Martyn's Law for churches
Martyn's Law for churches, chapels and places of worship
Martyn's Law applies once 200 people may reasonably be present in your building at once. For a place of worship, standard tier duties stay the same however large your congregation grows.
Does it apply to you
The funeral decides it, not an average Sunday.
Count everyone in the building at your busiest realistic moment, not your typical congregation.
Count everyone in the building
Congregation, clergy, servers, musicians, welcomers and the tea and coffee rota all count. So do funeral directors and bearers at a funeral.
The busiest service is the test
It is what is reasonable to expect from time to time, not an average Sunday. A carol service or a large funeral can put a quiet church over 200.
You stay standard tier at any size
Places of worship enter standard tier at 200 and stay there however many people are present. A cathedral at 2,000 on Christmas Eve is still standard tier, not enhanced.
The PCC or trustees hold responsibility
The parochial church council or equivalent trustees are usually the responsible person. Where a hall is let out separately, agree who is responsible for what.
Dioceses and districts often run hundreds of churches, each with a volunteer treasurer or churchwarden. One board can show which are in scope and which are not, across the whole diocese.
See how portfolios workWhat the standard tier asks
Four procedures, and a notification to the SIA.
- Evacuation
- Moving people away from danger, out of the building.
- Invacuation
- Moving people to a safer place inside the building.
- Lockdown
- Securing the premises so people cannot enter or leave.
- Communication
- Telling staff and the public what is happening and what to do.
These four, so far as reasonably practicable, plus telling the SIA your premises is in scope. Where your building is shared with another responsible person, such as a hall run separately, you need to coordinate with them.
What it does not ask: standard tier does not require you to buy equipment, hire security staff or use any particular product. Detailed documentation is recommended, not required by law, though most PCCs find it useful when a diocese or insurer asks what is in place.
How Muster helps
Procedures your volunteers can follow, and a record when they change.
Muster drafts the four procedures in plain language, then keeps a register of who has been briefed. Muster also tracks your SIA notification and prepares the details, though it cannot file the notification for you.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers for churches and chapels.
Does Martyn's Law apply to every church?
Only if it is reasonable to expect 200 people present in your building at once. Plenty of smaller churches never reach that number. Work out your own figure rather than assuming either way.
Do we need security guards or metal detectors?
No. Standard tier does not require equipment, security staff or any particular product. It asks for four procedures and a notification to the SIA.
Who is the responsible person for a parish church?
Usually the parochial church council or equivalent trustees. Where a hall or hired space is run separately, agree in writing who is responsible for what.
Does a large funeral or carol service count if it only happens once a year?
Yes. The test is what is reasonable to expect from time to time, not a typical Sunday. A one-off large service can put a quiet church in scope.
Do we have to write everything down?
No. Documentation is recommended, not required, at standard tier. Many PCCs keep records anyway, since it makes explaining the position much easier.
We look after several churches. Can we manage them together?
Yes. Dioceses and districts can put many churches on one board. You see at a glance which are in scope and which are not.
Find out where your church stands in about a minute.
Six questions, a cited answer, and a result you can print and take to the PCC.