Joining the Electoral Roll is a way to show your commitment to St Ed’s and help shape our church’s future. It allows you to vote at our Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), including elections for the church council (PCC) and our representatives on deanery synod, which brings together churches across our local area.

It’s also an opportunity to ask questions and take a greater part in church life. You don’t need to be on the roll to belong here, but if St Ed’s is your spiritual home, we’d love you to join.

To apply for the Electoral Roll you must meet ALL the following conditions:

• You must be aged 16 or over (though you can apply in the year you become 16 and your name will be entered once your birth date has passed).

• You must be baptised.

• You must be a member* of the Church of England and EITHER live in the parish OR have attended a church in the parish regularly for at least 6 months.

*The phrase “member of the Church of England” requires further explanation:

• Member of the Church of England

• Member of a Church in communion with the Church of England. The only Churches at present in communion with the Church of England are other Anglican Churches (with some exceptions).

• Member of a Church not in communion with the Church of England but which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity; you must be prepared to also declare yourself a member of the Church of England. This category includes other Protestant denominations such as Moravian, Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist, as well as Roman Catholic, URC, Russian/Greek Orthodox etc.

• If you are a parish resident you do not have to actually attend the Church of which you consider yourself a member; but if you live outside the parish, the 6 months’ regular attendance at a church inside the parish is a requirement. If you know your postcode you can find out if you are resident in the parish by using this online tool.

NOTE

You can be on the Electoral Roll of more than one Church, but you can only serve on the PCC of one Church at a time.

If you are not resident in the parish but were a habitual worshipper in the parish, and have been prevented by sickness or absence or other essential reason from worshipping for the past six months, you may write ‘would’ before ‘have habitually attended’ on the form and add ‘but was prevented from doing so because’ and then state the reason. If this is the case you can still use the online application form but add the reason for non-attendance as a note.

In these notes, ‘parish’ means ecclesiastical parish.

Application forms can be completed here or obtained from the Church Office. Fill in your full name and address, and tick the appropriate boxes (see the explanation above, or ask a member of staff). It would assist us greatly if you would also complete the optional ‘Contact Details’ section for our records, particularly email addresses. Please note that only names will appear on the published Roll. Please deliver the completed hard copy forms to the Church Office.