How we are organised
Governance and Organisation in the Benefices of West and South Leightonstone
This page is to help us understand:
- The respective roles, responsibilities and decision-making between the various legal and administrative bodies within the Benefices
- How we collaborate in the ministry and mission of the churches.
- How we meet together to help us retain coherence.
Outlining How we Work Together
Our principles of working are keep doing what we are good at, and do together what we can’t do alone.
In broad terms, cross-benefice work is held within the Ministry Team and the Joint Council and local leadership is within the roles of Church Wardens and Parochial Church Councils. There is, of course, significant overlap and integration throughout.
Role of the Rector
As incumbent, the Rector is the office holder delegated Cure of Souls by the Bishop. The post’s responsibilities are, in general terms to:
- Ensure parishes are run on a legal basis, in line with Church Representation Rules
- Chair Parochial Church Councils, or delegate to a Vice-Chair as required
- Ensure the mission and ministry of the church is delivered appropriately and safely
- Ensure the worship of the church is held appropriately and regularly
- Be the lead minister in teaching, preaching and sacrament
- Ensure pastoral care, occasional offices etc. are delivered.
- Lead and support the ministry team
- Be the Parish Safeguarding Lead and Data (GDPR) owner
The powers of the role are limited, but tend to be restricted to:
- Issues of “ownership” and proper administration of church buildings and churchyards
- Organising acts of worship
- The legal administration Weddings
- Management of authorised and lay ministers
Parochial Church Councils (PCC)
The PCC is responsible for “co-operation with the minister in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical” etc.
They have responsibilities defined within the Church Representation Rules and with the Minister, to ensure safeguarding policy and guidance is followed.
In most cases, our parishes have delegated aspects of those responsibilities to the Leightonstone Churches Joint Council as noted on our Website.
Where a parish has retained those powers, and hasn’t delegated them to the Joint Council, those powers and responsibilities are retained in full by the PCC. However, as a matter of practicality, both the role of the Rector and the role of the Children and Families Minister are Benefices-wide and available to all parishes.
The Leightonstone Churches Joint Council (JC)
The JC is the body set up to lead and coordinate work to improve our mission and ministry to younger generations. It has specific powers and responsibilities, but in broad terms it is a parallel PCC delegated from our PCCs.
Church Wardens
Church Wardens are Bishop’s Officers elected at parish Annual Parochial Church Meetings by those on the electoral roll. They have a series of responsibilities, the details of which can be found here.
The Ministry Team
The Ministry Team are the team of licenced and lay ministers authorised within Ely Diocese and supervised by the Incumbent.
They have a range of responsibilities which focus on mission, ministry, teaching, discipleship, worship leadership, and pastoral care.
Working Together and Meeting Patterns
We do not seek to have a sequential meeting schedule of all our main groups, recognising that each has their own identity, function, priorities and capacity. So instead of seeking an integrated meeting pattern, it would seem most practical to maintain a continuous flow of collaboration and consultation in our work together.
Where necessary, matters of shared decision will be done through our meeting structures.
However, to ensure overall collaboration, we will have:
- Annual worship and festival planning workshops.
- Frequent enough meetings of each relevant group, with particular agenda items regarding integration and co-working always prioritised.
- A two-yearly review and reflection forum for our churches, creating a published and shared sense of our needs and priorities. In this case we suggest the first meeting some time in 2025.