2.14 Occasional ministry in other dioceses and overseas clergy.
The above code requirements and guidance focuses on those roles where it is a permanent or fixed term “appointment”, i.e. where there is some expectation of permanence. This is to distinguish from occasional ministry in another diocese (for example, preaching visits or holiday cover), which is subject to different provisions.
For clergy who are beneficed, licensed or hold PTO in the Church of England, Canon C 8 provides that they may officiate in a church or chapel outside of their own diocese, where the minister having the cure of souls (normally the incumbent) invites the person to do so, being satisfied by actual personal knowledge or by good and sufficient evidence that the minister is of good standing and has authority to officiate in his or her own diocese. There is no requirement for any permission from the diocesan bishop to be given. The Canon limits such invitations to a period of not more than 7 days within a period of 3 months. The National Register of Clergy provides a list of all clergy in the Church of England who currently hold authority to officiate and may be checked for the purposes of satisfying the requirements of Canon C 8.
2.14.1 Permanent Appointment of clergy from overseas
In addition to the process that may be required for Overseas Criminal Records checks (see Section 2.9: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Overseas Criminal Records Checks), any overseas clergy coming to take up a permanent role require an Overseas Permission to Officiate (OPTO). The legal effect of an OPTO is to put that cleric in the same position as a Clerk in Holy Orders of the Church of England, which means (amongst other things) that they have a duty to comply with all Safeguarding Codes of Practice.