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Application to join the Church Electoral Roll

The roll is available on the website. There is a map at the bottom of this page so you can check whether you live within the Parish of Christ Church.

Under the Church Representation Rules any persons are entitled to have their names entered on the roll if they—
  1. are baptised and aged 16 or over;
  2. have signed a form of application for enrolment;
and either
  1. are members of the Church of England or of any Church in communion with the Church of England being resident in the parish or (not being resident in the parish) having habitually attended public worship in the parish during the six months prior to the application for enrolment;
or:
  1. are members in good standing of a Church (not in communion with the Church of England) which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity declaring themselves also to be members of the Church of England and having habitually attended public worship in the parish during the period of six months prior to enrolment.
Forms of application for enrolment can be obtained from the undersigned. In order to be entitled to attend the annual parochial church meeting and to take part in its proceedings, forms of application for enrolment must be returned by the earlier of the dates shown above. Application may also be made via the website.

Any error discovered in the roll should at once be reported to the undersigned.

Signed Andrew C Leach, Acting Electoral Roll Officer, 14A Addingham Road, Eastbourne

What is the Church Electoral Roll? Why have one?
It is your parish church’s register of electors; it is the list of those qualified to attend and to vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting where the elections take place for:
  1. the parochial church council;
  2. the parish’s representatives on the deanery synod.
Any person entitled to attend the Annual Parochial Church Meeting may raise any question of parochial or general church interest. Renewal of the electoral roll took place in 2007 and now after every six years. In a year of renewal, no names are carried over from the old roll and everyone must make a new application to be included on the new roll.

What difference does it make?
By enrolling you become a voting member of the Church of England and so help to ensure that all the synodical councils of the Church — the parochial church council, the deanery synod, the diocesan synod, and the General Synod — are fully representative of its members.
Synodical government gives an opportunity for partnership between bishops, clergy and laity in the life of the Church:
First, the system is intended to enable church people at every level to be in touch with the Church as a whole and to play their part in decision-making. Secondly, the system is intended to ensure that the laity have their place in every aspect of church life, including its doctrine and services.

If you know your postcode you can find out if you are resident in the parish by using the tool available from A Church Near You.

Notes on the form appear at the bottom of the page. If Note 3 applies to you (you have been prevented from attending Christ Church by some essential reason), use the ordinary email form and we will send you a paper form to complete. You must give a valid email address as your application is automatically acknowledged. Supplying an email address which we cannot reply to will invalidate your application.


Application for Membership of the Church Electoral Roll


Full name: (Your name. This field is mandatory)
Full address: (Your full address. This field is mandatory)
Postcode: (Your postcode. This field is mandatory)
I declare that
1I am baptised and am aged 16 or over (or, become 16* on )
2A† I am a member of the Church of England (or of a Church in communion with the Church of England) and am resident in the parish.
2B I am a member of the Church of England (or of a Church in communion with the Church of England) and, not being resident in the parish, I have habitually attended public worship in the parish during the period of six months prior to enrolment.
2C I am a member in good standing of a Church (not in communion with the Church of England) which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and also declare myself to be a member of the Church of England and I have habitually attended public worship in the parish during the period of six months prior to enrolment.
I declare that the above answers are true and I apply for inclusion on the Church Electoral Roll of the parish.
Signed: (Type your signature as you would normally sign. This field is mandatory)
Email: (Your email address. This field is mandatory)
The date of sending is automatically recorded.
* Those who become 16 during the next twelve months may complete the form, and become eligible to be entered on the roll on their sixteenth birthday.
† You must choose one of 2A, 2B or 2C.

Notes on the form
  1. The only Churches at present in communion with the Church of England are other Anglican Churches and certain foreign Churches.
  2. Membership of the electoral roll is also open to members in good standing of a Church not in communion with the Church of England which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and where those members are also prepared to declare themselves to be members of the Church of England.
  3. Every six years a new roll is prepared and those on the previous roll are informed so that they can re-apply. If you are not resident in the parish but were on the roll as an habitual worshipper and have been prevented by sickness or absence or other essential reason from worshipping for the past six months, you may write ‘would’ before ‘have habitually attended’ on the form and add ‘but was prevented from doing so because’ and then state the reason.
  4. If you have any problems over this form, please approach the clergy or lay people responsible for the parish, who will be pleased to help you.
  5. In this form, ‘parish’ means ecclesiastical parish.

If you can't identify whether you are in the parish or not, you can ask for advice, or use your postcode in A Church Near You. If that shows your house to be in the Parish of Christ Church or the Parish of S Philip, you are within the parish. ACNY hasn't caught up with the parish boundary changes yet. Large map (800k).

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