General Synod – Synopsis from the Sessions of July 2009
General Synod met at York University from Friday 10th to Monday 13th July 2009
Synod was told that preference had been given to essential, time sensitive items and what might be done in better ways. Even so many members were restless over the sessions being reduced by a day and queried the real cost savings and why the agenda appeared inward looking with precious little about mission. Several also questioned why the ARCIC papers were being discussed in groups rather than a full Synod debate.
Giving for Life:
The national stewardship committee banged the drum on a theme of discipleship and renewing the call first made in 1978 for church members to give 5% of their net earnings to the Church with a further 5% going to other charitable causes. The timing of this call is much more auspicious than at first appears as the context in which this target was set was inflation at 7%, unemployment doubling in the previous 5 years and the “winter of discontent looming.
In 1978 average giving was 1% of net income. It’s now 3.2%. Achieving the goal will realise an extra £300 million a year thereby funding everything we want to do and more. The Synod suggested some helpful practical revisions to a draft booklet suitable for use in parishes and new material is likely to be ready next year; just in time for all the work we’ll be undertaking to repair the damage caused by the recession.
ARCIC –Life in Christ:
It is the custom at York for the Synod to divide into small groups on Saturday morning for discussion on a theological theme. This year the theme was Life in Christ: Morals Communion and the Church, using as the text the ARCIC (Anglican/Roman Catholic International Commission) report with that title.
We were assisted in our consideration of the subject by introductory remarks on Friday evening by the Bishop of Guildford and the Roman Catholic representative on Synod. The Archbishop of Canterbury also produced an introductory paper.
Questions:
On Friday evening the House of laity met together for dinner. Back in plenary session, the day ended with ninety minutes of questions from the floor. Seventy-five were asked; fifty-seven were answered before Synod voted for bed-time.
Questions ranged from the timetable of Synod to Bishops’ expenses, the rain tax, the self-styled Anglican Church in North America, clerical preferment, royal marriages, the BNP, the Equality Bill, rural poverty, Swedish lesbians, clergy training and Wycliffe Hall.
Half the fun (if that is the right word) of questions is who will answer them. We were not disappointed. The Archbishop of York, the Bishops of Wakefield, Bristol, Chichester, Dover, Lincoln, Guildford and Norwich, the Third Church Estates Commissioner, the secretary General and the Clerk to the Synod – all danced their way through the unusually tedious repertoire. There were too many long questions and too many long answers. The final answer from the Bishop of Norwich to a 160-word brain-teaser caught the mood. “You can’t have it both ways, Synod”.
The Urban Church:
Although intended to be a full debate, this was only a "take note" presentation. Urban churches are not part of a comfortable church in comfortable Britain. As a result, it is difficult to recruit clergy for these areas, and some radical ideas are needed for the support of the ministry. One solution considered was to offer ordinands pay inversely proportional to the number of applicants for the post!
Saturday Legislation:
It was a treat to spend most of Saturday absorbed in the red meat of a strong legislative agenda. We promulged amending Canon 28 dealing with the provision of Holy Communion in ecumenical partnerships at major festivals then went back to the Suffragan Bishops Act 1534 to make a series of amendments recommended by the Pilling report in 2007. These provide for the submission of only 1 name to the Crown, the statutory delegation of patronage in vacant suffragan sees and the abolition of the Crown’s right of patronage when a suffragan bishop is translated to a diocesan see. And all of this without a murmur of discontent at the enactment of the statutory delegation of long held interests (think about it).
We then leapt forward several centuries to amend the Crown Benefices Measure so as to give PCC’s in crown benefices the right to appoint lay representatives for the purpose of approving appointments. Another change of gear took us to ecclesiastical fees and the deeply controversial question of whether fees should belong to incumbents and PCC’s or the DBF with a power of waiver to both. We weighed bureaucracy against tradition and perceived slights against the majority of honest clergy with cracking the whip on the dodgy minority and came down in favour of reform. The majority was small and we’ll return to the subject in February so make sure you brief us on your views by then.
Pensions:
As with most pension schemes, and due to the same factors, the funded clergy scheme (in operation since January 1998), is under extreme pressure.
The theoretical deficit currently stands at £352 million and it is clear that the proposed increase in contributions to 45% from next January will be insufficient.
Possible remedies, affecting only future contributions, include:
(a) retaining the present defined benefit scheme. The risk remains with the provider but contributions may be unacceptably high and uncertainty persists.
(b) changing to a defined contribution scheme. Less need for future changes but the risk passes to the individual as does the benefit of any future growth.
(c) a hybrid scheme combining elements of both. Complicated but the risk is shared.
Probabilities in any of these cases include:
(a) restricting future increases in benefit to RPI.
(b) increasing retirement age to 68
(c) increasing length of service for full pension from 40 to 43 years.
(d) contracting into the state Second Pension scheme.
Wide consultation is taking place, but importantly all benefits earned to date will not be affected.
A bunch of legislative changes to the pension scheme mainly to follow changes in Government legislation. One was to cure an anomaly relating to some clergy in the Diocese of Europe which could otherwise have required the whole of the scheme’s technical deficit (£352 million) to be paid off within one year!
Archbishops’ Council Spending priorities:
The Council has produced a 5-year spending strategy. The aim is to keep the increase in the sums requested from dioceses lower than inflation rate in 2011 and 2012, and no higher in the following three years. This will involve careful planning of the amount spent on training, the present biggest cost, and pruning wherever else possible. Pleas were made for reductions not to affect children’s work and hospital chaplaincies. The point was made that suitably increased giving (see comments elsewhere) would enable growth in all areas rather than attempts to cut back.
Synod received and agreed the expenditure of the Archbishop’s Council for 2010 which would be just 0.4% above the 2009 figure. The five areas of expenditure are : Training for Ministry £11.8m, The work of the Council and Boards £10.3m, Grants to ecumenical and other bodies £1.5 m, Pension support for inter-diocesan employees and clergy mission partners £0.8m and Clergy Retirement Housing scheme £3.3m. The apportionment of the total of nearly £28m amongst the dioceses was agreed with Salisbury paying £869,640.
Weekday Lectionary:
A new weekday lectionary was presented, which is designed to be an alternative lectionary for such places as Cathedrals where a lot of casual visitors might be present. Those who use the existing lectionary for the daily offices will want to stick to the existing provision with its continuous working through different books of the Bible. Yet such readings may be less appropriate for those not engaged in such a sequence of reading on a day-by-day basis. This new lectionary provides the alternative of “stand alone” readings for the occasional attender. At the same time the Liturgical Commission has corrected errors in the existing lectionary. They have also suggested some new names to add to the list of commemorations in the Church of England:
18 Jan: Amy Carmichael – Founder of the Dohnavur Fellowship and Spiritual Writer
24 March: Paul Couturier – Priest and Ecumenist
24 April: The Seven Martyrs of the Melanesian Brotherhood
12 May: Gregory Dix – Priest, Monk, Scholar
3 Oct: George Bell – Bishop, Ecumenist, Peacemaker
In addition to which they proposed that the commemoration of William Willberforce on 30th July be expanded to include two other slave-trade reformers:
Thomas Clarkson
Olaudah Equiano
The report was received and is now sent on into the revision process in which members of Synod can scrutinize the proposals and suggest alterations.
Archbishops’ Council Annual Report:
On Saturday evening we were asked to take note of the Archbishop’s Council Annual Report for 2008. The Council was set up ten years ago to replace the old Standing Committee to assist the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to lead and manage the Church. After a brief presentation and discussion, when only two people stood to speak, one suggesting that it was time for the effectiveness of the Council to be evaluated, the report was duly noted by Synod.
Church Commissioners Annual Report:
Introducing his Annual Report, the First Church Estates Commissioner, Andreas Whittam-Smith, said that while considering what to say, he had asked himself three questions. Had the Commissioners been prepared for the recent financial storm, how they fared during the storm and what had they done after the storm had passed.
He explained that early on they had crucially and successfully sold assets and moved into cash (mostly U.S. dollars). They rode the storm – but not all that well. Afterwards they had changed their advisers – new people with new ideas for a new era. The main challenge now was to judge whether we faced sharp inflation or whether deflation was stalking the land. They thought deflation was the greater danger.
Mr Whittam-Smith recognised that we could not go on as we had before. They would shortly announce the appointment of a Director of Investment. They had to up their game. Meanwhile, the Commissioners would maintain their financial support for the Church and they were now running seminars for Dioceses on how to use it better.
On Sunday morning members of General Synod joined the congregation for the Eucharist at York Minister. The Archbishop of Canterbury presided and the Archbishop of York preached and also led us in one of his songs, which he accompanied on his bongo drums.
Synod warmly welcomed the report “Opening the Doors: ministry with people with learning disabilities and people on the autistic spectrum” and the accompanying DVD, published by the Committee for Ministry of and amongst Deaf and Disabled People and the Mission and Public Affairs Division. It is a document that should be discussed by every PCC, with its many practical examples of how the church can more fully welcome and include those with learning disabilities and their families. The presentation stressed the need for a Disabilities Adviser within every diocese. The worship that followed was movingly led by “Faith and Light”, the Nottingham branch of an international community movement bringing together people with learning disabilities, their families, carers and friends.
The Constitutions Review Group brought to Synod a revised report with proposed changes to all bodies accountable to the Archbishop’s Council. Following a lively debate Synod declined to endorse the proposals and requested the Archbishop’s Council, “after consultation with the boards and councils concerned, to produce revised proposals which (1) provided for the participation of elected Synod members in deliberation and policy formation as well as in scrutiny and accountability; and (2) reflected the individual remits and sets of stake holders of each area of activity”.
"Should we have fewer bishops?"
This was one of the issues the National Media picked up on over the York weekend. The Diocese of Bradford put forward a Motion that the Archbishops' Council should consider a reduction taking into account the fall in clergy numbers. The Motion gave the opportunity for wide-ranging speeches which addressed matters such as the purpose of bishops, their workload and responsibilities particularly in light of more and more legislation, their national and local roles the increase in other forms of ministry, the complexity of episcopacy, finance etc. Ecumenical and Continental experience was shared. Many felt we should have more bishops not less, that Area Deans might become bishops, that we should re-examine the post of archdeacons. It was noted too that the new Dioceses Commission was already considering the number of dioceses and boundaries. After amendments had been passed the final resolution bore little resemblance to the Bradford motion! The Resolution.... "invited the Archbishop's Council to prepare for the new Synod in November 2010 a progress report on the delivery of changes to the present pattern of dioceses and Episcopal deployment and requested the Faith and Order Advisory Group to present to Synod.... a report (i) bringing together existing material in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion relating to the exercise of senior leadership; and (ii) setting out biblical and theological perspectives to inform the Church's developing patterns of senior leadership."
Being Adult About Childhood:
This considered the Good Childhood Inquiry which had been extensively reported in the media. The report painted a depressing picture of the well-being of children in our land with them facing a worse world than most in Continental Europe and a score of the richest countries. Adult values have been imposed upon them at an early age whereas children need parents that value the child. Not only do parents need a long term commitment to each other but also to the child. There was a desire amongst members to go beyond just calling it a good enquiry to doing something good about it. No doubt this gave impetus for resounding approval to a following motion inviting Synod to, 'renew its commitment to enrich the childhood of all the children in England by helping them to discover that God loves them, is for them, and offers them friendship, purpose and fulfilment through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ'.
Anglican Communion: Update:
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave short DVD presentation on the recent meeting in Jamaica. The Anglican Covenant has been discussed and Sections 1 to 3 are approved but Section 4 is not yet ready. This will be considered further at the end of 2009. Several resolutions were reported on, including a new Healthcare Network, as Anglican institutions primary health care across a large part of the world, and another associated with bringing the Gospel to the unevangelised.
Church Representation Rules:
On Monday morning our own Archdeacon of Dorset, soon to be Bishop and Archdeacon of Ludlow, had the unenviable task of proposing a number of housekeeping amendments to our Parish, Diocesan, and General Synod election procedures. Amongst other minor changes, Synod agreed to allow the minimum size of Diocesan Synods to be reduced from 120 to 100 members. Synod also agreed, after some debate, to require Diocesan Secretaries to include, where voters wanted, email addresses on the lists of names and postal addresses of those entitled to vote in General Synod elections (Deanery Synod Members), and to make those available to candidates.
Clergy Terms of Service Regulations:
The first regulations putting flesh on the bones of common tenure were approved following revision by the Synod last year. The debate focussed on the need for regular ministerial review and the constructive opportunities which a development review should afford. The ethos of the regulations is that they establish minimum standards; dioceses are encouraged to go further to achieve and develop high standards of best practice for all to share. There is a concern that many clergy have not engaged with the new terms of service. If that rings a bell, visit www.commontenure.org.uk and get up to speed because the times they are a changing and as Bob Dylan said, you’d better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone.
Clergy Discipline:
We are in favour of a disciplined clergy but the dioceses of London, Manchester and Chelmsford want a review of the measure and its Code of Practice because they reckon their bishops are above the conflicts of interest which arise when a bishop does pastoral care and discipline in the same case. The Code of Practice commanded the unanimous support of the House of Bishops four years ago so what’s gone wrong? Nothing. We are seeing a major cultural change take place and it’s not surprising that the nuts and bolts of implementation are throwing up challenges which seemed much less threatening when they were merely hypothetical.
The Clergy Discipline Commission has been aware of these issues and has been working on them with the result that the debate was considerably more good natured than it might have been. We agreed that the commission should report to the Archbishops Council by next summer on whether there is a case for amending either the measure or the code or both.
There were Farewells to the Rt. Worshipful Sheila Cameron (former Dean of the Arches and Auditor), and the Rt. Revds. John Goodwin (Bishop of Chelmsford), Stephen Venner (Bishop of Dover), Anthony Russell (Bishop of Ely), Ken Stevenson (Bishop of Portsmouth), Michael Nazir-Ali (Bishop of Rochester) and George Cassidy (Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham).
The July 2009 group of sessions of Synod were brought to a close at 4.30pm.
This Group of Sessions is the last at which Alistair Magowan will be present as one of our clergy representatives. Alistair has given a considerable amount to General Synod, not only as a Salisbury Member on the floor of Synod, but also through his work on various Synod committees, including the Business Committee. We will greatly miss him as one of our colleagues.
There will be no meeting of General Synod in November, so the next group of sessions will be in February (Monday 8th to Friday 12th). The final group of sessions will be in July 2010, after which elections will be held for the new Synod (2010-1015).
This synopsis has been prepared by the Salisbury members of General Synod as a means of reporting back to the diocese. We also attend Deanery Synods to give verbal reports and to answer questions.
Papers and reports from General Synod can be found at the following address:
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/gensynod/agendas/july09 where you can also find audio files of the debates. |
