The show centres around eight main characters, seven of whom sit on the parochial church council (PCC):

Geraldine Granger, the female vicar, played by Dawn French, self-described as a bon-vivant.

David Horton, Conservative chairman of the PCC, gentleman farmer, pillar of the community and local councillor, played by Gary Waldhorn, and main opponent of the female vicar. In later episodes of the series, Horton comes to fall for Vicar Granger, though she gently lets him down when he tells her.

Hugo Horton, David's somewhat dim-witted son, played by James Fleet. He is pursued by Alice Tinker in a one-sided love affair for a time, but finally realizes he has feelings for Tinker, and eventually marries her and fathers a daughter.

Frank Pickle, extraordinarily anally retentive secretary to the PCC, played by John Bluthal. It is revealed in one episode where Frank substitutes for Geraldine on local radio, that he had experienced a same-sex affair when a youth. It is not known, however, if the character was truly gay.

Letitia Cropley, played by Liz Smith, PCC member and creator of such revolting 'delicacies' as 'bread and butter pudding surprise' (a recipe for which she was breeding snails), not to mention marmite cakes and chocolate mixed with cod roe, Letitia only appeared in the first series and the special "The Easter Bunny", in which the character died.

Jim Trott, PCC member, played by Trevor Peacock. He has an idiosyncratic way of saying "no no no no no..." before almost everything he says, including "yes". His wife does the opposite, saying "yes yes yes yes yes ...". Jim was a good dancer, though a long-winded singer.

Owen Newitt, farmer and PCC member, with a very earthy manner of speaking, played by Roger Lloyd Pack. He was the first to support the new vicar's appointment, saying that a woman wouldn't be a bad thing since the previous vicar was an old woman anyway. His signature running gag was that he was chronically late for the PCC meetings, and had humorously legitimate, if graphic, reasons for his delays.

Alice Horton nee Tinker, verger at the church, blonde and ditzy, played by Emma Chambers. Alice is the only main character who does not sit on the PCC. She and Hugo are fond of each other and the vicar plays cupid successfully in one episode. They eventually marry (See Hugo's entry, above). One running gag about Alice at the end of each episode involved Geraldine telling Alice a joke (What do you get if you eat too many Christmas Decorations? Tinsilitis!), which Alice proves unable to understand (going off, in this case, about the ravages of the disease).