Day 3
General Synod Bills Pass Final Stages
Eight Bills which were presented to General Synod 2025 passed their final stages and were enacted this evening (Tuesday May 13) as members met online.
Bill No 1 amended the Synod Representation Table in Chapter I of the Constitution to reflect the amalgamation of the Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry with the Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe.
Bill No 2 allowed for updated referencing in the Constitution to reflect Bills passed in 2022 and 2024 to the effect that parochial nominators and diocesan synod members should be part of the parish for which they are elected to those respective roles.
Bill No 3 allowed for cross–referencing so that the retirement age of archdeacons (which was last year was raised from 70 years to 75 years in line with the retirement age for clergy) is consistent throughout the Constitution.
Bill No 4 provided for revised governance arrangements for Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, to prepare the Cathedral for its incorporation as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Bill No 5 provided that three copies of the glebe agreement (or other similar acknowledgement) must be signed immediately prior to the institution or licensing, with one copy being retained by the incumbent, one copy lodged with the diocesan office, and one copy lodged with the Representative Church Body.
Bill No 6 corrected an anomaly whereby a small number of members of the Church of Ireland Clergy Pensions Fund who had reached the normal retirement age (NRA) before 1st January 2024, but had not yet retired by that date, had not benefitted from recent increases to pensionable stipend or to pensions in payment. The amendment to the Constitution will lead to late retirement pensions being calculated by using pensionable stipend at the date of retirement.
Bill No 7 proposed an increase in the number of members co–opted onto the
Representative Church Body, from 11 to 18 and that the Representative Church Body would be asked to make these co–options, insofar as practicable, with regard to the need to have members with appropriate skills and experience, and the desirability of having a membership with an appropriate level of age, gender and ethnic representation, and from throughout the island of Ireland.
Bill No 8 proposed merging the current two forms of declaration for registered vestry members in order to have just one form for both resident and accustomed vestry members, with an option to select which form of member the declarant is.