Do I qualify for the Roll?
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 (excepting the so-called
Anglican continuing Churches in North America) and some
other foreign churches.
• 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.
Why join the Electoral Roll?
Joining the electoral roll is an important way of confirming your commitment to St. Dunstan's' community and to the vision of the church. But it also opens up the way for greater involvement in the life of the Church of England, at Deanery, Diocesan and national levels. By joining, you become entitled to participate in the government of the church and to vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, where the elections take place for:
• the parochial church council
• the parish’s representatives on the deanery synod
Any person entitled to attend the APCM may raise any question of parochial or general church interest
In addition, those who live outside the Parish but are on the Electoral Roll enjoy all the rights and privileges that go with being resident in the parish (for example, baptisms and weddings). However, if you live outside the Parish and want to come onto the Electoral Roll, you have to have been worshipping at St. Dunstan's for a minimum period of 6 months
Numbers are important in the present climate in which the Church of England needs to be aware of the commitment of its people. Church morale is affected by statistics and while it would be wrong to inflate the significance of the Roll it would be a missed opportunity to ignore it
Joining the roll is an important statement of witness and a step along the path of discipleship. With your name on the electoral roll, the strength of the Church can be seen in our local area, and across the Diocese. If you’re a regular at St. Dunstan's, you should be on the electoral roll!
I’m convinced – how do I join?
Application forms can be downloaded
here or are available from The Parish Office. Fill in your full name and address (as legibly as possible!), and tick the appropriate boxes (see the explanation above). 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 and postcodes will appear on the published Roll. Put send the completed forms to the Parish Office
I can’t remember if I have joined already?
A full printout of the current Roll is available at the back of the Church. However, whether or not you were on the previous Roll, you must submit a new application to be included on the new Roll.
My details have changed recently
If you are a member of St. Dunstan's Church and your contact details have recently changed, it would be helpful if you could notify the Parish Office so that they can amend the membership database.
How can I find out the results of the Renewal?
The Electoral Roll Officer gives a report at the APCM. Also, a copy of the new Roll is displayed at the back of Church and
here on the website
