In Anglican canon law

Canon law

Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...

, the incumbent of a benefice

Benefice

A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...

, usually the parish priest, holds the temporalities or assets and income.

Depending on the terms of governance of each parish an incumbent might be either:

• a vicar appointed by the bishop of the diocese or
• a rector appointed by a patron with the consent of the bishop

A bishop holding an advowson may also appoint a rector. In addition a bishop may, after a stipulated delay, fill a vacancy if a patron has omitted to do so.

At one time an incumbent rector might choose to enjoy the assets and receive all the tithes of a parish yet appoint a curate

Curate

A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...

 to discharge all the spiritual duties of the office at a lesser salary.

The temporalities

The incumbent has legal possession of the church and glebe

Glebe

Glebe Glebe Glebe (also known as Church furlong or parson's closes is an area of land within a manor and parish used to support a parish priest.-Medieval origins:...

 for the term of his office, but shares with the churchwardens the responsibility for them.

A parish priest who does not receive the temporalities and would then not be the incumbent would be a priest in charge

Priest in charge

A priest in charge or priest-in-charge is a priest in charge of a parish who does not receive the temporalities of the parish. He or she is not legally responsible for the churches and glebe, simply holds a licence rather than freehold and is not appointed by advowson.The appointment of priests in...

 or bishop's curate.

Institution and induction

In the Church of England, an incumbent is admitted to office by institution and induction as provided in Canons C10 and C11. The bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 reads the sealed document of institution, committing the care or 'cure' of souls to the priest who kneels before the bishop and holds the seal; the bishop then instructs the archdeacon

Archdeacon

An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...

 to perform the induction, which is done by placing the hand of the priest on the key or ring of the door and reciting a formula of words. The priest advertises his or her induction by ringing the church bell.http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/churchlawlegis/canons/ministers.pdf Induction is a vestige of the medieval legal practice of livery of seisin

Livery of seisin

Livery of seisin is an archaic legal conveyancing ceremony, formerly practiced in feudal England and in other countries following English common law, used to convey holdings in property. The term "livery" is related, if not synonymous with, the word "delivery" as used in modern contract law...

.