General Synod – February 2010 – outline agenda
on Friday, 8 January 2010 at 5.46 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, General Synod
The outline agenda for next month’s meeting of General Synod is now available online and is copied below.
Note: In the agenda DSM stands for Diocesan Synod Motion, and PMM for Private Member’s Motion. The texts of the private members’ motions are online.
GENERAL SYNOD: FEBRUARY 2010
Outline Agenda
Monday 8 February
Afternoon
[ 2-4pm: Meetings of the House of Clergy and House of Laity ]
- Prayers, introductions, progress of Measures
- Presentation under SO 97: Statement concerning the Revision Committee on the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure
- Business Committee report
- Questions
Tuesday 9 February
Morning
- Prayers
- Legislative business
- Amending Canon No 29 (Clergy Terms of Service) – Final Drafting and Final Approval
- Ecclesiastical Fees (Amendment) Measure – Final Drafting and Final Approval
- Pastoral and Mission Measure – Revision Stage
- Care of Cathedrals Measure – Revision Stage
- Codes of Practice under Section 8 of the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) Measure 2009 – Approval
Afternoon
- Presidential Address
- Clergy Pensions: Proposed scheme changes
- Clergy Pensions: Ill-health retirement
- General Synod elections: distribution of places
- Mission-shaped Church: follow-up
Wednesday 10 February
Morning
- Holy Communion
- PMM: Nigel Holmes: TV Coverage of Religious and Ethical Issues
- Standing Orders Committee report
Afternoon
- PMM: Lorna Ashworth: Anglican Church in North America
- Military Chaplaincy: Presentation
- Liturgical Business: Additional Weekday Lectionary: Report of the Revision Committee
- Chelmsford DSM: Confidence in the Bible
Thursday 11 February
Morning
- Prayers
- Address by the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, followed by contributions from the floor
- Fresh Expressions: Presentation
- Bread out of Millstones: Realising the Potential of Church Buildings: Presentation by the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division
- Ripon and Leeds DSM: Repair of Church Buildings
Afternoon
- Going for Growth: Children’s and Youth Strategy: Report from the Education Division
- PMM: The Revd Mark Bratton: Parity of Pension Provision for Surviving Civil Partners
- Legislative Business: Final Drafting and Final Approval: Pastoral and Mission Measure and Care of Cathedrals Measure
- PMM: Tom Benyon: Violent computer Games
Friday 12 February
Morning
- Prayers
- Manchester DSM: Compatibility of Science and Christian Belief
- Coventry DSM: Deanery Synods
- Farewells
- Prorogation
Probably a foolish question, but re:
“•PMM: Lorna Ashworth: Anglican Church in North America”
Is there any chance this motion could be ruled preemptively out-of-order, on the grounds that the CofE is *already* in communion w/ THE Anglican churches in North America: TEC and the AngChCanada?
Can someone who understands the intricacies of General Synod help me understand why the Fresh Expressions PMM isn’t on the agenda? It has the most signatures, and it seems as though it could help the church in its present missional work.
Here’s the link to that PMM:
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/gensynod/pmm/#fresh
Thanks.
Scott+
Given the actual wording of Lorna Ashworth’s Private Member’s Motion: ‘That this Synod express the desire that the Church of England be in communion with the Anglican Church in North America.’ I do think JCF has a very valid point. Up until now, TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada have always been known to totally represent the ethos and standing of ‘the Anglican Church in North America’. Is Ms Ashworth’s Motion suggesting that these two entities are ‘out of communion’ with the Church of England? What sort of mischief is she planning to stir up by seeming to insist… Read more »
As a Canadian “cradle” Anglican (baptised on All Saints Day at “smokey Tom’s” in Toronto), I find this all rather sad, but we’ve come to a point where I don’t feel anything other than “well OK, we’ll still continue to be Anglicans, in spite of what anyone in England or Uganda or Burundi may think or say or do”. I’ve heard stories of folks who left to join break-away ACNA parishes in Montreal, who have since left the break-aways and returned to diocesan parishes. We’ll soon see whether there really are 100,000 ACNA folks (out of an est. 352,000,000 inhabitants… Read more »
Ooops, before Dah*veed shows up to smack me again: the “Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico” is also, of course, a Church of the Anglican Communion in North America. 😉
“the CofE is *already* in communion w/ THE Anglican churches in North America: TEC and the AngChCanada?”
Don’t forget the Anglican Church of Mexico. Last I looked, Mexico was also in North America.
Thursday 11th PMM on parity of pension provision for surviving civil partners. Does this mean that parity is not thoresent position of the Church?
The present position of the Church is to comply with the requirements of the Civil Partnership Act 2004. This only requires benefits to be equalised with effect from December 2005, but not retrospectively.
I believe that a certain ‘David Virtue’ from *Vitriol-on-line* may be lurking in the corridors of the C.of E. General Synod on Wednesday 10th February, specifically to ‘listen in’ to Lorna Ashworth’s Private Members Bill. Just make sure no-one makes any unguarded remarks within his hearing. Virtue is expecially toxic in his published articles on TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada. His obvious lack of respect for the TEC Presiding Bishop, the Rt. Revd. Katherine Schori, (whom he has called ‘Mrs Schori’) is legendary. I would hate him to be encouraged by General Synod mebers to continue his pogrom… Read more »
Lorna Ashworth’s Private Member’s Motion: ‘That this Synod express the desire that the Church of England be in communion with the Anglican Church in North America.’ Even if passed, the resolution would not achieve anything except to stir things up. It is not up to General Synod to decide whether the Church of England is in communion with ACNA. That is I assume why the resolution only “expresses a desire”. Even if expressed, it would be the desire only of the current members of the General Synod. The lay members of General Synod are elected by a highly indirect process… Read more »
I share the hope and expectation of many that Ms. Ashworth’s PMM will go nowhere at the General Synod. And I also share what many have pointed out: calling yourself “The Anglican Church in North America” doesn’t make you so. (The Anglican Churches in North America are the Anglican Church of Canada, The Episcopal Church, and La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico. I don’t know if the Church in the Province of the West Indies or La Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America would want to be included — I guess it depends on how you definie “North” —… Read more »
Fr. Ron Smith asks: “Up until now, TEC and the Anglican Church of Canada have always been known to totally represent the ethos and standing of ‘the Anglican Church in North America’. Is Ms Ashworth’s Motion suggesting that these two entities are ‘out of communion’ with the Church of England?” That will, of course, be the next step. Once the C of E is in Communion with ACNA, then any old pretext will be seized upon to break Communion with the US church. Look for that to happen soon. I suppose the same voices here will still be saying “Oh,… Read more »
I don’t know whether any others are finding their comments mysteriously disappearing as they submit them on this site. If so, we need to report this to the web-masters – as I am doing now! continuing: “Fellow members of TEC, do we really want to continue to waste our time, our church’s resources, and our own spiritual health trying to remain in relationship with the Church of England and the Anglican Communion? What’s the point?” – Charlotte, on Saturday – I’m sad, Charlotte, that you continue to advise your fellow TEC membership that they ought to cut and run from… Read more »
Should the private member’s ACNA resolution be adopted, the irony is that it is their African sponsors who are likely to be the big losers. Although the leadership of ACNA may have high regard for their African brothers and the “Communion”, I do not believe this regard is shared in the pews. The Africans were only relevant until the goals of ACNA faithful were secured, its theological agenda and a secure relationship with the CofE. Hence, Schofield’s guarantee to San Joaquin that, in joining Southern Cone, its relationship to Canterbury was secure. The “Communion” is not the issue. The issue… Read more »
Nice to see mission back on the agenda after it was left off last time. I doubt the headline writers will pay it much attention though.
“Nice to see mission back on the agenda after it was left off last time. I doubt the headline writers will pay it much attention though.” – David Keen, on Sunday – It all depends on what you mean by ‘Mission’, David. If you believe, as many in ACNA, FOCA and the Global South do, that Mission excludes anything that would free people from homophobia and misogyny, then you are right. Except that, to refer to Mission as anything other than the Church helping to proclaim the liberation of Christ in the Gospel, you are seriously wrong. “The Truth shall… Read more »
On the Fresh Expressions PMM – it would seem likely that the presentation on Thursday Morning will cover the collection and dissemination of resources as requested in the motion.
On the ACNA PMM – there is a way of reading this as a completely inoffensive statement – I desire to be in communion with all who profess and call themselves Christians. The need to express the desire comes from being/feeling out of communion in the first place. There is nothing in the motion which suggests how the expressed desire might be made real, nor any analysis of the reasons why communion is broken or impaired and who might need to do what to bridge the gap. On the other hand, it could be read as a repudiation of TEC… Read more »
“I’m sure they’d find it very exciting to be bedfellows with Jack Iker and John-David Schofield.” But Quincy, Fort Worth, and San Joaquin are very much in the minority in ACNA, which is still overall a predominantly “low church” schism – the “high church” schismatics having already cleared out in the 70s over the ordination of women to form the previous ACNA mentioned above (which later hived off into the various Continuum jurisdictions extant today). Remember that the oldest and most stable founding jurisdiction of ACNA is the Reformed Episcopal Church, and the greatest numerical strength comes from the happy-clappy… Read more »
While I suspect (as a conservative) that the motion does embody a desire to be out of communion with TEC, I would point out to the latter’s defenders that the Presiding Bishop has been consistent in articulating that “the schismatics” have ceased to be Anglicans (as well as Episcopalians) by virtue of their actions, just as was the case with the Continuing Churches in the 1970s. A significant number of active members of the Church of England (those who’ve joined the Fellowship of Christian Anglicans and others) clearly do not agree and wish to articulate their perception through the democratic… Read more »
This thinking Anglican is concerned that once again clergy pensions are being messed with – I feel the biblical mandate not to muzzle the ox is being treated disgracefully. There is very little serving clergy on their stipend can do, except appeal to synod members not to degrade pensions further, as the current mood seems to be, leading to futher deterioration of morale. Or they could change things totally, and abandon the idea of stipend being to support clergy both working and into retirement, either pay a proper wage, or allow clergy to have other employment as well!
Not only are many Christians concerned by the limited amount of religious programming on TV but also by a recent decline in quality (with the departure of Michael Wakelin).Whilst celebrities have a place, more material should be covered by people with a knowledge in this field.That would happen in sport or science. Too often programmmes are superficial or focus on extreme views rather than mainstream. Christianity should be presented as a credible faith for thinking people in touch with today’s world.
“I feel the biblical mandate not to muzzle the ox is being treated disgracefully”
No argument from me on that one: all clergy deserve recognition for the work they do – including pay and pension. Exactly who should be ordained is another matter – but no cleric should be put in an invidious position if they’re serving Christ faithfully.
E