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The Reverend David Williams

Clerk to the Synod

26 July 2010

To Diocesan Secretaries

Copies to:

Diocesan Bishops

Suffragan Bishops

Diocesan Registrars

Dear Secretary

GENERAL SYNOD: JULY 2010 GROUP OF SESSIONS

The formal statement of Business Done is attached to this letter. Hard copies will be included in the post-Synod circulation and it is also available on the General Synod website, together with other Synod papers:

http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/gensynod/agendas/july2010/businessdone/businessdonejuly2010.pdf

The following additional information and explanation of some of the items of business may be helpful.

Legislative business

Women in the Episcopate

The principal item of legislative business at the July group of sessions was, of course, the Revision Stage of the draft legislation on Women in the Episcopate. That was completed, with the draft legislation being left largely unamended.

As explained in paragraph 20 onwards of GS Misc 942, the way is accordingly now open for the Archbishops to determine that the draft legislation be referred to Diocesan Synods in accordance with the requirements of Article 8 of the Synod’s Constitution. Responsibility for supervising the conduct of the Article 8 reference (including the accompanying documentation) rests with the Business Committee, which will be considering the matter at its meeting on 21 September with a view to the process being set in hand this autumn.

If a majority of Diocesan Synods approve the draft legislation, it will return to the General Synod (probably in February 2012) for Final Drafting and consideration in accordance with the requirements of Article 7 of the Constitution. The Final Approval stage, at which two-thirds majorities are required in each House, could be reached in July 2012. If approved, the legislation would then go to Parliament for consideration by the Ecclesiastical Committee and each House.

The draft Measure requires the drawing up of a code of practice. The approval of the code by the Synod can only occur after the Measure has secured the Royal Assent. But the House of Bishops has agreed that further work on a draft code should proceed now, while the draft legislation is with the dioceses; and the expectation is that the House and the Synod will have an opportunity to consider the shape of a draft code further before the draft legislation reaches the Final Approval stage.

In accordance with the decision taken at the meeting of the House of Bishops in May, work will therefore now be set in hand to prepare a revised draft code. The House has agreed that that work be undertaken initially by a group appointed by the House.

Other legislative business

As regards other legislation considered at the July group of sessions, in addition to making the usual Fees Orders the Synod considered a number of items which form part of the continuing process of putting in place the detailed legislative framework required for the introduction of ‘common tenure’ under the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) Measure (which it is hoped to bring fully into force in January 2011).

First, the Synod promulged Amending Canon No 29, which makes a number of miscellaneous changes to the Canons needed to give effect to common tenure. (The Registrar has already written to diocesan secretaries with details of the procedure to be followed in diocesan synods in consequence.)

The Synod also approved two further instruments, namely the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations and the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) Directions. The first makes essentially technical amendments and corrections to the Terms of Service Regulations already made by the Synod that set out the detailed terms of service under common tenure. Additionally, however, as a result of an amendment moved successfully by the Bishop of Willesden, the Regulations will be amended - assuming the Archbishops’ Council is content to accept the amendment - so as to add locally supported ministers to the categories of clergy whose tenure may (in certain narrowly defined circumstances) be for a fixed term or terminated on the occurrence of a specified event. The second instrument specifies the arrangements for maternity and other special forms of leave, and time off work to care for dependents, that will apply to clergy holding office under common tenure: as regards leave, the directions give the clergy the same rights as those to which employees are entitled; and in the case of caring for dependents clergy will be given the right to request time off work, or adjustments to the duties of their office.

Clergy Pensions

The Synod agreed the package of changes before it, whilst also passing an amendment that the Deployment Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee should convene a small working group to consider the effect that the proposals will have on the performance, deployment and morale of the clergy and on the wider mission of the Church. The Pensions Board meets on 14 September when it will agree the contribution rate on the scheme in the light of actuaries’ advice and Synod’s decision. At its meeting on 22 September, DRACSC will consider how best to take forward the various strands of work agreed by Synod this year, i.e. the exploration of a hybrid pensions scheme, the need to take stock of the overall clergy remuneration package and the amendment mentioned above about the impact of the agreed changes to the pensions scheme on clergy morale.

Liturgical Business

The Synod gave Final Approval to the Additional Weekday Lectionary and Amendments to Calendar, Lectionary and Collects, authorizing them for use in the Church of England. This liturgical material will be published on the Church of England web site in due course.

The Additional Weekday Lectionary is a lectionary of stand-alone readings for weekdays that are especially suitable in length and content for daily services that are attended by a different congregation of occasional worshippers each day, such as cathedral evensong.

The following Commemorations are added to the Calendar:

18 January Amy Carmichael, Founder of the Dohnavur Fellowship, spiritual writer, 1951

24 March Paul Couturier, Priest, Ecumenist, 1953

24 April The Seven Martyrs of the Melanesian Brotherhood, Solomon Islands, 2003

12 May Gregory Dix, Priest, Monk, Scholar, 1952

3 October George Bell, Bishop of Chichester, Ecumenist, Peacemaker, 1958

The Lesser Festival of William Wilberforce (30 July) is expanded to include also Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson as representative anti-slavery campaigners.

Faith and Order Commission

The establishment of a Faith and Order Commission was approved. The Faith and Order Commission of the Synod draws together the Doctrine Commission, which has been dormant in recent years, the Faith and Order Advisory Group and the House of Bishops Theological Group. The Commission will be constituted with a total of sixteen members: an episcopal chair, with five other members of the House of Bishops, and ten lay and clerical members. Appointments will be made by the Archbishops in consultation with the Appointments Committee. The episcopal members will form a reference group, which will meet separately as required.

Our Fellowship in the Gospel: Report of a Joint Study Group between the Church of England and the Church of Scotland

The recommendations contained in this report (GS 1792) are intended to enhance the relationship between the Church of England and the Church of Scotland, which are both national churches with a parochial structure. The recommendations, which were welcomed by the Synod, include increased engagement in consultations and other meetings of mutual interest and concern. The report recommends the appointment of senior representatives to spearhead the enhanced relationship between our two churches. It was announced that the Archbishops have appointed the Bishop of Chester to lead for the Church of England, and that the Church of Scotland has appointed the Very Revd Alan McDonald, a former Moderator and the new Church of Scotland representative on the General Synod.

The publication of Our Fellowship in the Gospel sees the end of the joint study group between the Church of England and the Church of Scotland, but the next phase of the work begins when the new tri-partite group including the Scottish Episcopal Church meets in the autumn.

Review of Constitutions

The Synod took note of revised proposals from the Archbishops’ Council, which include reducing the size of the bodies which are accountable to the Council. At its September meeting, the Council will finalise the changes to the constitutions of the bodies concerned, with a view to implementing them in time for the new Synodical quinquennium.

Diocesan Synod Motions

The Synod considered a number of diocesan synod motions:

Coventry DSM: Deanery Synods

The Diocese of Coventry brought forward a motion calling for the setting up of a working party to look at the possibility of giving deanery synods incorporated status and allowing them a more ‘executive role’ within the deanery – the intended purpose being to make it easier for deanery synods to hold property, employ staff etc, and thus give them greater potential for action at deanery level where a diocese is happy to devolve functions to them. However, the Synod accepted an amendment moved by the Archdeacon of Berkshire which, recognising the wide measure of discretion that each diocese already has to determine the extent of any delegation of functions to deaneries and noting the increasing range of legal vehicles available to them, invited the Archbishops’ Council, in consultation with the House of Bishops, to produce updated guidance on available options, with examples of recent practice. The Archbishops’ Council will accordingly be producing such guidance in due course.

Bath and Wells DSM: Job Sharing in Ordained Parochial Ministry

The Diocese of Bath and Wells brought forward a motion requesting the Archbishops’ Council to develop legislative proposals to facilitate the making of job sharing arrangements in the parochial deployment of ordained ministers, particularly amongst married couples where both parties are ordained. (The aim of the motion was to change the current position under which, if a married couple are appointed to the same parish, only one can be appointed as incumbent or priest in charge - the other having to be appointed as assistant curate.) The motion was carried and the Archbishops’ Council will accordingly be undertaking further analysis, initially to establish what legislative change would be required to give effect to the motion.

Ripon and Leeds DSM: Marriage Measure 2008: Qualifying Connection

Finally the Synod also carried a motion moved on behalf of the diocese of Ripon and Leeds calling on the Archbishops’ Council to introduce legislation which would enable a diocesan bishop to give directions allowing those who have a ‘qualifying connection’ with a particular parish under the Church of England Marriage Measure 2008 to marry in any Church within the benefice of which that parish forms a part. As matters stand, the 2008 Measure does not, in the view of those advising the Synod, allow someone who has a qualifying connection to take advantage of the provisions under the Pastoral Measure 1983 in that way – a situation which appears to be contrary to what the Revision Committee for the Marriage Measure intended. In the light of the Synod’s decision, amending legislation (which is likely to extend to the corresponding situation in a joint benefice and the situation where the qualifying connection is with a parish whose church is unavailable as a result of being rebuilt or repaired) will be prepared with a view to its being introduced as early as possible in the lifetime of the next Synod.

Private Member’s Motion

The Revd Richard Moy’s PMM: Fresh Expressions Resources

The Archbishops’ Council will be giving the outcome of this motion initial consideration at its September meeting. The Council will receive advice from the Mission and Public Affairs Division, who will consult the Fresh Expressions team and the Liturgical Commission.

Questions

The transcript of the Questions and Answers session held on Friday 9 July will be available on the General Synod website shortly. Diocesan Registrars and Diocesan Secretaries may be interested to see the two Synod questions relating to the General Synod elections, copies of which are attached for information.

Please let me know if you would like any further information.

Yours sincerely

DAVID WILLIAMS

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