Priests in Charge

Priests in Charge

A priest in charge will provide clerical leadership and direction to a benefice during a vacancy, whilst the right of presentation to the benefice is suspended.

They will be licensed to the benefice, but will not be instituted or collated, and will not be inducted into the spiritualities and temporalities of the benefice in the same way as an incumbent. As they will not technically be the incumbent, the churches and churchyards and the parsonage property of the benefice will not be vested in them, even though they may occupy the parsonage as their place of residence.

However, apart from these distinctions, they will be able to exercise ministry in just the same way as an incumbent, taking services, chairing PCC meetings and so on.

The appointment is made by a Bishop’s Licence, which will be prepared by the Diocesan Registry, together with the usual form of Declaration and Oaths. The Licensing will normally take place in a church in the benefice.

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