General Synod Report July 2013

General Synod Report July 2013

This session of Synod appeared in two distinct parts between the subject of Women in the Episcopate and all other business. This report tries to reflect views from Portsmouth members on the former and by topic one response to other items, as always further details are available from the Church of England website or by contacting any of us. Sue Rodgers

Archbishop Justin gave his first presidential address calling us to recognise that both the cultural and political ground was changing. There were profound challenges of social need areas of work which many of our Churches & Communities are already involved with.

Progress on meeting challenges for the Quinquennium. This was a ‘Take note’ Report, in other words, no decisions to be made, but one to keep Synod informed about national initiatives designed to serve the common good, transform ministry and make disciples. It was introduced by Bishop Stephen Croft, who has been responsible for encouraging and coordinating Fresh Expressions, and began with a slide show. Work to serve the common good (now that we hear very little about Big Society) focused on work done in schools and via Chaplaincies, mentioned Food Banks, and the IF campaign. Transforming ministry talked about the successful efforts to attract young Ordinand’s and to improve and broaden training for authorized Lay ministry. Making disciples focused on renewal of prayer and teaching the faith. It is estimated that 10% of the church population now exists within a Fresh Expression form of church. Debbie Sutton

Safeguarding Sunday evening's session was given over to a debate responding to the Chichester Commissaries' reports. This was a very honest and sober debate, introduced by Paul Butler, Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, the national lead on safeguarding, who started by reading out a statement prepared by survivors of abuse, represented by the Stop Church Child Abuse Group some of whom were in the public gallery. Bishop Butler gave an unequivocal apology and admission that we had failed victims both in the 70s and 80s and in the way in more recent years that we have dealt with reports of incidents of historic abuse. The debate continued with a very moving series of contributions from members of Synod describing personal experiences of abuse and of its effects on families and church congregations, and the need simply to do better in future. Synod voted unanimously a virtually unheard of event at Synod to endorse the Archbishops' unreserved apology to victims of abuse for the failings of the Church over many years, and for our failure to listen properly to the victims of abuse. Very appropriately, the session then led straight on into our evening worship, which included very powerful prayers of repentance and intercession. Gavin Collins

Faculty Jurisdiction After lunch on Sunday is not the most exciting Synod spot, but surprisingly the chamber was more than half full for a debate on the new faculty jurisdiction rules. The new rules aim to simplify some of the processes involved in faculty applications, and should come into effect during 2014.A Synod fringe meeting later that day showed a trail of the new online faculty application form, which should help parishes by making the process clearer.This is being trialled in the autumn and rolled our nationally during 2014. By our Guest reporter: Dean David Brindley

Dioceses Commission scheme for West Yorkshire and the Dales Synod was asked to give formal approval to the Dioceses' Commission's draft scheme to merge the 3 existing dioceses of Bradford, Ripon and Leeds and Wakefield to create a new single Diocese of Leeds (which confusingly, but diplomatically, the Scheme says "may also be known as the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales"). Prior to Synod, the draft Scheme had been considered by each of the 3 Diocesan Synods concerned, and had been overwhelmingly supported by Bradford and Ripon and Leeds, but just as overwhelmingly rejected by Wakefield.

The debate was introduced by Professor Michael Clarke, Chair of the Commission, who said that the changes were proposed with the aim of providing coherent mission and ministry for West Yorkshire and the Dales: "Mission is at the heart of our proposals and the motivation for it". The plans were not financially driven, though they would release more resources for the mission task, they were also rooted in prayer. A very lively debate followed, led initially on both sides by the Bishops of Wakefield (strongly against) and of Bradford (equally strongly in favour). The Archbishop of York then led a series of very positive contributions in favour of the proposals. A contribution from our own Dean questioned the lack of theological underpinning to the proposal's intention that the new Diocese would have 3 cathedrals. The scheme was overwhelmingly passed. Gavin Collins

Financial Business Andrew Britton began his Report and Budget presentation in reflective mode, it being his last one. Looking back, he said that his main aim was to have established a 5 year plan, which he felt pleased to have achieved. He showed graphs of the Votes over the last 5 years, highlighting that Vote 2 had gone down, thanks to the efficiency savings made by the national church offices. Support for Ordinand’s remained static but there had been an unexpected rise in pensions to clergy working for missionary societies.

Welfare Reform and the Church On a very hot Sunday evening members debated the topical and important subject of welfare reform. Introducing the debate, Philip Fletcher, Chair of the Mission and Public Affairs Committee reminded us of the brave new dawn of political thinking in 2010 and the vision of the “Big Society” he linked this debate to that concept. He commented on the universal disappointment that the vision behind the “Big Society” seems to have faded away and said that the Church was still very much in that debate working with the poor and seeing at first hand some of the unfortunate outcomes of the welfare reforms now taking place. A good debate some speakers spoke with real passion and conviction of how they had experienced either at first hand the consequences of the reforms or how they had seen the impact of the reforms on parishioners. I was struck by how few members from the southern province stood to speak. This was not a party political debate but a genuine attempt to demonstrate how the consequences of legislation can impact upon the poorest of our society and what the church should be and is doing to remedy this impact. Lucy Docherty

Report from the Church Commissioners, by Andreas Whittam-Smith There was £250m made last year, after all pension commitments were met too. The target to make inflation plus 5% was met. The investment possibilities are very weak at this time, and yet work is being put in to the investments work, be they in companies, land or property. The distributions are being carefully made, such as looking at the underpinning of church growth, and in supporting inner city church projects. There is an ingoing bid as part of a consortium to run RBS branches, which would look to running a good bank as well as a good investment. Clive Leach

Tuesday morning brought a Report from the Elections Review Group on their proposals to reform the election process for the House of Laity. Their proposals included changing the election process whereby members of Deanery Synods elect members of diocesan and General Synod to an idea for an Electoral College for which electors would be elected at annual parochial meetings. A further idea of universal suffrage was ruled out as being too technically difficult to sustain. A number of points were heard in a shortened debate which had to be adjourned due to lack of time and will be brought back “in due course”. One of the casualties of cutting the debate short was that some sensible proposals about introducing nominations by email in 2015 and online voting by 2020 were also derailed. It was frustrating not to be able to complete the debate and hopefully more consultation will happen with the dioceses and lay chairs before the next one happens. Lucy Docherty

Women in the Episcopate

This item quite rightly and understandably took a significant amount of our time in York. We met on Saturday in groups of 20 especially set to encompass the range of views on the subject each had an outside facilitator who was there to guide us through a series of open & honest discussions. I was I agree sceptical at the start but they proved very helpful to almost everyone taking part. We have asked that these facilitated groups are also used in future. Sue Rodgers

As a new member on Synod, I was both impressed and frustrated by Monday's debate on women and the episcopate. Impressed by the clear conviction from all sides of the house that this issue needs to be resolved, with the way opened for women bishops as soon as possible and with an increasing desire to rely on trust, rather than law, to safeguard the place of those for whom the development would not be welcome - though there is clearly still a continuing fear as to whether the final 2/3 majority can be secured to enable us to move forward. And I was frustrated that I spent most of the debate bouncing to my feet in the hope of being called to speak, but to no avail. - However, this issue still has a frustratingly long way to go, so there should be plenty of opportunity for me to make my maiden speech on it over the next few sessions of Synod. Gavin Collins.

View from the Side-lines:

It was a strange Synod for me - as due to a combination of a tooth infection and side effects of the antibiotics- I spent it at home. However, I was able to keep in touch via a live online video link and the odd texts to colleagues who were there. This meant I watched the debate on women in the episcopate 'cold' - without having shared in the facilitation process of the Saturday or any of the on-going conversations at the meal tables or in the Bar. The impression I had was that there was a change of 'mood'. As the debate unfurled although there were familiar faces and voices they were more from those seeking to find a way forward than form those making major theological or position statements on the issue. The Bishop of Willesden, Pete Broadbent, seemed to gain strong support for his proposal that we need to approach the process in a different way - usingan enlargedSteering Committee to come to a consensus on the final proposal. This seemed to reflect the debate itself where the overwhelming sense was of a clear desire to resolve the issue, but still a problem in finding enough of a common ground. Although it may have been frustrating to have 'votes by houses' on various amendments the results did show that there is still a significant minority of the House of Laity who are not able to fully support the draft proposals as they stood. This figure was well over 1/3 and at times approached 50%. But the final vote showed the overwhelming desire to move forward and work together to find the common ground. This is the challenge that faces the Steering Committee and the Synod as a whole. It will be important to ensure that the way forward carries not just a majority, but a majority of 2/3 in every house, so that as we move to final approval we do so with confidence. The change of mood that seems to have resulted from the facilitation process will have a significant part to play in taking this forward. Bob White

My most significant moment came during my small group. There seems to be a feeling that we are utterly divided over legal or trust. We really don’t need to be. Using building work as an example, somebody pointed out that few people read the contract they sign for building. They trust that it will have been prepared carefully by those whose job it is to do so. And they trust that the builder will do a good job. It is only when things go wrong that we turn to the contract, and it is at that point all parties are glad to have a clear framework within which to sort out what has gone wrong. We should be able to find a way forward that does not hold Trust to ransom. Other than that, it still feels difficult to make the voice of the majority heard amidst the very vocal pressure groups. Debbie Sutton

Women in the Episcopate This time around we tried a new approach and spent the whole of Saturday in small facilitated working groups, aiming to try and really get to grips with other people’s views that conflicted with our own. Out of sight of the media it was possible to hear stories and talk to each other in a way that is not possible during the formal debates. I found the experience very helpful in seeing what the challenges really are for us going forward and I think the debate following this on Monday did display new and better behaviours and a greater tolerance of the other point of view. We are still a long way off achieving the amended Option One of the Bishops proposals that was finally agreed during the debate but we have made a start and agreed a timetable and a process and now it will be a hard slog to get there by 2015. Please pray for everyone involved.

Lucy Docherty

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