HOLY COMMUNION

COMMUNION BY EXTENSION

Public Worship with Communion by Extension was authorised by the General Synod in 1999, and a service was produced by Church House Publishing the following year.

This service enables worshippers to receive the sacraments when a priest is not present to consecrate the elements. The consecrated elements are brought from a church where the Eucharist has been celebrated, with a minimal interval of time between services.

The consent of the Incumbent and PCC is necessary for this act of worship, as with all other services. In a vacancy the consent of the Rural Dean must be obtained.

The service is intended primarily for Sundays and Principal Holy Days, but may be appropriate on other occasions.

It is important that congregations do not rely solely on this way of Eucharistic participation. A celebration of the Eucharist should take place regularly in churches where Communion by Extension is part of the service pattern.

Communion by Extension may be used in a group or team ministry, in a single cure with a number of places of authorised ministry, in parishes where there is a vacancy, and during holiday periods.

Deacons, Readers and Church Army Officers have episcopal permission to lead this service by virtue of their licence and need no further permission from the Bishop. Training in leading this act of worship is provided for these ministers at regular intervals by diocesan officers.

It is possible for other designated lay people to lead this service. Following nomination to the Bishop by the Incumbent and PCC, training is arranged. On satisfactory completion, the Bishop gives written permission which is renewed annually.

A complete copy of the guidelines is available from the Bishop of Huntingdon, who normally deals with this matter.

LAY ADMINISTRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION

Under Canon B12, authority for lay people to administer the Communion must be obtained from the Bishop, acting under General Synod regulations. These regulations are reproduced here:

• An application to the Bishop to authorise under Section 2 (1) of the Prayer Book (Further Provisions) Measure 1968 a baptised and confirmed person to distribute the Holy Sacrament in any parish shall be made in writing by the incumbent or priest-in-charge of the parish and supported by the churchwardens, and shall specify the name and give relevant particulars of the person to whom the application relates.

• Where the cure is vacant and no priest-in-charge is appointed, an application under the preceding paragraph may be made by the rural dean and supported by the churchwardens.

• It shall be in the discretion of the Bishop to grant or refuse the application and to specify the circumstances or conditions in or on which the authority is to be available.

• In these Regulations “the Bishop” means the Bishop of the diocese or a person appointed by him for the purpose, being a Suffragan or Assistant Bishop or Archdeacon of the diocese.

The Bishop of Huntingdon deals with applications in the Diocese of Ely.