The Parochial Church Council, or P.C.C., is an executive committee of the parish with powers and duties defined by certain Acts of Parliament. The membership consists of the clergy and churchwardens of the parish, together with a number of representatives of the laity elected by the annual parochial church meeting of the parish. The P.C.C. secretary and the treasurer are elected from the PCC. In addition there are four ex officio members who are the elected members of the Deanery Synod.

In addition to their formal duties, P.C.C. members act as representatives for all parishioners in the affairs of the church. Apart from the vicar, who is ex-officio chairman, all P.C.C. members are elected directly or indirectly by the parishioners.

Statement of PCC Members' Responsibilities
Charity law requires the P.C.C. as trustees of the church to prepare an annual report and financial statements for each financial year that gives a true and fair view of the Church's financial activities during the year and of its financial position over the year. The P.C.C. is also required to ensure that these are subjected to an annual independent examination or audit and to present these to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.
In preparing these financial statements, the P.C.C. are required to:
• Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
• Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
• State whether application accounting standards and statements of recommended

The P.C.C. has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Formally, the P.C.C. is responsible for the financial affairs of the church and the care and maintenance of the church fabric and its contents. It also has a voice in the forms of service used by the church and may make representations to the bishop on matters affecting the welfare of the parish.

The P.C.C. Committees
The P.C.C. operates through committees, which meet between full meetings of the P.C.C. and feed back to the next full meeting. There are nine specialist committees, each with its own designated responsibilities:
• The Standing Committee is the only committee required by law. It has the power to transact the business of the P.C.C. between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the P.C.C.
• The Charities and Links Committee is responsible for setting the annual programme of charitable grants, and for relating to the recipients.
• The Eco Committee is responsible for looking at and keeping the church and church hall as environmentally friendly as possible and keeping environmental issues at the forefront of the church's mind.
• The Finance Committee is responsible for preparing budgets and accounts for consideration by the full P.C.C., and for developing financial processes for all P.C.C. activities.
• The Music and Worship Committee is responsible for supporting and contributing to arrangements for music and worship.
• The Planned Giving Committee is responsible for promoting and operating our Planned Giving scheme.
and worship.
• The Properties Committee is responsible for the care and maintenance of all the parish's buildings.
• The Social Committee is responsible for arranging catering at parish functions, and also for a programme of social activities.
• The Spire Committee is responsible for the parish magazine, The Spire.

The P.C.C. and the parish also have representatives on a number of outside bodies, and a nominee on the Hampton Fuel Allotment Charity.

The Meeting of Parishioners for the Election of Churchwardens and the Annual Parochial Church Meeting
The Meeting of Parishioners for the Election of churchwardens and the Annual Parochial Church Meeting must take place by April 30th each year and, at St. James's, normally take place in the hall at 11.00, following the Parish Communion. The business of the Meeting of Parishioners is to elect two churchwardens for the following year. All parishioners on either the church electoral roll or the civil Electoral Register can vote at this meeting. There then follows the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (A.P.C.M.). All on the church electoral roll can take part in and vote at this meeting. There are reports from the vicar, the treasurer and other officers of the Parochial Church Council, on the events of the last year.

At this meeting, five representatives to the Deanery Synod are elected for three years. The number of representatives depends on the number on the electoral roll. They become ex-officio members of the P.C.C. A further election for eleven ordinary members of the P.C.C. is then held. Ordinary P.C.C. members must be elected annually. From their number they elect the secretary and the treasurer. The ordinary members serve for up to three years, so some new members are elected each year along with those re-elected for a further year. An auditor of the P.C.C.’s accounts has to be appointed. The auditor must not be member of the P.C.C.

The A.P.C.M. is always interesting and offers an opportunity for anyone on the electoral roll to voice opinions on the way the church has been or is being managed. Do come and support your church, your parish and your representatives.

Historical Background to the Parochial Church Council
The administrative committee of a church was called a Vestry from the 16th until the 20th century, when it became the Parochial Church Council. A new Vestry, separate from that at Hampton, was established in New Hampton in 1863 at St. James's. An Annual Vestry Meeting took place every Easter. This was the equivalent of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting and was convened for the reading of reports, passing of the year's accounts, and the election of two churchwardens and other church officers. Originally the administration and finances of a whole parish were the legal responsibility of the incumbent and the churchwardens with the support of the Vestry. Vestries had their civil functions removed in 1894 with the establishment of civil parishes.

After the Great War, an Enabling Bill gave the Church powers of self-government. Consequently in 1920 a meeting of the St. James's Church Electors (those on the electoral roll) took place to elect members to form a Parochial Church Council, with the first meeting being held on Tuesday, June 22nd. The first committee to be formed was the finance committee. Over the years this was followed by the formation of many more committees reporting to the P.C.C., to deal with different aspects of its work. Up until the 1960s committees had been drawn fully from P.C.C. members, resuling in both a rather large Council and too little 'spread' on the committees. In 1966 the number of P.C.C. members were reduced and membership of committees widened, a situation which, with changes in the details, is still maintained.

For a detailed account of the historical background to St. James's Parochial Church Council, read the page The History of the Parochial Church Council.