Archdeacons' Annual (Deanery) Visitations

Every year parishioners elect Churchwardens to represent them and to work with their parish priest in enabling Christian mission and ministry in their parish. In 2020, the Archdeacons will hold visitations across the Diocese, where the Churchwardens are sworn in as officers of the Diocesan Bishop.  The dates and venues are below.

This page contains all the paperwork relating to election of Churchwardens, completion of the Articles of Enquiry, and other paperwork required to be legally compliant in the run up to the election of Churchwardens.  

Visitation Services

The Archdeacons write to all parishes with more details relating to the year end and visitations early in 2020. The letter for 2019 is here (left on webpage for information).

The Notice for the Church door or noticeboard is the official Invitation from the Archdeacon to Churchwardens and members of the PCC to attend a Visitation Service (usually). The notice should be displayed from the first Sunday after receiving the full documentation directly from the Archdeacon until the date of the Visitation. For the notice to display in your church, please click on the link below. 

Churchwardens' Briefings

We are as usual holding two briefings, one in each Archdeaconry.Booking details to follow.

Blackburn will be held on 17 June at 7pm at Whalley Abbey, starting with the swearing in of wardens not yet sworn in.

Lancaster will be held on 8 July starting at 7 pm with the admission of any wardens not yet sworn in, then the main event starting at 7.30 pm.  But do come at 7pm to network.  There are limited places available at this event at the Priory. 

Notices to Deaneries

Please click onto your deanery to print off the appropriate Notice for the Church Door from the table below.

A Churchwarden should confirm that the notice has been displayed by returning the notice confirmation form to gillian.beeley@blackburn.anglican.org , ideally by end April. 

PARISH VISITATIONS 2020

Nomination as a Churchwarden

The Nomination Form for Churchwarden should be made publically available for anyone on the church electoral roll to nominate someone as Churchwarden. The Archdeacons do not need to see the the completed form(s).

Election of Churchwarden

The forms relating to the election of churchwardens can be found on the Parish Resources Website.

This site also contains the forms for the election of PCC members, Deanery Synod members and administration of the electoral roll. 

After election as a Churchwarden

After election at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), a Churchwarden should complete the Churchwarden's declaration either on-line (preferably) via this Survey Monkey link or print off and email the Declaration in Word format to Gillian.Beeley@Blackburn.Anglican.Org  

Please return your forms by 10 May in order for us to be sure we have your names in time for the visitation.  We shall also be updating the database - if your written declaration has not been received by May 31st, then you may not subsequently receive mailings etc from the Diocese.

Electoral Roll 

The Electoral Roll was due to be revised in 2019.  The link to information is here.

The latest edition (2019) of the Archdeacons' Visitations News is here

Articles of Enquiry (information to be updated early 2020)
The Articles of Enquiry are now completed via the Parish Returns Online - in the same way as you would complete other returns.  The link to a screenshot is here, which shows where the form is accessed.  

Follow these links for Word and PDF versions of the return , so that you can see what the questions are before considering at a PCC and then going online.