B44 - Local Ecumenical Projects

1. (i) The bishop of a diocese may enter into an agreement with the appropriate authority of each participating Church with regard to the participation of the Church of England in a local ecumenical project established or to be established for an area comprising any parish in his diocese (not being the parish of a cathedral church) or part of such a parish.

(ii) Where the area of a local ecumenical project is extended so as to include a parish which was not previously included (not being the parish of a cathedral church) or to include part of such a parish, the Church of England shall not participate in the project in respect of that parish or part of a parish unless the bishop of the diocese has agreed thereto.

(iii) A bishop shall not enter into any agreement under sub-paragraph (i) or (ii) above as respects any parish or part of a parish unless the participation of the Church of England in the project in respect of the parish concerned has been approved –

• (a) by the incumbent of that parish; and
• (b) by 75 per cent of those present and voting at a meeting of the parochial church council of that parish; and
• (c) by either the annual parochial church meeting or a special parochial church meeting of that parish; and
• (d) by the diocesan pastoral committee after consultation with the deanery synod concerned or the standing committee of that synod.

2. (i) Any agreement made under paragraph 1(i) above shall have effect for such period of not more than seven years as may be specified therein, but may from time to time be extended by an agreement made by the bishop of the diocese concerned for such further period of not more than seven years as may be specified in that later agreement.

(ii) Where a local ecumenical project is amended so as to include a Church which was not previously participating in the project, or to include an additional congregation of a participating Church, the Church of England shall not continue to participate in that project unless the bishop of the diocese concerned has agreed to that amendment or, if the area of the project comprises parishes or part of parishes in more than one diocese, the bishops of those dioceses have so agreed.

Section B: Divine worship and the administration of the sacraments

(iii) A bishop of a diocese shall not make any agreement under sub-paragraph (i) or (ii) above unless he has obtained the consent of –

• (a) the incumbent of each parish concerned, and
• (b) each parochial church council concerned, and
• (c) the diocesan pastoral committee.

3. (i) A bishop may at any time revoke any agreement made under the foregoing provisions of this Canon after consultation with the appropriate authority of each participating Church, each parochial church council concerned and the diocesan pastoral committee.

(ii) Any agreement made under the foregoing provisions of this Canon shall be in writing.

4. (i) A bishop who has given his agreement to participation in a local ecumenical project under the foregoing provisions of this Canon may by an instrument in writing made after consultation with the parochial church council of each parish or part of a parish in the area pf the project –

• (a) make special provision as to the ministry in that area of clerks in holy orders, deaconesses, lay workers and readers beneficed in or licensed to any parish wholly or partly in that area;
• (b) exercise in relation to that area his powers under Canon B 14A, Canon B 40 and Canon B43;
• (c) authorize ministers of any other participating Church with the goodwill of the persons concerned to baptize in a place of worship of the Church of England in that area in accordance with a rite authorized by any participating Church;
• (d) authorize a priest of the Church of England to preside in that area at a service of Holy Communion in accordance with a rite authorized by any other participating Church;
• (e) make provision for the holding in that area of joint services with any other participating Church, including services of baptism and confirmation;
• (f) authorize the holding, in a place of worship of the Church of England in that area, of services of Holy Communion presided over by a minister of any other participating Church.

(ii) A bishop shall not by any instrument made under this paragraph authorize any rite to be used in any service mentioned in sub-paragraph (i) (d), or (e) or (f) above unless he is satisfied that the rite and the elements to be used are not contrary to, nor indicative of any departure from, the doctrine of the Church of England in any essential matter.

(iii) Where the holding of a service of Holy Communion is authorized under sub-paragraph (i) (f) above –

• (a) notice of the holding of any such service shall, so far as practicable, be given upon the Sunday immediately preceding with an indication of the rite to be used and the Church to which the minister who is to preside thereat belongs; and
• (b) no such service, notwithstanding that the form of service used may follow a form authorized under Canon B 1 or a form substantially similar thereto, shall be held out or taken to be a celebration of the Holy Communion according to the use of the Church of England;
• (c) no portion of the bread and wine consecrated at any such service shall be carried out of the church in accordance with the provisions of Canon B 37(2) except at the express wish of the individual sick communicant, in which case this shall be done either during or immediately after the service, or as soon as practicable on the same day.

(iv) An instrument made under this paragraph with respect to any local ecumenical project may be amended or revoked by a subsequent instrument made after consultation with the parochial church council of each parish which is in, or part of which is in, the area of that project.

5. Before exercising his powers under paragraph 4 above in relation to any local ecumenical project the bishop shall consult the authorities of the other participating Churches, and he shall so exercise those powers as to ensure that public worship according to the rites of the Church of England is maintained with reasonable frequency in a parish which is in, or part of which is in, the area of the project and in particular that a service of Holy Communion according to the rites of the Church of England and presided over by a priest of the Church of England or by an episcopally ordained priest in a Church whose Orders are recognised and accepted by the Church of England shall be celebrated at least on Christmas Day, Ash Wednesday, Easter Day, Ascension Day and Pentecost.

6. (i) Where a local ecumenical project is established or is to be established for an area in which a cathedral church is situated, the bishop of the diocese may, after consultation with the dean and chapter or cathedral chapter of that cathedral church and after such other consultation as he considers appropriate, enter into an agreement with the appropriate authority of each participating Church with regard to the participation of that cathedral church in the project.

(ii) The provisions of paragraphs 2 to 4 above shall apply in relation to an agreement made or project participated in by virtue of sub-paragraph (i) above subject to the following modifications –

• (a) sub-paragraph (3) of paragraph 2 shall not apply but the bishop before making an agreement under sub-paragraph (i)or (ii) of that paragraph with respect to a project in which a cathedral church is participating shall consult the dean and chapter or cathedral chapter of that cathedral church;
• (b) in paragraph 3 (i) for the reference to each parochial church council concerned and the diocesan pastoral committee there shall be substituted a reference to the dean and chapter or cathedral chapter of the cathedral church concerned;
• (c) in paragraph 4 for the reference in sub-paragraphs (1) and (4) to the parochial church council of each parish or part of a parish in the area of the project there shall be substituted a reference to the dean and chapter or cathedral chapter of the cathedral church concerned and for the reference in sub-paragraph (1) (a) to clerks in holy orders, deaconesses, lay workers and readers beneficed or licensed to any parish wholly or partly in the area there shall be substituted a reference to clerks in holy orders, deaconesses, lay workers and readers ministering in or licensed to the cathedral church concerned; and
• (d) before exercising his powers under paragraph 4 in relation to a project participated in by virtue of sub-paragraph (i) above the bishop shall consult the authorities of the other participating Churches.

(iii) Nothing in this paragraph shall affect the requirements of Canon B 10 or Canon B 13 regarding services in cathedral churches.

7. (i) Where a local ecumenical project is established or to be established for an institution and a clerk in holy orders is licensed under section 2 of the Extra-Parochial Ministry Measure 1967 in respect of that institution, the bishop of the diocese may, after such consultation as he considers appropriate, enter into an agreement with the appropriate authority of each participating Church with regard to the participation of the Church of England in that project.

(ii) A bishop shall not enter into an agreement under sub-paragraph (i) above as respects any institution unless the participation of the Church of England in the project concerned has been approved by the diocesan pastoral committee.

(iii) The provisions of paragraphs 2 to 5 above shall, so far as applicable, apply in relation to an agreement made or project participated in by virtue of this paragraph as they apply in relation to an agreement made or project participated in by virtue of paragraph (i) above, subject to the following modifications –

• (a) for any reference to the area of the project there shall be substituted a reference to the institution concerned;
• (b) for the reference to clerks in holy orders, deaconesses, lay workers and readers beneficed in or licensed to a parish there shall be substituted a reference to any clerk in Holy Orders, deaconess, lay worker or reader licensed in respect of the institution concerned; and
• (c) any reference to an incumbent or to a parochial church council shall be omitted.

8. The powers of a bishop under this Canon may be exercised only in respect of a local ecumenical project in which every other Church participating in the project is a Church to which the Church of England (Ecumenical Relations) Measure 1988 applies.

In this Canon – ‘incumbent’, in relation to a parish, includes –

• (a) in a case where the benefice concerned is vacant (and paragraph (b) below does not apply), the rural dean, and
• (b) in a case where a suspension period (within the meaning of the Pastoral Measure 1983) applies to the benefice concerned, the priest-in-charge, and
• (c) in a case where a special cure of souls in respect of the parish has been assigned to a vicar in a team ministry by a scheme under the Pastoral Measure 1983 or by his licence from the bishop, that vicar;

‘local ecumenical project’ has the same meaning as in the Church of England (Ecumenical Relations) Measure 1988;

‘minister’, in relation to any other participating Church, means any person ordained to the ministry of the word and sacraments;

‘participating Church’, in relation to a local ecumenical project, means a Church which is participating in that project.

Note: The Churches to which the Church of England (Ecumenical Relations) Measure 1988 applies (see paragraph 8 above) are reproduced at page 203 of the Canons of the Church of England, 6^th Edition.

From the Canons of the Church of England, 6^th edition © The Archbishops’ Council 2000

For more detailed guidance on the procedure to be followed within this Diocese, please contact the Diocesan Registrar or the Pastoral Team at the Diocesan Office.

February 2006