How CCLI defines a 'church' for licensing purposes

The Church Copyright Licence terms define a church as: ‘A distinct group of Christian worshippers congregating at a particular location.’

Licences are required if copyright-protected resources are reproduced, photocopied, printed, projected from electronic song databases or OHP slides, performed, or audio/video recorded during the course of, or in preparation for, activities undertaken by the church.

Generally, this definition is adequate. However, not all churches operate in the same way and CCLI is sometimes asked to explain what happens, for example, when congregations meet in different places each week, or a single team ministry works through multiple sites? And what happens if a church decides to ‘plant’ a new church on the nearby housing estate, but with the same pastoral oversight?

Churches and Benefices

Churches can often have close association with neighbouring churches of the same denomination, for example Methodist circuits and Anglican benefices. This does not mean we treat them as one church, even if only one minister oversees them all. They remain distinct congregations for licensing purposes. For more information please contact CCLI.

Multi-site

If a church has a town/city-wide vision and purposefully seeks to undertake its activities from multiple locations, albeit under a single leadership, these different locations will require separate licensing if the following are generally true:

• They are several miles apart
• Separate resources have to be provided / created per site, e.g. to facilitate worship
• Each site has its own audio visual installations including song lyric projection
• Each site has a distinct core of the people attending

Roving Congregations

Where a group of small church congregations have joined together to form one new larger congregation, but which meets in each of the original church buildings on a weekly rotation basis, CCLI can make some licensing concessions. For more information contact CCLI.

Town-wide/Inter-church Celebration Services

If a group of churches gathers for a joint service or celebration, as a one-off or a regular event, there are a number of factors that must be considered when determining licence requirements. These include the frequency of the event, the numbers attending and the venue(s). Please contact CCLI to discuss your particular licence requirements.