APCM 2026 - Annual Meeting
THE PARISHES OF
Hormead with Wyddial,
Anstey,
Brent Pelham and Meesden
NOTICE OF ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING
The Annual
Parish Meeting and the APCM will be held in
Hormead C of E First School, Great Hormead
on Thursday, 7th day of May, 2026, at 7.00pm
For the Parish Meeting
The election of Two Church Wardens for each parish (a one-year term).
For the Annual Parochial Church Meeting
The election of Parochial representatives of the laity as follows:
· To the Deanery Synod, ONE representative per parish (a three-year term)*.
· To the Parochial Church Council; SIX representatives, per parish (1/3 elected every 3 years)
And for Each PCC, the appointment of the Independent Examiner or Auditor.
For the consideration of:
(a) A Report on changes in the roll since the annual parochial church meeting;
(b) An Annual Report of the proceedings of the parochial church council and the activities of the parish generally;
(c) The Financial Statements of the Council for the year ending on the 31st December immediately preceding the meeting audited or independently examined;
(d) A Report on the fabric, goods and ornaments of the church or churches of the parish;
(e) A Report on the proceedings of the Deanery Synod
and for the Benefice to discuss other matters of parochial or general Church interest.
1. Every lay person whose name is entered on the Church Electoral Roll of the parish (and no other person) are entitled to vote at the election of parochial representatives of the laity.
2. A person is qualified to be elected a parochial representative of the laity if-
a) his or her name is entered on the church electoral roll of the parish and, unless he or she is under 18, has been entered there for at least the preceding six months;
b) he or she is an actual communicant (which means that he has received Communion according to the use of the Church of England or of a Church in communion with the Church of England at least three times during the twelve months preceding the date of the election) and;
c) he or she is at least 16; and
d) he or she is not disqualified as referred to in paragraph 3 of these notes.
3. (1) A person is disqualified from being nominated, chosen or elected or from serving as a churchwarden or a member of a parochial church council, a district church council or a joint council if the person is disqualified from being a trustee of a charity (and the disqualification is not subject to a waiver which permits membership of a parochial church council, district church council or joint council).
(2) A person is disqualified from being nominated, chosen or elected or from serving as a member of a parochial church council, a district church council, a joint council or a deanery synod if the person is included in a barred list (within the meaning of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006).
(3) A person is disqualified from being nominated, chosen or elected or from serving as a member of a parochial church council, a district church council, a joint council or a deanery synod if the person has been convicted of an offence mentioned in Schedule 1 to the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (with that expression being construed in accordance with Rule 71(2) of the Church Representation Rules).
(4) A person’s disqualification under sub-paragraph (3) may be waived by the bishop of the diocese by giving the person notice in writing.
(5) A person is disqualified from being nominated, chosen or elected or from serving as a member of a parochial church council if the person has been disqualified from holding office under section 10(6) of the Incumbent (Vacation of Benefices) Measure 1977.
* The Deanery Synod representatives will be the electorate for the General Synod Elections in 2026.
Signed: Revd James Sawyer, Rector.
5 April 2026
ALSO
REVISION OF CHURCH ELECTORAL ROLL
Notice is hereby given that the Church Electoral Roll of the above parishes will be revised by the respective Parochial Church Councils*, beginning on Sunday the Fifth day of April 2026, and ending on
Monday the Twentieth day of April 2026.
After the revision, a copy of the Roll will be published by the Parochial Church Council in church and online for at least 14 days and a copy of the Roll will be available for inspection on a reasonable request being made to the Council.
Under the Church Representation Rules any lay persons are entitled to have their names entered on the roll if the person is —
(a) is baptised,
(b) is aged 16 or over, and
(c) has made one of the following three declarations and duly applied for enrolment.
The first declaration is that the person: is a member of the Church of England or of a Church in communion with it and is resident in the parish.
or
The second declaration is that the person is: a member of the Church of England or of a Church in communion with it, is not resident in the parish, but has habitually attended public worship in the parish during the preceding six months.
or
The third declaration is that the person is a member in good standing of a Church which is not in communion with the Church of England but subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and is also a member of the Church of England and has habitually attended public worship in the parish during the preceding six months.
Application Forms for enrolment can be obtained from the Church Electoral Roll Officer. In order for a person to be entitled to attend the annual parochial church meeting and to take part in its proceedings, an Application Form for enrolment must be returned by the date shown above for the ending of the revision of the Church Electoral Roll by the Parochial Church Council.
Any error discovered in the Roll should at once be reported to the Church Electoral Roll Officer.
Dated this fifth day of April 2026
You can find if you are on the Electoral Roll by checking the 2025 APCM document pages for your parish
You can join an electoral Roll by completing the forms HERE
Contact
The Vicarage
Great Hormead
Buntingford
Hertfordshire
SG9 0NT
01763 289258