Rural churches are no longer obliged to hold Sunday services after the Church of England (CofE) voted to change canon law.

Previously, all parish churches had to host a weekly service on the Sabbath, under strictures dating to 1603 that were written into modern canon law in the 1960s.

But decades of falling church attendance and dwindling religious observance have left some priests looking after up to 20 rural churches – making it impossible to hold a Sunday service in every one.

Such groupings are known as multi-parish benefices.

The CofE’s general synod approved the change by a vote of 20 bishops to zero, 92 clergy to zero and 118 laity in favour, two against and one abstention.

African churches boom in London’s backstreets Show all 20 1 /20 African churches boom in London’s backstreets African churches boom in London’s backstreets Worshippers sing as they offer thanksgiving during Sunday service at the New Jerusalem Parish, a celestial Christian church. It is based in a former warehouse in the New Cross area of south London, just off the Old Kent Road. The service, which lasts for several hours, is attended by worshippers mainly of Nigerian descent who travel from all over London Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets The Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim & Seraphim was founded by Moses Orimolade Tunolase in 1925 in Nigeria, and is attended by worshippers of Nigerian descent who come from all over the UK for services Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Worshippers pray during a Good Friday church service at the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim & Seraphim Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Members of the Apostles Of Muchinjikwa Christian church pray at Basildon Sporting Village prior to a mass baptism (Jorodhani) Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets People walk near the seafront as members of the Apostles of Muchinjikwa worship before a mass baptism on the beachfront on Southend-on-Sea Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Young members of the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim & Seraphim take a break as they prepare to parade through the street to celebrate their annual Thanksgiving Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Senior members of the Apostles Of Muchinjikwa Christian church baptise members on the beachfront on Southend-on-Sea Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Members of the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim & Seraphim parade through the street to celebrate their annual Thanksgiving in Elephant and Castle Pictures by Simon Dawson/Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Members of the youth church perform in a knife crime play during a Good Friday performance at the House of Praise church in London Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Members of the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim & Seraphim parade through the street to celebrate their annual Thanksgiving in Elephant and Castle Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Worshippers dance during ‘Super Sunday’ service at the House of Praise church. The church, formerly a theatre and bingo hall, is one of the biggest in south London. The services, mainly attended by those of Nigerian descent, are recorded using television cameras and can hold several thousand worshippers Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Senior members of the Apostles Of Muchinjikwa Christian church leave the sea after leading a mass baptism, or Jorodhani Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Worshippers bless a vehicle to keep it safe after a member of the congregation had a revelation during Sunday service at the Celestial Church of Christ Grace of God Parish in Southwark, southeast London Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Members of the Apostles Of Muchinjikwa Christian church pray outside the Basildon Sporting Village Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Worshippers take photos after ‘Super Sunday’ service at the House of Praise church in Camberwell, southeast London Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Worshippers greet each other following a night-time Christmas Eve service at the Celestial Church of Christ in Elephant and Castle, southeast London Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets A pedestrian walks past the Holy Ghost Zone church on the Old Kent Road in London Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets A woman prays after being baptised by senior members of the Apostles Of Muchinjikwa Christian church during a mass baptism (Jorodhani) on the beachfront on Southend-on-Sea Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets A worshipper kneels on the floor as she prays during a Sunday service at the House of Praise church in Camberwell Reuters African churches boom in London’s backstreets Senior members of the Apostles Of Muchinjikwa Christian church baptise members in Southend-on-Sea Reuters

The proposal was first made by the Bishop of Willesden, the Rt Rev Pete Broadbent in 2016, the head of a task force charged with simplifying the way the church functions, which was formed in 2014.

The task force aims to bring forward proposals for simplifying the process of the Church of England.

According to figures published in 2016, 71 per cent of parishes contained multiple churches in 2011, compared with 17 per cent in 1960.

Following the vote, Rev Broadbent said: “You’re meant to get a dispensation from the bishop, this just changes the rules to make it easier for people to do what they’re already doing. It stops the bureaucracy.”

Under canonical requirements, every priest was required to hold a morning and evening prayer and a communion service, every Sunday in every church they looked after.

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Rev Broadbent said: “That doesn’t happen. This is tidying up what does happen. This was just one [amendment] where we said, ‘out of date, doesn’t work, we’re operating differently in the countryside now therefore lets find a way of making it work’.”

When asked if the decision would affect elderly churchgoers in rural locations, who may have to travel further to attend a service, Rev Broadbent said: “No, because at the moment this is already regularised and it’s already happening.

“If you’ve got 20 churches, you’ve got a pattern of services on a Sunday where you say, ‘Well we’ll have a communion over there on the first Sunday, and communion over there on the second Sunday’ ... this is just making that clear.”