Parochial Area Administration

Part 1

The Parochial Area Administration Form is used make changes to the Diocesan Parochial Hierarchy. It allows the database to accurate reflect and manage the consequences of Parochial Reorganisation.

It can be accessed via the ‘Parishes’ button.

And then by the ‘Area Management’ button.

The list to the left shows an example of part of a parochial hierarchy for the Oxford diocese.

The notation shows Oxford Diocese at the top.

Indented below the diocese level there are 3 archdeaconries

In an archdeaconry there are a number of deaneries

An indentation before an areas name shows that the area is a part of (or belongs to) the area above it. E.g. The Oxford Archdeaconry is a part of the Oxford Diocese.

Whereas areas being at the same level show that they are all a part of a common area above. E.g. Abingdon and Bracknell are both a part of the Berkshire Archdeaconry.

The Parochial Hierarchy is composed of the following types of standard areas:Diocese, Archdeaconry, Deanery, Benefice, Parish, District and Church

Additionally there are the following types of area:Group - an area that can be used to collect a number of Benefices or DeaneriesNon-Parochial Area – used to create diocesan locations for boards and councilsLocal Ministry Group – an area that can be used to collect together parishes from different benefices even if they don’t fit naturally into the diocesan hierarchy.School – usually a C of E primary school or academy. Other – an area that can be used for any other type of location.

Collectively these are all known as types of ‘Diocesan Administrative Areas’ (DAAs). Each post has to be associated with a DAA.

To zoom into a Deanery, either double click on an area, or click on an area and then click ‘Draw’.

With the area ‘Abingdon’ selected, the areas below it are displayed.

However not all the areas are displayed, only the areas to a ‘List Depth’ of 3.

The list depth can be increased to show more areas.

For a deanery, at List depth 4, districts below parishes will usually be displayed as well as churches in parishes with no district.

To view details of an area, either double-click on it or highlight the area and click ‘Open Selected [Deanery/Parish etc]’.

Detailed explanation of what information goes in the different boxes can be found in part 2 of this presentation.

Reordering Areas

Areas can be reordered or rearranged. To shuffle the order and put ‘Besselsleigh’ before the benefice of ‘Cumnor’ follow the steps below.

1. Highlight the Benefice of ‘Besselsleigh’ and click ‘Select Area to Move’

2. Select ‘Cumnor’ and click ‘Select Destination’

3. Finally click ‘Move’

When areas share the same parent area the dialog below will be presented. Click ‘No’ to simply rearrange the order of the areas.

The ‘Area List’ box will then refresh to display the areas in the new order.

Uniting Benefices

The next example will show how to unite the benefices of Besselsleigh and Cumnor. We will do this by making the benefice of ‘Besselsleigh’ redundant and moving the parish of Besselsleigh into the benefice of ‘Cumnor’.

Alternative it would be possible to create a new benefice, moving both parishes into the new benefice and making both the old ones redundant.

1. First select the parish of ‘Besselsleigh’. The parish is being moved to the benefice of Cumnor. Then click ‘Select Area to Move’.

2. Select the benefice of ‘Cumnor’ and click ‘Select Destination’.

3. Click ‘Move’

The parish if Besssleigh with then appear in the benefice of Cumnor.

4. Next the old benefice will need to be moved. The old benefice is being made redundant and placed in the parish of Besselsleigh. Click on the benefice of Besselsleigh and click ‘Select Area to Move’

5. Select the parish of Besselsleigh and click ‘Select Destination’

6. Click ‘Move’

The old benefice is now in the correct location and it just needs to be made redundant.

7. Select the benefice

8. Click ‘Open Selected Benefice’

Add the date the benefice became redundant into the ‘Date Deleted’ box.

To indicate the area has been made redundant the area now appears with its name in brackets.

Often the new benefice would be renamed at this point. This can be done be selecting the benefice of ‘Cumnor’, clicking the ‘Open Selected Benefice’ and then changing the Name.

Finally, when closing down the form using the door button, the question below is presented.

Every time areas are edited, rearranged, created or made redundant the ‘Parochial Tables’ need to be recreated. This will usually take about a minute.

This process is important so that the database runs quickly.

Creating a New Benefice

The following steps can be followed to create a new benefice. In the example we are going to create a new benefice of Farmoor for a large church currently in the benefice of Cumnor.

The first step is to create a new benefice. It needs to be created in the deanery of Abingdon.

Select the deanery of Abingdon

Select the new area type of ‘Benefice’

Click ‘Add New Area’

Click ‘Yes’.

The new benefice has been created. Complete the required information.

Here the fields ‘Name’ and a ‘Date Created’ have been added.

The benefice has been created as the last benefice, after ‘Wootton and Dry Sandford’.

To move it highlight Farmoor and click ‘Select Area to Move’.

The new benefice is required to appear after the benefice of Cumnor. Select the benefice and click ‘Select Destination’.

Finally click ‘Move’.

Next a parish needs to be created in the new benefice.

Highlight the new benefice, select ‘Parish’ and click ‘Add New Area’.

Complete the required information.

The information that has been completed is similar to the benefice however the ‘Major Correspondence Level’ box has also been ticked.

Finally the church needs to be moved. It is not currently visible because the list depth is set to 3.

Change the List Depth to 4.

Select the required church and click ‘Select Area to Move’.

Select the new parish of ‘Farmoor’ and click Select Destination.

Finally click ‘Move’.

The reorganisation is now complete.

It is important to remember to recalculate the Parochial Tables when the form list closed.

This is the end of part 1