what is a parish church

A parish church is a church that serves as the religious center of a parish. It is a local church community that exists to meet the spiritual and temporal needs of its members. The term "parish" refers to a Christian population within a church, and it does not define a building or a place of worship. A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular Church. The parish church may play a significant role in community activities, often allowing its premises to be used for various events. Most ecclesiastical parishes have an Anglican parish church, which is consecrated. If there is no parish church, the bishop licenses another building for worship, and may designate it as a parish center of worship. The church building is not consecrated, but is dedicated, and for most legal purposes, it is deemed to be a parish church. The term "parish" is used in both the Catholic and Protestant (largely Lutheran, Methodist, Congregationalist, and Presbyterian) churches.