General Synod Report February 2015 Group of Sessions Truro Diocesan Synod 2 nd May 2015 Perran Gay,...

1General Synod Report February2015

General Synod Report

February 2015 Group of SessionsTruro Diocesan Synod 2nd May 2015

Perran Gay, Proctor in Convocation

2/5/2015

General Synod Report February2015

2

Introduction• Very unusual Synod – central day set aside for

Reform and Renewal programme• This report

o Deals briefly with the other matters before Synodo Focusses on the elements of Reform and Renewal

• See Church of England website for more detailso Documentso Written transcript o Audio record

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General Business• Address by the Archbishop of the Chaldean

Diocese of Erbil, Iraq • Report on Immersion Experience in India

o A pilot to explore how Christian Aid might support the learning of those taking senior leadership roles within the Church of England

• Mission and Growth in Rural Multi-Parish Benefices• General Synod Elections - Seat Allocation

o Arrangements between Dioceseso New provisions for Universities

• Draft Amending Canon No.35o Allowing parish priest or Rural Dean to authorise lay persons to

distribute communiono Prelude to admitting children to this ministry

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General Business• Report of the Standing Orders Committee

o More time for the lawyerso Autonomy of Archbishops’ Councilo Non Synod Members to answer questions

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General Business• Draft Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure

o More detailed work in a rapidly changing areao Input from Survivors Groups important

• Draft Naming of Dioceses Measure o Sought permission to name diocese either by see city or geographical area, and for name of

bishop to be different from name of diocese

o A fascinating debate on mission and ecclesiology

o Failed to pass in the House of Clergy

• Private Members Motion o asking for legislation to amend Canon B 38 so as to allow those who have taken their own life,

whatever the circumstances, to be buried in accordance with the rites of the Church of England.

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General Business• Christian Initiation: additional texts in accessible language • No further changes made in Revision debate (+Truro)• To House of Bishops for approval• Final Approval in July

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Reform and Renewal• A series of six reports including those from four

linked task groups• What follows is a summary of each one of them –

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What is it about?

What did Synod

decide?

What happens

next?


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Developing

Discipleship

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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Senior Leaders

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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Senior Leaders

2/5/2015


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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Financing the

Programme

Senior Leaders

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The ReportsResourcin

g Ministeri

alEducation

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Financing the Programme

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Reform and Renewal • Introduction by Archbishops

o Background – ecclesiology and declineo ‘Renewing and reforming aspects of our institutional life is a necessary

but far from sufficient response to the challenges facing the Church of England.’

• The general direction of travelo Continuing the change of culture with its emphasis on missiono Focussing and prioritising energyo Resourcing those prioritieso Clearing obstacles away from this work

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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future


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Developing

Discipleship

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Developing Discipleship

• Taking note of this report, the Synod commended the ‘Ten Marks for Developing Discipleship’ for dioceses to study and adopt and pass down to deaneries and parishes

• The Synod also invited the House of Bishops to prepare a Revised Catechism and identify and commission other resources o A light catechism - a digest of Christian teaching?o Or a full revision of the current Catechism? (a liturgical process so lots

of Synodical time and energy)

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The Ten Marks1. A lifelong journey of discipleship and growth in

Christian maturity is supported and modelled by all.

2. The importance of discipleship in daily life is affirmed.

3. Gatherings for worship celebrate the discipleship of all the baptized.

4. Disciples are equipped to help others to become followers of Jesus.

5. Diocesan work on vocations is based on the principle that all the baptized are called into God’s service.

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The Ten Marks6. Good practice in facilitating learning and

formation is developed. 7. Gifts of leadership are recognised and developed

among all the baptised. 8. Innovation and experiment are encouraged in

mission, ministry and discipleship. 9. Specific diocesan policies and plans promote

discipleship development.10.Diocesan resources are committed to the

development of the whole people of God.

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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Financing the

Programme

Senior Leaders

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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

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Resourcing Ministerial Education

• The Vision• Every minister equipped to offer collaborative

leadership in mission and to be adaptable in a rapidly changing context

• A cohort of candidates for ministry who are younger, more diverse and with a wider range of gifts to serve God’s mission

• An increase of at least 50% in ordinations on 2013 figures sustained annually from 2020

• The rapid development of lay ministries • A continued commitment to an ordained and lay

ministry which serves the whole Church both geographically and in terms of church tradition.

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oHow?

• More vocations work – being proactive

• Greater powers to dioceses to make decisions about forms of training

• New funding for lay ministry candidates

• Measures to improve quality in selection and education

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o Some proposals• A Personal Learning Plan for all candidates more

flexible than Bishops’ Regulations• Priority national funding for gifted individuals for

strategic roles:- teaching and research, missional leaders, poorer parishes

• September ordinations to add to training period available

• Candidates over 50 will be selected locally by the Bishop and the cost of their training will fall to the Diocese

• National selection and funding for younger candidates for lay ministry

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oWhat next?

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Consult

Dioceses and Traine

rs

Abps Coun

cil Decid

es

Synod ScrutinisesFeb

2016

Budget

July 2016

ImplementSeptember 2017


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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Financing the

Programme

Senior Leaders

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Resourcing the

Future

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Resourcing the Future• Objective:

• ‘Removing the current formula systems which provide mechanical, ineffective subsidy and replacing them with investment focussed on fulfilling dioceses’ strategic plans for growth, with a strong bias towards the poor.’

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Resourcing the Future• How?

• Over a ten year transition period from the present system to the new system

• All money available for Dioceses should be invested for mission and growth

• Half for the support of development of mission in the poorest communities, using objective measures of need and in conversation with dioceses

• Half for pro-active investment in growth to be applied for by dioceses on a matched funding basis, with a bias in the distribution to the poorest

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Resourcing the Future• What next?

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Consult Diocese

s

Abps Council decides

Synod Scrutinises Feb

2016

ImplementJan

2017


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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Financing the

Programme

Senior Leaders

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Senior Leaders

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Developing and Nurturing Senior

Leaders• Background

o From a long period of reflection on the complexity of senior ordained leadership

o Recent inactivity and lack of transparency within the preferment listo Lack of process for proper development for posts of wider responsibility

• Proposalso Leadership development through exposure to ‘the voice without’ – disciplines

from the business world and elsewhere

o A mini-MBA for Deans

o A mandatory modular programme for bishops based on the Archbishops’ Council 3 quinquennial goals – Contributing to the Common Good, Leading the Church for Growth, Re-shaping Ministry, together with an underlying theme of Building Healthy Organisations

o The creation of a talent pool and an alumni network for exceptional individuals to enable proper preparation for wider responsibility

o Cost – about £2m from 2014 – 2016, then £785,000 a year from 2017

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Developing and Nurturing Senior

Leaders• What next?• Already underway – implementation plan agreed

by House of Bishops• Recognized that further reporting back to Synod

is required – and discussion of another report from FOAC on Senior Church Leadership which displays some similarities with the Green Report but also some striking differences.

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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Financing the

Programme

Senior Leaders

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Simplifi-cation

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Simplification• The longest and most complicated of the reports!

• Why simplification?

• Legislation based on building in safeguards for all possible eventualities – so enormous complexity.

• Not trying to remove important checks and balances, but believes that Church has been overcautious in e.g. pastoral reorganisation, and new mission initiatives

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Simplification• Recommendations address three levels of concern

• Immediate major hindrances to mission

• Weighty and worthy bureaucracy and procedure

• Redundant paperwork

• Largely focussed on Clergy Terms of Service, and Mission and Pastoral Measure

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Simplification• 19 recommendations including

o More fixed term appointments under Common Tenureo SSM Statements of particularso Pastoral scheme consultationo Team and group ministries – finding other ways to work togethero Closed churcheso Bishop’s Mission Orderso Clergy compensation for loss of office through pastoral organisationo Patronage lapsing to Bishop, not Archbishop

• What next?o Consultation nowo Common Tenure changes possibly this Julyo Mission and Pastoral Measure changes during lifetime of next Synod

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Simplification• Linked with this report but not one of the ‘big six’

and not debated by Synod:• OPTIMISING THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL

CHURCH INSTITUTIONS (GS Misc 1094)• Includes a new enabling measure that would

simplify the process for amending existing church legislation by order rather than measure

• Suggests a reduction in the length of General Synod sessions, and more national working through conference calls to save expensive travel

• May be introduced to the new Synod in November

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Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Financing the

Programme

Senior Leaders

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Financing the

Programme

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• Church Commissioners’ Funds and Inter-generational Equity

• Special extra funding needed for the whole Reform and Renewal programme

• Church Commissioners could legitimately provide it without endangering their other responsibilitieso – unlike the ‘bad’ over-distribution of funds which led to difficulties in the

early 1990s

• Synod supported this proposal• Specific requests for funding to be made to the

Archbishops’ Council in the light of the emerging conclusions on the various elements of the reform programme

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Developing

Discipleship

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48

Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

2/5/2015


49

Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

2/5/2015


50

Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Senior Leaders

2/5/2015


51

Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Senior Leaders

2/5/2015


52

Resourcing

Ministerial

Education

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Financing the

Programme

Senior Leaders

2/5/2015


53

Reform and RenewalResourcin

g Ministeria

lEducation

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Financing the

Programme

Senior Leaders

2/5/2015


54

Reform and RenewalResourcin

g Ministeria

lEducation

Developing

Discipleship

Resourcing the

Future

Simplifi-cation

Financing the

Programme

Senior Leaders

2/5/2015

A necessary response to the challenges facing the Church of England

+ Justin Cantuar:+ Sentamu Ebor:

General Synod Report February 2015 Group of Sessions Truro Diocesan Synod 2 nd May 2015 Perran Gay,...

Documents

Transcript of General Synod Report February 2015 Group of Sessions Truro Diocesan Synod 2 nd May 2015 Perran Gay,...