The renewal of the church’s Electoral Roll is well under way, in preparation for the parish’s Annual Meetings on Sunday 10 May. This is different from the Electoral Roll for local and national government elections, and has nothing to do with the forthcoming election of councillors (on 7 May).
Being on the Parish Electoral Roll is the nearest thing that the Church of England has to a list of active church members, and entitles you to attend and vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, to stand for election to the PCC or as churchwarden, etc. It also confers certain rights in relation to getting married in church.
If you were on the Electoral Roll last year, you do not need to do anything. Your membership is automatically carried over. If you are not on the Electoral Roll and would like to be, then just pick up a form from the back of church, or email the office to ask for one. The deadline for the form is this coming Tuesday 21 April, and the new Electoral Roll will be published on Friday 24 April.
Note that the published version is nowadays a simple list of names- no addresses or other personal data are put into the public domain. David Millar is our Electoral Roll Officer, and will be happy to answer any questions.
The Annual Meetings on 10 May will be followed by a parish barbecue in the Vicarage garden. Further details later this month, of what will be provided and what you are invited to bring.