© Isle LMG
2008

Ashill, Barrington, Broadway,Chillington, Cudworth, Curry Rivel, Donyatt, Dowlish Wake, Fivehead, Horton, Ilminster, Ilton, Isle Abbotts, Isle Brewers, Kingstone, Puckington, Shepton Beauchamp, Stocklinch, Swell, Whitelackington

1. Representation

 The Parish Representatives’ Meeting shall be formed of :

a.   Representatives of the ecclesiastical parishes of Ashill, Barrington, Broadway, Chillington, Cudworth, Curry Rivel, Donyatt, Dowlish Wake, Fivehead, Horton, Ilminster, Ilton, Isle Abbots, Isle Brewers, Kingstone, Puckington, Shepton Beauchamp, Stocklinch, Swell, and Whitelackington;

b.   Readers licensed within these parishes;

c.   Clergy licensed to these parishes;

d.   A Chairman, a Co-Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer and other officers as shall be from time to time determined by the Parish Representatives’ Meeting;  

e.   A representative observer from each sister church within the parishes named above, currently comprising : Ashill Baptist Church, Broadway Hill Methodist Church, Curry Rivel United Reformed Church, Fivehead Baptist Church, Ilminster Christian Fellowship, Ilminster Methodist Church, Ilminster Roman Catholic Church, and Isle Abbots Baptist Church.

 

2. Election/Appointment of Representatives

a.   The Parish Representatives shall be those persons elected by the relevant Annual Parochial Church Meetings as Deanery Synod Representatives. In the event that there are vacancies for Deanery Synod Representatives, the PCC shall appoint persons as Parish Representatives in their stead.

b.   Officers will be elected by the Parish Representatives’ Meeting at the first meeting following the triennial election of Deanery Synod Representatives and serve until the conclusion of the next such meeting. Officers may be elected for no more than two successive periods of office.

3. Consultation

     It is an essential requirement of making a success of the Local Ministry Group concept that Parish Representatives maintain a regular pattern of consultation with the PCCs and congregations they represent. The Parish Representatives’ Meeting will need to ensure that this is done and that no Parish becomes disenfranchised.

 

4. Frequency of meeting

     The Parish Representatives’ Meeting shall determine the number of meetings per year in relation to the well-being of the LMG and appropriate consultation with PCCs and congregations; the date and location of such meetings; and also the number, date and location of whole-LMG services. Every Representative shall be given at least fourteen days’ notice of a meeting and the agenda thereof.

 

5. Roles

   The Parish Representatives’ Meeting shall aspire to :

a.  be the ‘corporate mind’ of the ILMG, ensuring that living, working and praying as one body in Christ, the Christian communities of the ILMG will do apart nothing that they can do together, and will do together what they cannot do apart;

b.  be the focal point for the support and encouragement of each local Christian community and those who minister among them, both lay and ordained;

c.  enable the sharing of skills and expertise among the local Christian communities in the service of God and of the communities as a whole.

 

6. Responsibilities

The Parish Representatives’ Meeting shall :

a.      embrace and bring to life a vision of mission and ministry that allows every Christian to fulfil his or her own calling and arrange   collaboratively such training and study courses as may encourage this;

b.      be open to opportunities to co-operate ecumenically with sister churches throughout the Isle Local Ministry Group area;

c.      welcome a dynamic pattern of ministry in which the only thing that is unchanging is the everlasting love of God;

d. maintain a regular pattern of consultation with the PCCs and congregations to ensure that no Parish becomes disenfranchised;

e. be aware of the pastoral needs of, and opportunities for service to, the Christian communities and the communities as a whole within the ILMG;

f. encourage the sharing of skills and resources to provide for the recognised needs and opportunities;

g. identify individuals who require training to enable their willingness and skills to be fully used;

h. be a permanent committee of Deanery Synod, acting as and for Synod in respect of the parishes named above, noting that when it so acts, only elected or ex-officio members of Deanery Synod may vote;

i. appoint as required by the Diocesan Secretary, lay and clerical members to Diocesan Synod;

j. consider in due time becoming responsible for the fulfilment of the overall parish share of the Isle Local Ministry Group;

k. undertake on behalf of the Rural Dean agreed functions including Rural Dean’s inspections, and maintain agreed records including that quinquennial inspections, parish files and the Register of all lay qualifications;

l. be able to agree and amend this constitution by a two-thirds majority of those present at a meeting called for the purpose, subject to subsequent ratification by a majority of four fifths of the PCCs. Except in extra-ordinary circumstances no proposed amend to this constitution shall be re-submitted within a twelve period.

 

                         Agreed by the Parish Representatives’ Meeting of the Isle Local Ministry Group at Fivehead  on 27th February 2006

Isle Local Ministry Group

Constitution of the Parish Representatives’ Meeting