Day 2
Standing Committee Report Looks to Future of the Church
The wide ranging work of the Standing Committee of General Synod was presented this morning (Saturday May 10) to members meeting in Naas.
The report contains updates on the Church of Ireland Census, Bishops’ Appeal World Aid and Development, the Board for Ministry with Children and Families, resources produced by the Church and Society Commission, the Consultative Group on Disability, the Armagh Agreement Reference Group and the relationship with the Moravian Church, the Priorities Fund, and the working groups of clergy tenure, the future of curacies and third level chaplaincy.
Proposing the report, Archdeacon Jim Cheshire highlighted the committee’s work which focuses on looking to the future of the Church. He said that one of the big ticket items discussed by Standing Committee over the past year was the state of the Constitution. The committee agreed that the Constitution required editorial revision and agreed that a revised edition would be brought before the General Synod of 2026 with Lyndon MacCann SC acting as editor. He reassured members that this exercise would not result in changes to the actual content of the Constitution.
During the year, Dr Kenneth Milne retired as editor of the Journal of the General Synod after 30 years’ service. Archdeacon Cheshire noted that Standing Committee and General Synod owed a debt of gratitude to Dr Milne whose deputy editor, the Very Revd Gregory Dunstan has agreed to step into the role.
The Church wide Census was another topic of discussion at Standing Committee during the past year. The committee has agreed that as the Census now takes place in a simple online format using retrospective figures, it will be an annual event. Archdeacon Cheshire thanked Jonathan Hull for his work on collecting the data and compiling the figures. He also thanked every person who returned the figures from each parish which resulted in a response rate of over 99%.
He said that the Census provided a snapshot of the Church as it currently is but would also help us to become more strategic in working towards church growth and the provision of effective ministry. Both Pioneer Ministry and the Commission on Ministry have been focusing on ministry in the future, he said, while Standing Committee had also put a strong emphasis on equipping the Church for the future.
He noted that the Future of Curacies Working Group had made recommendations to Standing Committee including the establishment of a Curacy Fund financed by the Stipends and Allocations Committees, and the fostering of a culture of continual learning to make sure both a training rector and a curate assistant knew what was expected of them.
The Third Level Chaplaincy Review Group had also wound up its work with its final recommendation being that central church funding for third level chaplaincy should be provided through the Allocations Committee and that any additional funding sourced externally by the RB should also be managed by Allocations. He paid tribute to Mike Johnston who chaired both committees.
Archdeacon Cheshire said in looking to the future of the Church that it was important that it was a welcoming place for all. To that end Standing Committee undertook to seek fresh expressions of interest for the Consultative Group on Disability. A new group has been appointed, chaired by the Revd Natasha Quinn–Thomas. Their plans include surveys on how best to accommodate differently abled people at parochial level, a recommendation for parishes to appoint disability representatives and looking at ways to make the Church of Ireland website more accessible to those with additional needs.
He concluded by noting the quiet revival of interest in church led mainly by young people. “As we consider the future of the church, I conclude by noting that we would be remiss if we did not pay attention to what the Lord has been doing through a move of the Holy Spirit in the present, in what has been called the quiet revival taking place across the UK and which has already found its way to these shores, led in large part by a younger generation that is seeking truth and meaning and hope and life, and they are finding it in Christ. Preparing for the future will also require us to recognise and faithfully respond to what God is doing in the present, something that our census next year may begin to track. Regardless, this quiet revival is something that we should all take to heart and prayerfully long to see in our own time, for our own parishes and for our own Church,” he stated.
Seconding the report, Helen Arnopp noted that the various sub–groups of Standing Committee had be busy with various projects. She recalled that the General Synod of 2023 had asked the Church and Society Commission to explore and if necessary recommend or draft resources which enable parishes to engage pastorally with and care for individuals and communities that are still deeply affected by trauma from the Troubles. Their work has resulted in the creation of a liturgical response, the production of an informational booklet for Church leaders entitled ‘Healing and Hope – Addressing the Trauma of the Troubles’, and a proposal to introduce training on trauma informed care as part of the pastoral care element of the Continuing Ministerial Education programme. She said that as part of their work CASC engaged with South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) who had brought a number of memorial quilts to General Synod.
Ms Arnopp highlighted the work of the Working Group to Review Clergy Tenure which has undertaken a series of consultations with other denominations to explore how other Churches deal with issues of clergy tenure and discipline. It has also consulted internally to see where gaps might lie in current disciplinary procedures and the model of tenure laid out in the Constitution. The group will now focus on what changes it can bring to General Synod for consideration.
She updated members on the newly established Response to Humanitarian Crises Working Group which set up at the request of Synod last year to identify a mechanism by which the church community could publicly speak to gross humanitarian situations in a timely and Christian manner. The group, chaired by Canon Gillian Wharton, presented its report to Standing Committee in November and concluded that the only body that can speak on behalf of the Church of Ireland is the General Synod and that while bishops, archbishops and committees may issue statements, they do not speak on behalf of the Church. Ms Arnopp said the group noted that bishops should be encouraged to have robust and timely responses to crises as they arose and that theologians should be encouraged to make written responses where it is felt Scripture was being abused. The group also acknowledged the power of Christian churches speaking together and encouraged Christian churches to work with the Irish Council of Churches and the Irish Inter Church Meeting in issuing statements.
Debate on the Report
Speaking to the report the Revd Elaine Murray (Cork, Cloyne and Ross) said that in the midst of a global humanitarian crisis, the church doesn’t have a word to say. She appealed to Synod to find a way to send words of comfort to the people of Gaza and find a way of applying pressure to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
Dr Lucy Michael recalled that last year’s General Synod asked the church to find a way of responding to humanitarian crises. She said this was a serious thing to ask and thanked the Standing Committee for the work done while the outcome may not have been what some had anticipated. She said that time spent in prayer for Gaza was not wasted. She thanked the Archbishop of Armagh and the Archbishop of Dublin for their words about Gaza over the last year and asked members of Synod to join her in praying for the bishops in responding to this crisis.
The Revd Mark Lennox asked synod members to focus on growth.
The Revd Jane Burns (Dublin) spoke about CASC’s work with victims of the Troubles. As a member of the CASC subgroup who worked on this she commended the leaflet ‘Healing and Hope’ which will help signpost people to support organisations. The LAC has produced a service and she thanked the Revd Dr William Olhausen for his willingness to introduce training in this area for continuing ministerial training. She said none of the work would have been possible without the generosity of a number of individuals north and south of the border who shared their stories. She said her research explored people who had experienced trauma in Cork in the 1920s. “The stories we heard in South Fermanagh will stay with me for ever,” she stated. She said that as an all island church this work was for all of its members and hoped that it would benefit the victims of the Troubles.
Archdeacon Boyd (Connor) thanked CASC for the work that has been carried out on the Troubles. He asked members of Synod not forget the thousands of individuals and said it was important that their church was now sitting up and listening to their story. Thousands of innocent victims will be remembered up and down the land today. He asked synod members to visit the resource area and talk to the members of SEF and look at each patch on the quilts and wonder at the stories of thousands of individuals remembered. “May those stories never be forgotten and may the legacy of what happened and the trauma that it brought and continues to bring every single day not be changed to suit the political narrative of the perpetrators who did most of the trouble,” he stated.
Neville Armstrong (Clogher) observed that it was easy to forget about the pain and suffering of the victims of the troubles. This pain sweeps like a midst over communities and it stays, he said. The pain shows how important it is that the Church of Ireland addresses that pain and suffering felt by so many. “Our actions through the CASC working group marks the start of the journey. We hope to report back to synod on this in the future,” he said.
The Revd Adrian Dorian (Down) recalled a service for SEF in Down Cathedral and said the process was profound and impacted his approach. “Over the course of the service I had my eyes opened in ways that I didn’t expect,” he said. There is a remarkable personal and social history in SEF’s quilt display, he said.
Bishop David McClay (Down and Dromore) talked about the Church of Ireland census and suggested that as we assess this figures year on year, that any growth will rest with the 40,000 people who are already in our churches. He asked people to pray three simple words every day – “Come Holy Spirit”.
Richard Codd (Cashel, Ferns and Ossory) said that there had been a lot to reflect on in the work of SEF. He recalled a visit to Lisnaskea where he met Kenny Donaldson and then visited areas in the vicinity where so many had lost their lives to all paramilitaries. “We in the South do well to try to understand the sufferings and to remember the families of the victims,” he said. He urged people to visit SEF and learn what they do to help the families of victims.
He then turned to online material and said that children as young as eight or nine can access material that can have a detrimental effect on their lives. He asked CASC to look at this issue and urged the Church help deal with this serious issue.
The Revd Aaron McAlister (Connor) said that disability was not just the thing that people see but it is sometimes is hidden. He said it encompassed a great many people in parishes. In the last 10 years great steps had been made in access but more is to be done and the consultative group needs to work alongside parishes and be included in things they are doing to move towards accessibility, he said. He asked people with accessibility needs to approach the group for help.
George Woodman (Connor) said he was glad to see the reference to surveying hidden disability. He suggested the committee could focus on a number of areas that posed difficulties to people with visual impairment. Turning to the Armagh Agreement he said he would have liked to attend the service as the Moravian Church was an interest of his.
Bishop Andrew Forster (Derry and Raphoe) spoke about the future of curacies and thanked the RCB for responding to a request from Standing Committee for funding. He said healthy ministry was forged in the healthy environment of curacy. He said they wanted to ensure that every curacy was the best it can be. Funding was in place and the next step was exploring how that training is informed. He said the group was meeting training rectors. “This is the work of this body at its best – we have seen an issue and responded to the issue,” he stated.
Eric Driver (Cashel, Ferns and Ossory) spoke about the future and vision for General Synod. He said that the members of Synod needed to have time and vision. He encouraged members as they come together for a three day synod next year to stop, to review, to talk amongst each other, to hear each other and create a vision of the church going forward. He said they must think of the church of tomorrow. He encouraged the honorary secretaries to allow members next year to break into groups to discuss our concerns, think about our future and do something about it.
Archdeacon Robert Miller (Derry) commended the Priorities Fund and thanked them for the investment they have put into his Passion Play in his parish. He encouraged parishes to apply to the Priorities Fund and explained that their faith in projects was a lever to additional funding coming in and make a difference to the wider community.
The Revd Clive Atkinson (Down) spoke about the Talking About Drugs programme in Willowfield which is attended by families of a loved one struggling with addiction. Funding from the Priorities Fund has enabled the Monday night drop ins and the community is supported and people have joined the church as a result, he stated.
John Key (Raphoe) highlighted the fact that the cost of General Synod 2024 crossed the €50,000 for the first time. He asked if this reflected cost increases and pointed out that a three day Synod was be more expensive.
The Revd Mark Lennox (Dromore) asked that the work of the Third Level Chaplaincy Group be extended to other chaplaincy areas which face funding pressures.
The Revd Jonny Campbell Smyth (Down and Dromore) also spoke about chaplaincy and highlighted the huge pressures faced in hospital chaplaincy.
Joanne Martin (Connor) thank the bishops, clergy and the press office for speaking out at the time of trouble against people of migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds. She appreciated the rapid response of the church on this and added that it was reassuring to the members of the church who come from ethnic minority backgrounds. She encouraged members of synod to be a church that welcomes those from different nationalities and backgrounds because we are the ones that benefit from it.
Geoffrey McMaster (Glendalough) spoke about Bishops’ Appeal which he said was an important component in the Church of Ireland’s international outreach. It provides a prompt response to crises. He asked if Bishops’ Appeal was getting the support it deserved from members. He looked at the report which he said signalled reasons for concern. He said donations to Bishops’ Appeal were reducing year on year – around 60% since 2022. Since 2006 Bishops’ Appeal has distributed over €11 million. Bishops’ Appeal could do nothing unless the people in the pew provide financial support and if the decline in contributions continues there will be nothing to distribute, he pointed out.
Iris Suitor of Bishops’ Appeal supported every word Geoffrey McMaster said and urged dioceses to fill Bishops’ Appeal vacancies. She asked for prayer for Bishops’ Appeal and thanked Peter Cheney for the PR support for their campaigns.
Bishop Feran Glenfield (Kilmore) said that Bishops’ Appeal was an honest broker and said that people trust Bishops’ Appeal because they don’t have the networks to go directly to the partner agencies. He said that many parishes in Northern Ireland go directly to the partner agencies. He said Bishops’ Appeal had become smaller, leaner and smarter in dealing with the issues before them. He highlighted seeds of hope which included significant legacies from unknown people living quiet lives. He said in partnership with CIYD and Fields of Life Bishops’ Appeal held Pancakes and Prayer during Lent and through it, 1,500 children will be fed for a year in South Sudan.
Bishop Sarah Groves brought greetings of the Moravian Church. She pointed to the celebration service to celebrate the Armagh Agreement between the Church of Ireland and the Province of the Moravian Church. Since then there had been a podcast with Bishop Harold Miller and a history of the Armagh agreement was being drawn up. There had been a clergy morning in Connor diocese with Moravian Church and Church of Ireland to bring it to a practical level. She said this would have to be an annual event to build relationships. She thanked the Bishop of Connor for his willingness to share. There had also been a visit to the Church of Ireland Theological Institute with explorations of training there. She said it was slow and gentle work and she expressed gratitude to her co–chair Bishop Michael Burrows.
The Revd Rebecca Guildea (Clogher) spoke about children’s and families’ ministry. She encouraged people to support children’s ministry and commended the work and resources of the Board of the Children’s and Families Ministry. She said it was essential work as children are the church and Rachael Murphy will help people get started.