Canon B44 - text and introductory notes - The Diocese of Manchester

B-2-1 Canon B44 - text and notesTHE CHURCH OF ENGLANDCouncil for Christian UnityChurch House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3NZ www.cofe.anglican.org/info/ccuCanon B 44Of Local Ecumenical ProjectsFull text and introductory notesClause 1Setting up an LEP in a parish or part of a parish -including the permissions required1. (1) How a bishop may establish an LEP in a parish1. (2) How an LEP in a parish can be extended1. (3) Permissions needed before a bishop may establishan LEP in a parish1. (1) The bishop of a diocese may enter into an agreementwith the appropriate authority of each participating Churchwith regard to the participation of the Church of England ina local ecumenical project established or to be establishedfor an area comprising any parish in his diocese (not beingthe parish of a cathedral church) or part of such a parish.(2) Where the area of a local ecumenical project isextended so as to include a parish which was notpreviously included (not being the parish of a cathedralchurch) or to include part of such a parish, the Church ofEngland shall not participate in the project in respect ofthat parish or part of a parish unless the bishop of thediocese has agreed thereto.(3) A bishop shall not enter into any agreement undersub-paragraph (1) or (2) above as respects any parish orpart of a parish unless the participation of the Church ofEngland in the project in respect of the parish concernedhas been approved —(a) by the incumbent of that parish; and(b) by 75 per cent of those present and voting at ameeting of the parochial church council of thatparish; and(c) by either the annual parochial church meeting or aspecial parochial church meeting of that parish; and(d) by the diocesan pastoral committee afterconsultation with the deanery synod concerned orthe standing committee of that synod.Clause 2Time limits on an LEP agreement andarrangements for renewal2. (1) The seven year time limit2. (2) Also applies to any additions or amendments2. (3) Permissions needed before a bishop mayrenew an LEP2. (1) Any agreement made under paragraph 1(1)above shall have effect for such period of not morethan seven years as may be specified therein, butmay from time to time be extended by anagreement made by the bishop of the dioceseconcerned for such further period of not more thanseven years as may be specified in that lateragreement.(2) Where a local ecumenical project isamended so as to include a Church which was notpreviously participating in the project, or to includean additional congregation of a participatingChurch, the Church of England shall not continueto participate in that project unless the bishop ofthe diocese concerned has agreed to thatamendment or, if the area of the project comprisesparishes or part of parishes in more than onediocese, the bishops of those dioceses have soagreed.(3) A bishop of a diocese shall not make anyagreement under sub-paragraph (1) or (2) aboveunless 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.

B-2-1 Canon B44 - text and notesClause 3Agreements to be in writing and may be revokedafter consultation3. (1) How an LEP agreement may be revoked3. (2) Agreements must be in writing3. (1) A bishop may at any time revoke any agreementmade under the foregoing provisions of this Canon afterconsultation with the appropriate authority of eachparticipating Church, each parochial church council concernedand the diocesan pastoral committee.(2) Any agreement made under the foregoing provisionsof this Canon shall be in writing.Clause 4The Bishop's Instrument by which additionalpermissions may be granted4. (1) Specific provisions that a bishop may make byInstrument within an LEP4. (2) Services of Holy Communion permitted by thebishop's Instrument must be consistent with Church ofEngland doctrine.4. (3) Regulations and limitations regarding services of HolyCommunion permitted by a bishop's Instrument4. (4) How a bishop's Instrument may be revoked oramended.4. (1) A bishop who has given his agreement toparticipation in a local ecumenical project under theforegoing provisions of this Canon may by an instrument*in writing made after consultation with the parochialchurch council of each parish or part of a parish in the areaof the project,(a) make special provision as to the ministry in thatarea of clerks in Holy Orders, deaconesses, layworkers and readers beneficed in or licensed to anyparish wholly or partly in that area;(b) exercise in relation to that area his powers underparagraph 2 of Canon B 11, paragraph 1 of Canon B11A, paragraph 1 and 2 of Canon B 14, Canon B 40and Canon B 43;(c) authorise ministers of any other participatingChurch with the goodwill of the persons concernedto baptise in a place of worship of the Church ofEngland in that area in accordance with a riteauthorised by any participating Church;(d) authorise a priest of the Church of England topreside in that area at a service of Holy Communionin accordance with a rite authorised by any otherparticipating Church;(e) make provision for the holding in that area of jointservices with any other participating Church,including services of baptism and confirmation;(f) authorise the holding, in a place of worshipof the Church of England in that area, ofservices of Holy Communion presided overby a minister of any other participatingChurch.(2) A bishop shall not by any instrument madeunder this paragraph authorise any rite to be usedin any service mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(d),(e) or (f) above unless he is satisfied that the riteand the elements to be used are not contrary to, norindicative of any departure from, the doctrine ofthe Church of England in any essential matter.(3) Where the holding of a service of HolyCommunion is authorised under sub-paragraph(1)(f) above —(a) notice of the holding of any such serviceshall, so far as practicable, be given uponthe Sunday immediately preceding with anindication of the rite to be used and theChurch to which the minister who is to presidethereat belongs; and(b) no such service, notwithstanding that theform of service used may follow a formauthorised under Canon B 1 or a formsubstantially similar thereto, shall be heldout or taken to be a celebration of the HolyCommunion according to the use of theChurch of England;(c) no portion of the bread and wineconsecrated at any such service shall becarried out of the church in accordance withthe provisions of Canon B 37(2) except atthe express wish of the individual sickcommunicant, in which case this shall bedone either during or immediately after theservice, or as soon as practicable on thesame day.(4) An instrument made under this paragraphwith respect to any local ecumenical projectmay be amended or revoked by a subsequentinstrument made after consultation with theparochial church council of each parishwhich is in, or part of which is in, the area ofthat project.

B-2-1 Canon B44 - text and notesof this paragraph as they apply in relation to an agreementmade or project participated in by virtue of paragraph 1above, subject to the following modifications —‘participating Church’, in relation to a localecumenical project, means a Church which isparticipating in that project.(a) for any reference to the area of the project there shallbe substituted a reference to the institutionconcerned;(b) for the reference to clerks in Holy Orders,deaconesses, lay workers and readers beneficed in orlicensed to a parish there shall be substituted areference to any clerk in Holy Orders, deaconess, layworker or reader licensed in respect of the institutionconcerned; and* A precedent of an instrument under Canon B 44is available separately (Draft Instrument underCanon B 44, General Synod 1989).(c) any reference to an incumbent or to a parochialchurch council shall be omitted.Clause 8Specifying who can be partner Churches in anLEPSee list of designated Churches in CCU Resource paper A-18. The powers of a bishop under this Canon may beexercised only in respect of a local ecumenical project inwhich every other Church participating in the project is aChurch to which the Church of England (Ecumenical Relations)Measure 1988 applies.Clause 9Definition of termsNB In current usage, the phrase 'Local Ecumenical Projects'has been replaced by 'Local Ecumenical Partnerships.'The application of Canon B44 is unaffected.9. 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 ruraldean, and(b) in a case where a suspension period (within themeaning of the Pastoral Measure 1983) applies tothe benefice concerned, the priest-in-charge, and(c) in a case where a special cure of souls in respect ofthe parish has been assigned to a vicar in a teamministry by a scheme under the Pastoral Measure1983 or by his licence from the bishop, that vicar;‘local ecumenical project’ has the same meaning as in theChurch of England (Ecumenical Relations) Measure 1988;‘minister’, in relation to any other participating Church,means any person ordained to the ministry of the Word andSacraments;