The Church Of Ireland
Press Release

GS/2000 - 10 May 2000

More than 600 delegates representing Church of Ireland dioceses and parishes in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will be at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast next week for the first meeting of the General Synod in the new millennium.

The three-day event from Monday (15th) to Wednesday (17th) will be chaired by the Archbishop Robin Eames, Primate of All Ireland.

Following the Archbishop’s opening address the Synod will consider 19 reports covering a range of topics and issues.

The Representative Body and the Pensions Board reports give an annual account of central church stewardship of resources including important statistical information and new regulations adopted by the Representative Body relating to part-time deployment in stipendiary ministry. This follows the change to the canons authorised by the General Synod last year.

"Living with difference" is a prominent theme in the Standing Committee report which urges people to "recognise and respond creatively to change, particularly to change which is perceived to be threatening." In tackling the issue of sectarianism the report acknowledges that this is "a major feature of life throughout Ireland" and proposes a number of pilot projects to help promote greater understanding. The report also recognises the needs of asylum seekers and ethnic minority communities.

A radical revamp of synodical structures which, if agreed, could lead to a 50% reduction in the number of delegates, is signalled by the Standing Committee following a working group review.

The size and representation on the General Synod could be the subject of a Bill to be put before the Synod in 2001. If the proposals go ahead each diocese would be represented by 20% of it’s clergy numbers, the ratio of 2 lay members for every clerical representative would remain and elections to General Synod would be by Proportional Representation. The advantages of such a new structure outlined by the review group include greater delegate participation and the option of holding future Synods in a variety of venues and places.

The G8 summit of the world’s leading economic powers at Okinawa in Japan on 23 July 2000 prompts renewed appeals for the cancellation of debts faced by poorer countries.

The Standing Committee report says: "The terms imposed on many poor countries by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank must be removed if the world’s poorest people are to live with dignity and hope." The report also suggests that there is more long term benefit in working with local partners on sustainable projects than in high profile fund-raising media campaigns.

Last year a special appeal launched by the Bishops of the Church of Ireland raised £200,000 to help refugees in Kosovo.

The Church of Ireland is online with various web sites covering topics such as education, social services, youth activities and liturgy. The core site attracted 21,500 visitors last year from countries such as Bosnia, Jordan and Iceland as well as the USA and Canada.

The Central Communications Board reports, "The speed of change is dramatic and this new and exciting Internet medium is both a tremendous challenge and opportunity for the Church to have an active presence in the new marketplace."

In a report on ministry it is stressed that "demographic change is at a level perhaps unprecedented since the time of the Great Famine." Moreover mushrooming public and private housing estates and changing lifestyles have made a strong impact upon established patterns of parish life. Regular worshippers, says the report, are perhaps best understood as those who appear once a month or more.

Concern is expressed about young people who suffer "much stress, guilt and anxiety." The need is to engender in them a realistic sense of self-worth.

In a medical ethics working group report the issue of surrogacy is described as a particularly difficult one for Christians. "It raises profound questions about the nature of parenting and the meaning of the family." The report concludes: "Surrogacy runs the risk of so many emotional, physical and psychological problems causing damage and hurt. We consider the running of that risk unacceptable and therefore surrogacy to be unacceptable."

Political development issues are highlighted with an appeal for compromise on both sides to make politics work in Northern Ireland.

There is concern for refugees. "Ireland", says the report, "is becoming a multi-cultural society. Immigration, especially from central and eastern Europe and from Africa, shows every sign of increasing and it is imperative that state policy in the matter should be humane. Parishes can play a valuable part in welcoming the stranger in our midst."

Contemporary language will be a mark of the new Book of Common Prayer due to be published in 2004. The editor is Canon Brian Mayne and the liturgical advisory report says "the proposed book will be a unifying factor in the life of the Church, as well as bringing enrichment and renewal to it’s primary task of worship."

A new church hymnal is to be published by the Oxford University Press on 2 September 2000 with 719 hymns in total.

The Hymnal Revision Committee has endeavoured to create balance between the retention of much loved favourites and the introduction of some of the new and vibrant hymns which have been written in the last forty years. The greater part of Irish Church Praise has been included and over half remain from the current 4th edition.

The launch of the new hymnal will be in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin on 5 September 2000 with Pam Rhodes, the BBC "Songs of Praise" presenter, taking part in the service.

The Church of Ireland Marriage Council is to host a major conference in November dealing with marriage, co-habitation and divorce. There are also plans to set up a web site covering all aspects of marriage and family life.

The Church of Ireland Adoption Society is the only protestant based voluntary adoption agency operating in Northern Ireland. In 1999 a total of 125 enquiries about adoption were received including some through the dedicated web page.

The Board of Social Responsibility report covering the Republic of Ireland voices concern at the proliferation of Tribunals of Inquiry relating to many aspects of society. "Lack of morality in High Places has been exposed. Tax evasion, planning irregularities, child abuse and past neglect of care and responsibility by institutions in a place of trust have been brought to light." The report also highlights the problems of drug abuse and drug related crime in "practically every corner of the land."

The Committee for Christian Unity expresses regret over the failure so far to establish an inclusive ecumenical body for Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Board of Education report says there is "considerable concern at the manner in which pre-school education has developed." It says advisory groups are neither appointed by the Education and Library Boards nor totally accountable to them. This has resulted in "the extension of the sectarian divide in education into a sector which heretofore had been comparatively free from such division."

In a reference to the Department of Education’s consultative document, "Learning for Tomorrow’s World", the report expresses concern at the over-use of market economy language, for example pupils being referred to as "customers."

"Associated Sixth Form" projects involving Church of England and Roman Catholic schools in Harrogate win special praise. They have been in operation for some 25 years.

Christian Education and Children’s Ministry will be the theme of a conference in September to be held at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle. Special guest speakers will be Professor Linda Vogel from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois and Susan Graham-Walker, Christian Education Department of the Diocese of Toronto. The conference will include workshops on inter-church work with children and parents, children after divorce and contact centres for parents.

General Synod Programme Outline

Monday (15th)

Opening address by Archbishop Eames

Reports including:

Sectarian Issues
Synodical Structures
World Debt
Communications

Tuesday (16th)

Reports including:

Role of Ministry
Medical Ethics
Political Developments
Mission
Liturgy and Language

Wednesday (17th)

Reports including:

Education Issues
Targeting Social Need
New Hymnal
Marriage
Child Care
Standards of Morality
Christian Unity

 

For further information see the General Synod website at
http://synod.ireland.anglican.org