A Churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church of the Anglican Communion (Church of England, Anglican Church or Episcopal Church)
Holders of these positions are leading members of the parish board, which is usually called a Vestry, Parish Council, or Parochial Church Council (PCC). The role of Churchwarden is extremely varied but generally involves management, maintenance, and ministry.
The rights and responsibilities of Churchwardens are laid down in Church Law. And as with most roles within a parish, this is a voluntary (unpaid) position.
Churchwardens must be baptized, regular communicants who are resident in the parish or on the Electoral Roll. They need not be members of the congregation of the parish church in a parish with more than one church. In addition, any Churchwarden:
- Should be over 21 (minimum age may vary, between 18 to 21)
- Should consent to being appointed
- Should have been confirmed, and should have received communion at least three times in the previous year. A person who is ready to be confirmed and wants to be confirmed also qualifies
The Church Property Register, Terrier and Inventory
There is the requirement to maintain:
- Terrier – a list of lands belonging to the Church,
- Inventory – a list of all the items belonging to the church
- Log book – a detailed record of all the alterations, additions and repairs to the church, its land and contents
- Ensure the location of such documents is known and offsite copies kept.
