Responsibilities

Whose building?

The church building and churchyard are vested with the incumbent, who holds them on behalf of the parishioners. The incumbent, churchwardens and PCC, acting as charitable trustees, have the responsibility to look after the building and churchyard. The legal context is set out in Canon Law (sections C & F), the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure, the Inspection of Churches Measure, and the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Care of Churches Measure.

Churchwardens

Every parish should have two Churchwardens. Their responsibilities are set out in the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Care of Churches Measure, including record keeping and annual inspection of fabric (as a minimum) with reporting to the PCC. A guide to the duties of the churchwarden in regard to the church building and churchyard is available here.

Parish fabric committees

These are sub-committees of the PCC and can help with distributing building maintenance and repair tasks.

Friends groups

A Friends Group is a group of people who have an interest in the church building and in helping it to flourish at the heart of the community. They are a great way to involve the wider community in looking after, and engendering a sense of responsibility for, their church building. Friends can help to raise money for repairs and carry out practical tasks such as cleaning. It is recommended that Friends Groups are a sub-committee of your PCC.

Remember: the PCC cannot devolve responsibility for the building; and the Friends Group must work within the legal framework for caring for church buildings (including obtaining the correct permission for works).

Guidance on setting up a Friends Group is available here.

Record keeping

Terrier and Inventory (sometimes called the Church Property Register): An accurate record of the land, property and buildings owned by the church and the boundaries. This is a legal requirement and it is essential to keep it up to date. A template for the Church Property Register is available to download here.

Log book: A record of alterations, additions, repairs and maintenance that has been carried out. This is a legal requirement and should be updated as tasks are undertaken. You can use a paper or electronic version. A template for the Church Log Book is available to download here.

Records should be filed in a safe place, known to the incumbent, Churchwardens and PCC. They should be made available for inspection at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM). Information on record management is available here.

Information on governance and the roles of PCC members is available here.

Back to ‘Maintenance‘.