about what this is, ask your vicar before they go).

Funerals and weddings

Funerals and weddings involve the collection of fees. If you do not have a fees administrator, someone will need to be responsible for collecting them and for making sure that those providing elements of these services such as music, bells, flowers etc. are paid, as well as visiting clergy, where appropriate (see below). Up-to-date information about the fees due for occasional offices and fees payable to visiting clergy during a vacancy is available from the diocesan website.

Where a minister from outside the parish takes a wedding or funeral service, the minister’s fee received should be sent to the Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance.

Only retired clergy (including those who have been stipendiary, self- supporting, House for Duty or Minster in Secular Employment) aged 65 years or over and who have permission to officiate (PTO) may receive payment, which is set at two-thirds of the minister’s fee. Details about fees for retired clergy are on the diocesan website. Clergy who hold a licence, whether paid or unpaid, may not receive a part of the fee.  However, all may receive travelling expenses, which are normally paid in the case of funerals by the funeral director and by the PCC in the case of weddings.

Collections at funerals

Although families do not have a right to hold collections for third-party charities at funerals, the custom is widespread. The family or undertaker must agree the appropriateness of any collection with the officiating minister, the Area Dean or the Churchwardens before notice is given to the press and the service takes place. If the members of a family wish to pass on a donation personally, a cheque, made payable to the charity, may be sent to the appropriate family member.
 
All money collected in church that is to be given to the named charity, whether in sealed envelopes or not, should be recorded in and passed through the church accounts. Cash should not be handed over to the family or undertaker after the service.

Unless previously agreed otherwise by the family and the Officiating Minister, all money collected in church at the funeral should be sent to the nominated charity and the family informed of the amount that has been sent.

Visiting clergy

In a vacancy, the parish can claim from the diocese the fees for visiting clergy taking Sunday services. The relevant forms, and general advice, may be obtained from Nicole Hayes at Church House Oxford on 01865 208 204 nicole.hayes@oxford.anglican.org.

Pastoral care

If clergy are asked to do other pastoral work, such as sick visits etc, the parish is expected to be responsible for expenses. In the case of a team ministry where several members of the team are absent at the same time, the Archdeacon may give special permission to claim expenses from the diocese. The Area Dean or the Archdeacon can help with further advice on particular cases.

Parish share

Parish share has to be paid as normal during a vacancy. There will a small reduction in expenditure, however, as there will be no incumbent’s working expenses.

Any clergy or licensed lay workers in the benefice will continue their pastoral work under the oversight of the Area Dean. The Bishop may agree that some pastoral duties be delegated to a retired clergyperson living in the parish or nearby. The Bishop will consult with the benefice and Diocesan Secretary about related financial issues before permission is given.

During the vacancy, provision should be made after consultation with the Area Dean for Holy Communion to be taken to anyone who is ill or infirm and also for pastoral care for those who are dying, and of other parishioners in urgent need. Pastoral visits will also be required for baptism and marriage preparation.

This is essential to ensure that people are well informed about parish life, particularly when the incumbent, one of the main channels of communication, is no longer there. Weekly pew sheets, monthly magazines and the parish website are all important ways of keeping people aware of the continuing life and mission of the church and how the vacancy and the appointment process are progressing.

During a vacancy the wardens are responsible, with the Buildings Department at Church House Oxford, for the safety and security of the parsonage house. The contact person is Tony Kerry, Deputy Diocesan Surveyor, on 01865 208 292, or via email, or Chris Mariner, Building Surveyor, on 01865 208 232, or via email.

Some practical points to remember while the house is empty:

• a Churchwarden should do a security check every week and ensure that the garden is kept tidy;
• the telephone number will only be kept if the PCC maintains the line rental and pays the bills during the vacancy;
• central heating should be left on a minimum setting. The property team will liaise with you about this;
• Electricity/gas and all service charges become the responsibility of the Diocesan Board of Finance. The energy provider should be advised that all correspondence must be in the name of “Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance, Church House Oxford, Kidlington, OX5 1GF.”;
• No part of the house, outbuildings or garden should be used by the parish unless previously agreed with the Archdeacon or Associate Archdeacon or the property team. This includes administrative equipment and work.
• The Churchwardens should notify the property team immediately when anything occurs which might involve a claim under the insurance policy and if any repairs are required.

Fabric

In general, no repairs, decorations or alterations to the church or its fittings may be carried out without first obtaining a faculty. There are exceptions for certain minor works which are listed on the diocesan website, but please note that low cost is not itself a reason for being able to carry out work without a faculty. If there is any doubt, consult the Archdeacon or Associate Archdeacon.

Memorials

Churchwardens are responsible for seeing that all proposed memorials to be erected in the churchyard are strictly in accordance with the diocesan regulations and authorised by the Area Dean. If there is any doubt, consult the Archdeacon or Associate Archdeacon.

Trees

The Secretary of the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) for the Care of Churches or the Archdeacon should be consulted regarding trees.

Canons B43 & B44 (Relations with other Churches, and of Local Ecumenical Projects) need to be observed in the vacancy particularly regarding the duties which may be performed by non-Anglican Ministers during a Church of England service. Please consult the Area Dean or Archdeacon about any involvement of non-Anglican ministers, whether ordained or lay. It is not possible in law for a Minister of another denomination to preside at a Church of England’s service of Holy Communion.

If it is intended to sort through and dispose of any parish archives (including recent correspondence files and administrative papers), Churchwardens must first consult the archivist responsible for parish records in their area, who will be pleased to advise. This guide may be helpful. 

The Bishop makes the decision whether to license a new incumbent or not and so has to be happy with the person who is selected.

The Area Bishop acts for the Bishop of Oxford, as does the Archdeacon or Associate Archdeacon on occasion, in handling the legalities of the appointment.

The patrons are different for each parish. They ‘present’ the candidate to the Bishop. If you are unsure who your patrons are, your Parish Development Adviser can advise you. In a multi–parish benefice, there may be several patrons. The Bishop/Archdeacon/Associate Archdeacon will invite the patron(s) to be involved in the vacancy process

Often involved in the process and is a good person to ask for advice if the Area Dean is not available.

Will be involved early on in helping you to think about your needs and aspirations for the development of the parish, and what needs to go in the Parish Profile.

The Dorchester Archdeaconry Parish Development Adviser is Anne Perry on 01865 208 246 anne.perry@oxford.anglican.org.

The Buckingham Archdeaconry Parish Development Adviser is the Revd Gill Lovell on 07391 416 089 gill.lovell@oxford.anglican.org.

The Berkshire & Oxford Archdeaconry Parish Development Adviser is Rhodri Bowen on 07741 736 480 rhodri.bowen@oxford.anglican.org.

Shares legal responsibility for the parish with the Churchwardens during the vacancy and should be first port of call for any problems. The Area Dean and the Deanery Lay Chair will be involved in the shortlisting and interviewing to keep the deanery perspective in view.

Normally two representatives from the PCC(s) are chosen to be involved in the selection process. At the interviews, they have a right to refuse to approve the offer of a post to a candidate.

In multi-parish benefices, there should be two lay representatives per parish for benefices which have up to three parishes (so there could be six in total). Where there are four or more parishes, it should be one representative per parish (the legislation says ‘at least one representative but not more than two’) so that there is sufficient representation from all the parishes but it doesn’t make the group of representatives too unwieldy.

Any lay PCC member can be a parish representative, except the registered patron or the representative of the registered patron or a lay worker licensed to the parish. In practice they are often, but by no means always, the Churchwardens. It is good practice to elect two people who represent different areas of the church’s mission and ministry— and it can often be helpful to have one male and one female representative. 

• give a concise description of the life, mission and ministry of your church(es), congregation(s), community(ies), area, activities, services and so on;
• clearly outline your strengths and opportunities for development;
• express your hopes, aspirations, and vision for the future;
• be clear and realistic about the qualities and characteristics you would like in your new priest;
• provide a provisional Role Description for the new priest. This will be reviewed with the Archdeacon during the first 6-9 months of their post before it is signed off;
• provide information about the governance (PCC) and finances of the benefice;
• provide information about the parsonage house (Vicarage/Rectory);
• contain a section outlining the deanery perspective, provided by the Area Dean;
• have a page about the Oxford Diocesan context, provided by the PDA;
• possibly have a foreword from the Bishop or Archdeacon;
• contain lots of good quality photographs showing activity and people, rather than just buildings.

• Formally agree the arrangements for preparing a parish/benefice profile;
• Appoint two lay members of each PCC to act as the parish’s representative in connection with the selection of the new vicar. These people will represent the interests of the parish at the shortlisting meeting and on the appointment panel;
• Decide whether to request that the presenting Patron should consider advertising the vacancy (for which the PCCs will normally have to pay, along with travel costs of candidates etc.). The advertisement will be written in the light of the Parish/Benefice profile in consultation with the Patron and Bishop/Archdeacon/Associate Archdeacon;
• Request a written statement from the Area Bishop/Archdeacon/Associate Archdeacon describing in relation to the benefice the needs of the diocese and the wider interests of the church;
• Request a joint meeting (the Section 12 meeting) with the patron and the Bishop/Archdeacon/Associate Archdeacon to exchange views about the PCC/Benefice’s Profile and the Bishop’s written statement. The meeting must be held within the six months period indicated in the Notice of Vacancy. The Area Dean and Deanery Lay chair are also invited to the meeting. 

Attendees: PCC(s)

1. Prayer
2. Purpose and structure of the meeting: explained by the Lay Vice-Chair
3. Appointment of Parish Representatives: usually two lay members of each PCC. In a multi-parish benefice with four or more parishes, this is usually one person per PCC. The appointed Parish Representatives will represent the interests of the parish(es) at the shortlisting meeting and on the appointment panel
4. Advertising the post: agree whether to request that the Patron(s) advertise the vacancy. The parish/benefice normally pays for advertising and the PDA will advise on the most appropriate advertising platform 
5. Request a Vacancy (or Section 12) Meeting. See below for more information
6. Request a Foreword from the Bishop/Archdeacon/Associate Archdeacon describing the parish/benefice and the vacancy in relation to the wider area and diocese. The Foreword will be provided by the PDA
7. Formally agree arrangements for drawing up a Parish/Benefice Profile
8. Prayer

1. PCC – to have produced a profile, at final draft stage, which contains details of the parish or benefice, an outline role description detailing what will be the key areas for the new parish priest, and a person specification which outlines the qualifications, experience, skills and competencies being sought.
2. Patron as the individual, or institution, who presents the candidate to the Bishop. They will have insights to share about your parish/benefice too.
3. Bishop who needs to agree to licence the candidate.
4. Parish Representatives –you will have chosen these at your section 11 meeting. The parish representatives have the right  to refuse to approve the offer of a post to the selected candidate, provided their ground for exercising their refusal is not discriminatory.
5. Area Dean and Deanery Lay Chair – offer a deanery wide perspective and act in an advisory capacity.
6. Wider ministry team – it’s beneficial for anyone who has an authorised ministry to have the opportunity to meet all the candidates. This group may well include SSMs, LLMs, those with a licence to preach, and those retired clergy who would like to attend. While they are not a formal part of the process the Bishop or Archdeacon will consult them for their views.
7. Wider congregation – you will need people to undertake a whole range of practical task such as providing refreshments, ferrying candidates about, and so on. Above all the wider congregation can support this whole process by their prayers. 

1. Discuss and agree the draft profile, role description and person specification. This often leads to minor amendments being made before the final version is produced. When the Parish/Benefice Profile is in its final form, with photographs etc., it should be sent to the Bishop’s Office in electronic form so that it can be sent out to interested applicants. 
2. Agree who will draw up the Advertisement for The Church Times and Pathways website. For The Church Times, you will need to have four or five attractive bullet points. Pathways is the webpage where candidates will apply for the post. Here you have the opportunity to write more about the vacancy at no extra cost. The Church Times has the widest readership so two inclusions will reach many people, though many parishes choose the ‘Until filled’ option as current experience shows that this is often money well spent. Details of the post will also go on the Diocese of Oxford web-site at the same time. Patrons sometimes offer to pay the cost (or a proportion of) of The Church Times advert, otherwise it is for the parish to pay.
3. Achieve clarity regarding costs associated with the whole interview process. Some candidates may need overnight accommodation as well as their travel costs both to and from the interview, and any meals and drinks provided across the interview day. 
4. Agree a suggested timetable which will include dates:
   • By which the advertisement needs to be with the Bishop’s or Archdeacon’s PA.
   • For dates when the advertisement will appear in the Church Times, Pathways, and on the Diocesan Web Site.
   • Closing Date for receipt of applications by the Bishop’s or Archdeacon’s Office.
   • Short-listing of applications by the Appointment Panel, which will comprise the Bishop or Archdeacon, the Parish Representatives, the Patron, and the Area Dean and the Deanery Lay Chair. 

5. When these documents are finalised, they should be sent to the Bishop’s or Archdeacon’s office in electronic form so that they can be placed on the diocesan website and the agreed advertising platforms. You may also like to put the profile on your Parish or Benefice website.

Attendees: Bishop/Archdeacon, Patron(s), PCC(s), Area Dean/Lay Chair

1. Prayer
2. Purpose and structure of the meeting (explanation by the Chair)
3. Parish Profile: final approval of the Parish Profile, Role Description and Person Specification. In practice, the discussion often results in minor amendments being suggested. The Bishop or Archdeacon will use this discussion to gain a better understanding of what is needed, and begin to discuss the structure of the interview day.
4. Interviews: discuss an outline structure for the interview day(s)
5. Advertising: agree arrangements and timescales for preparation of the advert. In this diocese, it is normal to advertise all vacancies. Several advertising platforms are available, including Pathways Recruitment (online portal), the Church Times and other networks, such as New Wine. The parish normally pays for advertising. See below for guidance on drafting the advert. The Bishop or Archdeacon’s office will approve the format, content and size of the advertisement before it is placed.
   As part of the Profile and/or advert, you may wish to invite candidates to make informal visits to the Parish, either on a Sunday or midweek, in advance of the interviews. Such informal visits are normally at the candidates’ own expense.
6. Dates: final agreement on dates for advertising, shortlisting, and interview. Proposed dates should already have been agreed with the Bishop’s/Archdeacon’s office
7. Prayer

It often helps to look at adverts you find in the Church Times (paper or website) or on the websites of other dioceses. As you look at adverts from different sources and contexts, notice:

• which ones do you like and why;
• which ones would you want to improve and why;
• what kind of information people have included and what sort of format have they used.

When you’ve done your research, you will need to liaise with the Archdeacon/Associate Archdeacon or the Bishop about the exact content of the advert, but the following may be helpful starting points:

• Remember the aim of the advert is to get people interested enough to send for further information. You don’t need to tell them everything, but you do need to tell them enough, and it needs to be well worded and well presented;
• Think about the key messages that your Parish Profile conveys, both about the nature of your parish/benefice and about the kind of person that you would like to be able to appoint. Make a list - bullet points are probably best - of no more than 5 things in each category that you would like to include in the advert;
• Check with the Bishop’s office or Archdeacon’s office about practicalities, and agree closing dates and interview dates, so that these can be included. You will also need to tell people who to contact for further information - this is usually the Bishop’s or Archdeacon's office;
• Having gathered this information together, write a draft advert which can then be discussed with the Archdeacon/Associate Archdeacon or Bishop.

• hosting a social event the evening before (or on the day of) the interview. Please remember not to overwhelm the candidates by inviting too many people to this event;
• giving all members of the ministry team (curate, associate clergy, LLM, youth worker, administrator etc) an opportunity to meet the candidates. Although they do not play a formal part in the process, the Bishop or Archdeacon/Associate Archdeacon will consult them for their views and will not license someone with whom they feel they could not work;
• involving several people in giving candidates guided tours around the benefice and house;
• if there is a church school in the parish, involving the Head or other representative in the interview day.

Any queries related to the house should be addressed to the Archdeacon/Associate Archdeacon. There may well be works to the house during the vacancy, and these will be organised by the Diocesan Buildings Department who will also have organised the letting of the house during the vacancy. The incumbent-designate will probably need access in order to measure up for curtains, carpets etc.  

Although your new vicar will receive a re-settlement grant to help them pay for decoration and soft furnishings, it is unlikely to cover the full cost. Offers of help with decoration (in cash or in kind) are usually very well received and will make him or her feel welcome.

Arrangements for the licensing service are the responsibility of the Area Dean and Churchwardens in consultation with the incumbent-designate and the Bishop’s office.  There is an agreed form of service for the licensing of a new incumbent (who to invite and liturgy), and it is customary for the incumbent-designate to choose the hymns. Contact the Bishop's office for an example liturgy.

Churchwardens should consult with the Area Dean on who should be invited to the licensing service. Invitations should be sent out as early as possible.  The head teacher and chair of governors of any church school(s) should be involved in the welcome of a new incumbent. These services are non-Eucharistic to ensure that those invited from the wider community (e.g. Councillors, head teachers) do not feel excluded from part of the service. There is usually a party after the service and some thought may need to be given to looking after people who may have travelled a long way to take part in it.

1. Prepare a Who’s Who of key people in the life of the church, with their contact details and responsibilities, such as:
   • Organist(s) and/or the people responsible for the music in worship
   • Sacristan and/or the people who order candles, wafers etc and prepare the church for a communion
   • Someone who knows the story of the church well – its history, key people and events
   • People and/or organisations (in the church and the wider community) who exercise “power” or influence and the minister needs to meet sooner rather than later
   • Safeguarding officers for the benefice and the location of confidential Safeguarding records
   • Local undertakers, parish graveyards and crematoria
   • Local service providers eg doctors, local schools, police, plumbers, electricians, hospitals (especially the local A&E Department), nursing homes, residential care homes
2. Arrange a meeting with the new vicar to:
   • go through and sign the Terrier, Log Book, Inventory and Churchyard plan and the Safeguarding arrangements;
   • discuss benefice arrangements for data protection
3. Hand over parish/benefice keys. (Note: It is good practice for the new vicar to sign a record of which keys are in his/her possession.)
4. Arrange a meeting between the new vicar and the Treasurer to hand over financial information and records, such as parish finances, local Trusts, Discretionary and Charitable funds
5. Provide a local map with some of the key facilities marked, eg residential/care homes, schools, supermarkets, petrol stations, pubs, restaurants or takeaways
6. Provide a copy of the electoral roll, a list of wider church community contacts, last year's annual report and key orders of service/service booklets
7. Provide a list of names and contact details of recent and forthcoming baptisms, funerals and weddings. These should be recorded in the appropriate registers
8. Arrange a handover meeting with the new vicar. The Bishop’s/Archdeacon’s office will send you a checklist of the information you need to hand over to your new vicar. You should also discuss:
   • any outstanding faculties or churchyard issues (either applications or work to be done)
   • current pastoral concerns that need to be shared
   • the “traditions” which are particularly important to your church
   • any unresolved conflicts or other human relationship dynamics that should be shared (including any “skeletons in the closet”)
   • any other questions or issues the new vicar needs to know about the parish/benefice.