Update – northern deans now listed
My list of those elected to the 2015-2020 General Synod is now almost complete. The only gaps are the two Northern Deans and the lay member from the Deanery of Jersey. The clergy member from the Channel Islands will be Tim Barker, the Dean designate of Guernsey. But I understand that he will not be able to take up his place until he is commissioned on 28 November, which is after the inaugural group of sessions.
There are two vacancies from the Religious Communities because not enough people were nominated to fill all four places. By-elections will be held in due course.
My thanks go to all those who responded to my appeal to send me results.
9 CommentsThe votes in the elections to the Church of England General Synod will be counted during this coming week. I will publish the names of the successful candidates here: General Synod List of members.
Please help me do this by sending election results to gs2015@peterowen.org.uk. I will only publish the names of successful candidates, so I do not need the details of the count (although you are welcome to send these to me as well).
New this time is the requirement for dioceses to post the full return of the result and the result sheet (with voting figures) on the diocesan website. They must remain there until the end of the first group of sessions of the new Synod, ie 4.30 pm on 25 November 2015. Results for other constituencies must be similarly posted on the Church of England website. However there does not appear to be any particular date by which these results must be posted. But when they do appear I will add links to this page: Synod election 2015.
There are official lists of successful candidates here.
45 CommentsThe timetable for the November meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England is now available for download, and is copied below.
GENERAL SYNOD NOVEMBER 2015 TIMETABLE
Monday 23 November
Induction of new and returning members
Tuesday 24 November
am Inauguration of the Synod
2.45 pm – 7.15 pm
2.45 pm Prayers, welcomes
Presidential Address: Archbishop of Canterbury
Business Committee Report
Introduction to Synod Worship by the Chaplain to the General Synod
Reform and Renewal Presentation followed by a Question and Answer session
*5.40 pm Questions
Wednesday 25 November
9.30 am – 1pm
9.30 am Morning Worship
Loyal Address
Presentation by the Archbishop of York on Global Warming
Debate on a motion moved by a member of the House of Bishops on the Migrant Crisis
Legislative Business
*11.30 am Ecclesiastical Judges, Legal Officers and Others (Fees) Order
Presentation from the Mission and Public Affairs Council on research on “Public Perceptions of Jesus”
2.30 pm – 4.30 pm
2.30 pm Debate on a Report from Church Buildings Review Group
*4.00 pm Farewell
4.30 pm Prorogation
4.45 pm (or 15 minutes after the prorogation if business is completed earlier):
Meeting of the House of Laity
*=not later than
0 CommentsUpdated Friday
All the lists of candidates for General Synod for the diocesan constituencies, and their election addresses, are now available. There are links to all of them on my website.
Ian Paul has taken a look at the gender balance (or lack of it) of the candidates: Synod, representation and gender.
Update
Tim Wyatt and Hattie Williams have also been looking at this for Church Times: Male candidates outnumber female in Synod elections.
9 CommentsThe nomination period for this year’s elections to General Synod has closed. Dioceses are now required to post candidates’ election addresses on their websites before sending out voting papers. Some of these have already appeared, and the remainder should be available by the end of the week. I am compiling a list of links to all the addresses, which you can find here. I will update this during the coming week. So far as I am aware there is no similar requirement for the special constituencies.
I am also compiling a list of the members of the new synod here. Apart from ex officio members a few people have already been elected unopposed.
Additions and corrections to either list can be emailed to me here.
35 CommentsThe 2010-2015 General Synod was dissolved on Monday 13 July 2015 immediately after it finished its July group of sessions in York. The election of a new Synod will take place over the summer and early autumn.
There is official information on the elections on this webpage including these papers.
The second of these includes this draft timetable for the diocesan elections.
1 Notification to electors of the election timetable to be followed in the diocese and issue of nomination papers – Not later than Tuesday 21st July
2 Notification of the validity of any nomination – As soon as any nomination is received
3 Closing date for nominations – Friday 4th September
4 Issue of voting papers – Friday 18th September
5 Closing date for return of voting papers – Friday 9th October
6 Day of the count – Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th, Wednesday 14th, or Thursday 15th October.
7 Names and addresses of those elected and result sheet to be sent to the diocesan bishop, the Clerk to the Synod, every candidate and to the Election Scrutineer. – Not later than the fourth working day after the date of the declaration of the result.
However dioceses have some discretion, so candidates and electors should check carefully what the dates are in their own diocese, particularly the closing dates for nominations and the return of voting papers.
The numbers of clergy (“proctors”) and laity to be elected by each diocese are contained in appendices A and B of GS 1975.
Changes to the rules since 2010 mean that dioceses must now publish all election addresses on the diocesan website before issuing the voting papers. After the election the the full return of the result and the result sheet (with voting figures) must also be posted on the website until the end of the first group of sessions of the new General Synod (ie 25 November 2015).
6 CommentsThree questions were asked about the workings of the Crown Nominations Commission, two of which were answered by the Archbishop of York. The Archbishop of Canterbury answered only this one (copied from the booklet):
Mr John Ward (London) to ask the Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission:
Q44. In the light of the answer the Archbishop of Canterbury gave to question 15 at the February group of sessions, and in particular his statement that when candidates are being considered for a particular See their teaching on a range of issues, including (by implication) human sexuality, is among the many considerations that may properly be taken into account when considering their relative merits for that appointment, can it be confirmed whether any guidance to that effect has been provided to the CNC and, if it has, will that guidance be published?
The Archbishop of Canterbury to reply as Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission:
A The current version of the guidance material provided to CNC members is something which accurately reflects what I said to the Synod in February. Like previous versions of the guidance it has been shared with the Crown Nominations Commission and Bishops who are making appointments to suffragan sees. I shall want to consult the House of Bishops on whether it should be made more widely available.
Two supplementary questions were put, and the following has been transcribed from the audio recording.
Mr John Ward:
I think what the chairman is saying is, that simply saying that the church’s teaching on human sexuality is wrong, is enough to prevent you from being appointed as a bishop. Given this is rather shocking doctrinal discrimination, and given that bishops who won’t ordain women cannot always be a focus for unity for everyone, but are very properly given a special place in the church, will you give a special place in the church for a bishop who thinks that the Church’s teaching on homosexuality is double speak?
Archbishop of Canterbury:
I don’t accept your presupposition.
Mrs April Alexander:
If the effective requirement to be heterosexual is not in the person spec., what is the mechanism by which it can fairly emerge later in the process?
Archbishop of Canterbury:
I’m sorry, could you… I don’t understand the question.
[Question repeated with addition of three words “for the post” after “spec.”]
Yes Mrs Alexander, I heard the words, I don’t understand the question.
The following day, during another debate, the Archbishop of Canterbury said this (also transcribed from the audio recording, and not fully included in the version of his intervention published on his website):
36 Comments…Let me just say, given a couple of the questions that came up last night, which I handled badly, for which I apologise to the questioners and also to the synod, that we are committed to nurturing the vocation across the whole of God’s people, regardless of sexuality, and regardless of lay or ordained…
As I reported here and here, General Synod’s business over the weekend included several items regarding safeguarding.
In Safeguarding, the C of E and deposition from orders Frank Cranmer of Law & Religion UK summarises the contents of the new legislative package, and looks at what deposition (“defrocking”) actually means.
1 CommentThis question on the possible restoration of the canonical penalty of deposition from Holy Orders was asked at General Synod on Friday evening.
The Revd Neil Patterson (Hereford) to ask the Chair of the House of Bishops:
Q74. Following the concerns expressed by MACSAS and others about clergy convicted of serious offences continuing to maintain their clerical style and dress, will the House of Bishops consider bringing forward proposals to restore the canonical penalty of deposition from Holy Orders, in order that the Church may more clearly repudiate from its ministry those who have seriously betrayed the trust placed in them?
The Bishop of Durham to reply on behalf of the Chair:
A There are two issues here. Firstly, with regard to the wearing of clerical dress- including clerical collars- taking power to prevent prohibited clergy from wearing clerical dress would be problematic, not least since it would be unenforceable in practice. With regard to exercising ministry, prohibition for life already exists as the most severe penalty under the Clergy Discipline Measure and may be invoked in the case of serious safeguarding offences. When the draft Clergy Discipline Measure was being considered in 2000 the Synod decided not to include deposition in the range of penalties available under the Measure.
I intend to invite the House of Bishops to reconsider whether that decision was wise but amending the CDM to allow deposition would require a Measure, so change would take some considerable time.
The question was not reached in the available time, so no supplementary questions were possible, although as with all questions now the answer was published in advance.
Press reports include:
Steve Doughty Daily Mail Church of England brings back powers to defrock vicars guilty of sex abuse and other crimes
John Bingham The Telegraph Church of England could return to defrocking rogue priests after child abuse scandals
The first report appears to confuse “The House of Bishops will be asked to think about doing it” with “It will be done”.
0 CommentsOrder paper 5 lists the day’s business.
Official summary of the day’s business
morning
afternoon
Sound recordings
morning
afternoon
In the morning Synod debated climate change and passed this motion:
That this Synod, believing that God’s creation is holy, that we are called to protect the earth now and for the future, and that climate change disproportionately affects the world’s poorest, and welcoming the convergence of ecumenical partners and faith communities in demanding that the nations of the world urgently seek to limit the global rise in average temperatures to a maximum of 2 ̊C, as agreed by the United Nations in Cancun:
(a) urge all governments at the COP 21 meeting in Paris to agree long term pathways to a low carbon future, supported by meaningful short to medium term national emissions pledges from all major carbon emitting nations;
(b) endorse the World Bank’s call for the ending of fossil fuel subsidies and the redirection of those resources into renewable energy options
(c) encourage the redirection of resources into other lower carbon energy options;
(d) request the Environment Working Group to develop Shrinking the Footprint to enable the whole Church to address the issue of climate change, and to develop and promote new ‘ecotheological resources’, as proposed by the Anglican Communion Environmental Network in February 2015;
(e) request the Ministry Division to hear the call of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network bishops for programmes of ministerial formation and in-servicetraining to include components on eco-justice and ecotheology; and
(f) encourage parishes and dioceses to draw attention to the initiative supported by members of the Faith and Climate network encouraging Christians to pray and fast for climate justice on the first day of each month.
The Bishop of Salisbury opened the debate with this speech.
The Archbishop of Canterbury made this contribution to the debate.
Bishop of Sheffield’s speech
There is also this official press release: Urgent action needed on climate change urges Synod.
In the afternoon, Synod debated climate change and investment policy and passed this motion:
That this Synod, accepting that the threat posed by climate change to the environment and human wellbeing requires urgent action to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, and recognising that achieving this effectively without creating damaging and unintended economic consequences requires political subtlety, flexibility and a focus on achievable change:
(a) affirm the policy on climate change and fossil fuel investment developed following the Southwark DSM passed by the Synod in February 2014, recommended by the EIAG, and adopted by the National Investing Bodies (‘the NIBs’);
(b) welcome the disinvestment by the NIBs from companies focused on the extraction of oil sands and thermal coal;
(c) urge the NIBs to engage robustly with companies and policy makers on the need to act to support the transition to a low carbon economy and, where necessary, to use the threat of disinvestment from companies as a key lever for change;
(d) urge the NIBs to encourage the work of those energy companies committed to carbon pricing and investing in research into cleaner fuels, natural gas and carbon capture and storage;
(e) urge the NIBs proactively to seek and scale up investment in renewable energy and other low carbon energy sectors and to track low carbon indices;
(f) request the EIAG and the NIBs to publish their ‘engagement framework’ by June 2016; and
(g) request the EIAG and the NIBs to report to the Synod within three years with an assessment of the impact of the policy adopted, including the efficacy of engagement and the progress made on portfolio decarbonisation.
The Bishop of Manchester opened the debate with this speech.
There is also this official press release: General Synod welcomes climate change policy.
Press reports and comments
Madeleine Davies, Gavin Drake and Tim Wyatt Church Times Synod urges investors to act on climate change
Steve Doughty Daily Mail Going green is holy, say Church of England bishops: General Synod calls for vicars to have training in ‘eco-theology’
Andrew Brown The Guardian Church of England governing body approves divestment policy
David Pocklington Law & Religion UK General Synod: Carbon capture, fracking and fasting
36 CommentsOn Sunday morning Synod members joined the regular congregation for the Eucharist in York Minster. The Archbishop of Canterbury preached this sermon.
Order paper 4 lists Sunday’s business.
Official summary of the day’s business
sound recordings
afternoon
Bishop of Chelmsford – CMEAC presentation
evening
Press release on the presentation by the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns: Church should reflect reality of multi-cultural society [copied below the fold]
I too am CofE – video included in the presentation
Press preview
John Bingham The Telegraph Nine-year-olds allowed to administer Holy Communion under Church shake-up
[As well as looking forward to the final approval debate on Sunday, this article also looks back to the preliminary debate held on Friday.]
Press report
Andrew Brown The Guardian Church of England failing to promote minority ethnic clergy, says bishop
1 CommentOrder Paper 2 contains the business for Saturday morning and afternoon.
Official press release on the safeguarding business: Synod gives final approval for Safeguarding legislation – copied below the fold
Official summaries of the day’s business:
morning
afternoon and evening
Archbishop of Canterbury’s speech in the debate on senior church leadership: Archbishop speaks at Synod on senior church leadership
Sound recordings
morning
farewell to Michael Perham
afternoon
evening
Press reports
John Bingham The Telegraph Sex abuse priests could return to church without checks, warns Archbishop of York
2 CommentsOrder Paper 1 contains the day’s business.
Synod papers can be downloaded from here.
There is a live video stream here (when Synod is in session).
The Most Revd Dr Antje Jackelén (the Archbishop of Uppsala) (Church of Sweden) gave this address to Synod: Tal till Engelska kyrkans kyrkomöte i York 10 juli 2015 (på engelska)
Official summary of the day’s business General Synod: Friday PM
Sound recordings
item 2 [Archbishop of Uppsala’s address]
item 3 [Archbishop of York’s Presidential Address]
items 4-6 [remainder of afternoon session]
questions
Press report
John Bingham The Telegraph Church’s £360,000 budget for retreats to talk about sex
0 CommentsThe booklet containing the Questions and Answers to be dealt with in this evening’s session is now available on line.
You will need this file open if you are listening to the proceedings as the answers, never mind the questions, will not be read out loud.
6 CommentsThere is a Private Member’s Motion from the Reverend Canon Simon Killwick which will be debated on Saturday afternoon. The motion is:
‘That this Synod do take note of the report of the Faith and Order Commission Senior Leadership: a resource for reflection.’
Two synod papers are available:
Fr. Killwick’s paper contains a very useful summary of the FAOC report as well as a history of the debate which caused it to be commissioned, and he also reports that:
…when it appeared, the Standing Committee of the House of Bishops decided that it should not be presented to Synod, according [to] the Bishop of Coventry (it was thrown ‘somewhere away beyond the boundary’). I am grateful to all those who signed my Private Member’s Motion, meaning that it has not taken too long [to] find this ‘rather interesting cricket ball’ again…
There are also several Questions which will be asked and answered on Friday on topics relating to the Senior Leadership activities emanating from the Green report, and we will publish this information as soon as it has been placed on the official CofE website (synod members all have electronic copies already).
1 CommentI wrote here about the Lambeth Declaration on Climate Change, and the Pope’s encyclical letter Laudato Si’.
David Pocklington of Law & Religion UK has now written an analysis of the approaches to climate change taken by the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church: Climate change, the Archbishop and the Pope.
General Synod will be holding two debates on some of these issues on the last day of next month’s group of sessions (Monday 13 July). The two motions are copied below the fold. The day will start with private group work on the environment. These are the papers issued to members:
Group Work Bible Study Material on Environment
GS 2003 – Combatting Climate Change: The Paris Summit and the Mission of the Church [item 25]
GS 2004 – Climate Change and Investment Policy [item 26]
GS Misc 1113 – Birmingham Diocesan Synod Motion on Fossil Fuel Disinvestment
GS Misc 1114 – Oxford Diocesan Synod Motion on Fossil Fuel Disinvestment
[These last diocesan synod motions are not being debated, but the papers are provided as background information.]
Updated to include second circulation papers
Papers in the first circulation for next month’s meeting of General Synod on 10-13 July are now online here in agenda order. Here is a list in numerical order, with a note of the day scheduled for their consideration.
I have also included the papers that I expect to see in the second circulation, due in a week’s time. I will add links to these papers when they become available.
zip file of all first circulation papers
zip file of second circulation papers
zip file of all papers
[Note: The zip files do not contain the Church Commissioners’ Annual Report and the Archbishops’ Council’s Annual Report.]
GS 1928A and GS 1928C – Diocesan Synod Motion: Nature and Structure of the Church of England [Sunday]
GS 1952B – Draft Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure [Saturday]
GS 1953B – Draft Amending Canon No.34 [Saturday]
GS 1952-3Z – Report by the Steering Committee [Saturday]
GS 1953C – Petition for Her Majesty’s Royal Assent and Licence [Saturday]
GS 1958B – Christian Initiation: Additional Text for Holy Baptism in Accessible Language [Sunday]
GS 1958X – Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1964D – Amending Canon No.35 [Friday]
GS 1969A – Draft Diocesan Stipends Funds (Amendment) Measure [Saturday]
GS 1986A – The Church: Towards a Common Vision [Saturday]
[The Church: Towards a Common Vision is online here.]
GS 1987 – Agenda
GS 1988 – Report by the Business Committee [Friday]
GS 1989 – Appointments to the Archbishops’ Council [Friday]
GS 1990 – Appointment of the Secretary General [Friday]
GS 1991 – Report of the Standing Orders Committee [Friday]
GS 1992 – Administration of Holy Communion Regulations [Friday]
GS 1992X – Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1993 – Draft Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 [Saturday]
GS 1993X – Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1994 – Draft Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Directions 2015 [Saturday]
GS 1994X – Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1995 – Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015 [Saturday]
GS 1995X – Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1996 – Draft Ecclesiastical Property Order 2015 [Saturday]
GS 1996X – Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1997 – Legal Officers (Annual Fees) Order 2015 [Saturday]
GS 1997X – Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1998 – Single Transferable Vote (Amendment) Regulations 2015 [Saturday]
GS 1998X – Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1999A and GS 1999B – Private Members’ Motion: Senior Leadership [Saturday]
GS 2000 – Consolidated Texts of the Standing Order [Friday]
GS 2001 – Archbishops’ Council’s Annual Report [Saturday]
GS 2002 – The Archbishops’ Council Budget and Proposals for Apportionment for 2016 [Monday]
GS 2003 – Combatting Climate Change: The Paris Summit and the Mission of the Church [Monday]
GS 2004 – Climate Change and Investment Policy [Monday]
Other papers
Church Commissioners Annual Report and Accounts 2014 [Saturday]
GS Misc 1104 – Liturgical Commission End of Quinquennium Report
GS Misc 1105 – Evangelism Task Group Update
GS Misc 1106 – Report of the Clergy Discipline Commission
GS Misc 1107 – EIAG Annual Report
GS Misc 1108 – CMEAC presention
GS Misc 1109 – National Society: Development of Teaching and Educational Leadership Partnerships [item 24]
GS Misc 1110 – Ethical Investment Advisory Group and the National Investing Bodies [item 6]
GS Misc 1111 – Summary of Decisions Done (2010 – 2015)
GS Misc 1112 – Audit Committee Annual Report
GS Misc 1113 – Birmingham Diocesan Synod Motion on Fossil Fuel Disinvestment
GS Misc 1114 – Oxford Diocesan Synod Motion on Fossil Fuel Disinvestment
GS Misc 1115 – Update on Activities of the Archbishops’ Council
GS Misc 1116 – Reform and Renewal update
GS Misc 1117 – Changing the Culture report from the BC
GS Misc 1118 – Joint Covenant and Monitoring Group
GS Misc 1119 – Membership of Boards, Councils and Committees
GS Misc 1120 – Summary of Decisions from the House of Bishops
GS Misc 1121 – Appointment of the Synod Chaplain
Updated
The final agenda and the papers for next month’s four day meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England are published today, along with this press release summarising the agenda. I will publish a list of online papers later today.
Agenda for July 2015 group of sessions of the General Synod
19 June 2015
The General Synod of the Church of England meets in York in July for a five [sic] day meeting from 3.00 pm on Friday 10th July until 6.00 pm on Monday 13th July. This will be the final meeting of the current Synod before the elections for the new General Synod which will take place over the summer and early autumn.
The Agenda for the July meeting is published today. As this Synodical term draws to a close, there will be a substantial amount of legislative business which will need to be concluded before the current Synod is dissolved. There will be a series of items of Environmental Business focusing on the forthcoming Paris Summit and the investment policies of the Church Commissioners and other church investment bodies. There will also be a number of opportunities, both in formal business and fringe meetings for Synod members to engage further with the reform and renewal programme, which was debated at length during the Synod in July and is currently the subject of widespread consultation around the church.
On the afternoon of Friday 10 July, there will be a Presidential Address by the Archbishop of York. There will also be a presentation followed by a Question and Answer session from the Ethical Investment Advisory Group and the National Investment Bodies.
On Saturday 11 July there will be a sequence of legislative business, including the Final Approval of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure and the associated Amending Canon No.34, which will strengthen the Church’s legal framework in relation to safeguarding and make its disciplinary processes more effective where safeguarding issues arise. Changes will include making it easier to suspend clergy, or bring complaints against them, where abuse is alleged, enabling bishops to compel clergy to undergo risk assessments and imposing a duty on clergy, churchwardens and PCCs to have due regard to the House of Bishops’ safeguarding policies.
In addition to the items of legislative business already mentioned, the Synod will be considering new Faculty Jurisdiction Rules, an order giving PCCs greater freedom to dispose of property without the need for diocesan consent an amendment to the Clergy Terms of Service Regulations arising out of one of the recommendations of the Simplification Task Group, new regulations to allow the administration of Holy Communion by children.
On the Saturday afternoon, the Synod will be debating a Private Member’s Motion on Senior Leadership arising out of the recent Faith and Order Commission publication on this topic. The Synod will also be responding formally to a report by the World Council of Churches entitled The Church: Towards a Common Vision.
On Sunday 12 July the Synod will be debating the proposed Additional Texts for Holy Baptism in Accessible Language. There will be a debate on a Diocesan Synod Motion from the former Diocese of Wakefield (now part of the new Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales) on the Nature and Structure of the Church of England. This will be followed by a presentation from the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) on progress made over the last four years in encouraging MEA participation in the work and ministry of the Church.
The final day of Synod in this Synodical period will be devoted to two motions on environmental issues. The first looks ahead to the Paris Summit and the Church’s response to it. The second concerns the new investment policy unveiled by the Ethical Investment Advisory Group.
Synod will conclude this current term with a service of Holy Communion. The new Synod will reconvene for its inaugural meeting after the elections on 24 November.
The full agenda can be viewed online here.
Update
Madeleine Davies of Church Times was at today’s press briefing: Environment is top of General Synod agenda in York.
0 CommentsThe Archbishops’ Council has announced that William Nye has been selected to be its next Secretary-General and Secretary General of the General Synod of the Church of England
CofE Announces new Secretary General
10 June 2015
The Archbishops’ Council are delighted to announce William Nye has been selected to be its next Secretary-General and Secretary General of the General Synod of the Church of England. He will succeed William Fittall who is retiring at the end of November after thirteen years in this post.
William Nye was selected unanimously by a panel comprising both Archbishops, seven other members of the Council (including two officers of the General Synod) and the Chair of the Appointments Committee. The recommendation of the panel was unanimously endorsed by a meeting of the full Council in May 2015.
William Nye brings 25 years of experience from the Civil Service and Whitehall. His roles and departments have included National Security at the Cabinet Office, Diplomacy, Intelligence and Defence at HM Treasury and Arts at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
For the last four years he has worked as the Principal Private Secretary to Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall where he has led on matters of significant public sensitivity and organisational effectiveness.
Mr. Nye, 49, is a long serving and active member of the Church of England where he has served as a PCC member for nearly 20 years and a Churchwarden for around 10 years. He has also served as a Deanery Synod representative.
The selection process for the new Secretary General was both extensive and thorough. A wide selection of candidates from inside and outside the Church was sought and a field of around 30 candidates was attracted. The Council was supported in its search by a leading recruitment agency.
The Shortlist comprised 5 applicants drawn from public, private and third sectors. There were many strong applications, in the end the panel selected the candidate who was best able to fulfil the broad scope of the role and would be best able to serve in the priority areas.
In his interviews William Nye demonstrated great commitment to the vision of a Church which will support future generations. He brought great insight and demonstrated great sensitivity to the needs of the dioceses. He impressed the panel with his understanding of the challenges that the church faces and the depth of thinking as to how those challenges can be met and opportunities exploited. William pointed out that after 25 years of public service he wishes now to help the Church to thrive on behalf of the whole of our country.
William Nye is due to start work at Church House at the beginning of November in preparation for taking up his new responsibilities on 1 December. Under Standing Order 123 of the Synod’s Standing Orders, the person appointed by the Archbishops’ Council as its Secretary General is also, subject to the approval of the Synod, Secretary General of the Synod. In accordance with the Standing Order that approval will be deemed to be given unless, by midnight on Wednesday 24 June 40 or more members have given notice to the Clerk of the Synod in accordance with Standing Order 12 that they wish the appointment to be debated by the Synod.
William Nye – Biographical details
Mr Nye was born in 1966 and educated at Christ’s Hospital, Horsham. He has a BA in Economics from Cambridge University and an MA in Economics from Yale University, in the United States.
He joined the Civil Service after university, starting in the Treasury. His subsequent senior appointments include:
1998-2000: Head of Arts policy at the Department of Culture Media and Sport
2001-2002: Head of Defence, Diplomacy and Intelligence at the Treasury
2002-2005: Director of Performance and Finance at the Home Office
2005-2007: Director of Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence at the Home Office
2007-2008: Director, Law, Security and International at the Home Office
2008-2011: Director in the National Security Secretariat at the Cabinet Office
2011-2015: Principal Private Secretary to The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall
The outline timetable for the July 2015 sessions of the General Synod of the Church of England is now available to download as a pdf file, and is copied below. The full agenda and other papers will be available on Friday 19 June.
GENERAL SYNOD: JULY 2015
Timetable
Friday 10 July
[1.15 pm – 2.30 pm Convocation meetings to discuss the Revised Guidelines for the Professional Conduct of the Clergy]
3.00 pm – 6.15 pm
Opening worship
Formal business
Response on behalf of ecumenical guests by the Archbishop of Uppsala
Presidential Address by the Archbishop of York
Business Committee Report
4.25 pm Approval of appointments
Amendments to the Standing Orders regarding General Synod Question time
Legislative Business
Enactment of Amending Canon No. 35
Administration of Holy Communion Regulations: Preliminary consideration
Presentation followed by Q&A from the Ethical Investment Advisory Group and the National Investment Bodies
8.30 pm – 10.00 pm
Questions
Saturday 11 July
9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Legislative Business
Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure and Amending Canon No. 34 – final Drafting/Final Approval
Diocesan Stipends Funds (Amendment) Measure – Revision Stage and Final Drafting/Final Approval
Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations
Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Directions (deemed)
Faculty Jurisdiction Rules
Ecclesiastical Property (Exceptions from Requirement for Consent to dealings) Order
Ecclesiastical Judges etc (Fees) Order
Legal Officers (Annual Fees) Order (deemed)
STV (Amendment) Regulations
Pre-consolidation amendments to Standing Orders
2.30 pm – 6.15 pm
Farewell
Private Member’s Motion: Senior Leadership
Legislative Business
[Business not reached or completed in the morning]
[Pre-consolidation amendments to Standing Orders if not reached in the morning]
Debate on a Motion on a Report by the World Council of Churches: ‘The Church: Towards a Common Vision’
8.30 pm – 9.45 pm
EITHER
Meetings of the Convocations for the purposes of the Article 7 reference relating to the Administration of Holy Communion Regulations and/or the Baptism Texts [if required]
OR
Church Commissioners’ Annual Report
Archbishops’ Council Annual Report
Sunday 12 July
2.30 pm – 6.20 pm
Liturgical Business
Additional texts for Holy Baptism – Final Approval
Legislative Business – Any remaining legislative business followed by:
Standing Orders: Adoption of Consolidated Text
Administration of Holy Communion Regulations: Final Approval (following Article 7 referral to HoB and the Convocations / House of Laity if required)
Diocesan Synod Motion: Nature and Structure of the Church of England: National Debate
Presentation on follow-up to GS 1844 – Unfinished Business by the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC)
Introduction to Group Work and Bible Study on the Environment
8.30 pm – 10.00 pm
Financial Business
Archbishops’ Council’s Budget 2016
Presentation on National Society Development of Teaching and Educational Leadership Partnerships
Monday 13 July
9.30 am – 11.00 am
Worship (in small groups)
Group Work and Bible Study on the subject of the Environment
11.30 – 1.00 pm
Debate on a Motion on the Paris Summit from the Mission and Public Affairs Council
2.30 pm – 5.45 pm
Debate on a Motion on Climate Change and Investment Policy from the National Investing Bodies
Farewells
BREAK
4.45 pm End of Synod Communion in Central Hall
5.45 pm Prorogation