Day 1
General Synod Gets Underway Today
General Synod Gets Underway Today
The Church of Ireland General Synod begins its 2023 meeting today (Friday May 12) in Clayton White’s Hotel, Wexford. Synod will continue in person tomorrow, Saturday May 13, and then members will meet in an online evening session on Tuesday May 16. This will be the first meeting of the General Synod to be held in Wexford.
Each day of General Synod begins with a short act of worship and a Service of Holy Communion is held on the first day before its business commences. This year’s service takes place in St Iberius’ Church, North Main Street, on Friday May 12 at 9.30am. The preacher is Bishop Adrian Wilkinson, who leads the Diocese of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory.
St Iberius’ Church is named after St Ibar who was one of the earliest Christian missionaries to the south–east of Ireland, founding a monastery north of Wexford in the fifth century. The current church building is unusual because of its north–south axis due to the narrowness of the original site between the main street and the sea.
To find out more about visiting the town and county, please check out www.visitwexford.ie
General Synod will begin at 11.00am in the hotel with the start of business followed by the Presidential Address by the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Revd John McDowell.
The provisional timetable is available at www.ireland.anglican.org/synod/2023/timetable and is subject to approval by the members of General Synod.
This will be the third meeting of the 52nd General Synod.
Bills
Nine Bills have been presented for consideration by the members of General Synod:
1. To change the forms of declaration for registered vestry members so that the address does not need to be entered three times onto the one form.
2. To remove the necessity of affixing to the principal door of a church notice of the revision of general vestry members or notice of the Easter vestry – the parish’s annual general meeting.
3. To remove the rule that allows for any member of the Church of Ireland to be elected to General Synod as a representative for any diocese.
4. To amend the General Synod declaration form to provide a space for the provision of an email address.
5. To amend the Constitution to reflect the change in name of the Board of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin.
6. To provide an opportunity for occasional interchangeability of ministry with the Methodist Church in Ireland.
7. To rearrange the contents of Chapter XVII of the Constitution (relating to charitable objects in the Republic of Ireland) as required by the Charities Regulatory Authority.
8. To remove the ceiling on the amount by which pensions payable to members, and to the spouses of deceased members, of the Church of Ireland Clergy Pensions Fund may be increased from one year to the next.
9. To provide for future changes in the Church of Ireland contribution to the Church of Ireland Clergy Defined Contribution Pension Schemes, provided always that the contribution rate will not be reduced below 8% of the relevant minimum approved stipend or episcopal stipend.
Each is outlined in full in the Bills pamphlet available at www.ireland.anglican.org/synod/2023/bills
Motions
Several motions presented at General Synod each year cover procedural matters and appointments to committees with others relating to more substantive issues. Motions may be proposed and seconded by private members or by the members of the central committees which report to the General Synod.
Private member’s motions
The General Synod will be asked to request the Church and Society Commission to explore, and if necessary recommend and/or draft resources which will enable parishes to engage pastorally with, and care for, individuals and communities that are still deeply affected by trauma from the Troubles (and to report back to General Synod no later than 2024).
Another motion will ask the General Synod to acknowledge the impact of anti–refugee and migrant hatred in our communities and request suggestions from dioceses regarding ways in which the Church can counter the language of anti–refugee and migrant hatred at the local level and communicate a strong message of Christian welcome to all.
A motion proposes to send warmest congratulations from the General Synod to King Charles III on his accession to the throne, as King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and on his recent Coronation and to extend prayerful good wishes to both he and the Queen.
The General Synod, in a further motion, will be asked to note the significant financial contribution that the Representative Church Body, dioceses and parishes have made as part of the 10–year funding proposal to restore the Defined Benefit Clergy Pensions Fund to solvency, and to remove the Clergy Pensions Fund levy from the Constitution.
Central committee motions
A motion will allow for the establishment of the Pioneer Ministry Governing Council and set out the terms of reference for Pioneer Ministry in the Church of Ireland.
The General Synod will be asked to approve the establishment of a Select Committee to review clergy tenure, to report back to General Synod no later than 2026.
The Commission on Ministry will set out three options for changing the tenure of archdeacons – to link the tenure of an archdeacon to that of a bishop; a fixed term that may be renewed subject to the discretion of the bishop; or for the term or duration to be agreed with the appointing bishop at the time of appointment – and also the option that no change is required.
The Liturgical Advisory Committee will seek permission to bring forward proposals to amend the Book of Common Prayer – to state that Remembrance Sunday is observed on the second Sunday in November and to rename ‘A Prayer for Queen Elizabeth II’ to ‘A Prayer for the Sovereign’.
The motions booklet is available at www.ireland.anglican.org/synod/2023/motions
Reports
The reports of the Representative Church Body (the Church’s central trustee body), the Standing Committee, and all other committees reporting to the General Synod will be presented for the year leading up to March 2023.
Representative Church Body
The Representative Church Body report will refer to the exceptional impact of inflation at this time, and special cost of living grants to clergy pensioners totalling €950,000 over two years. The Mind Matters COI mental health awareness initiative is moving towards the conclusion of its current phase with over €150,000 in funding provided for 74 projects while 22 applications in support of refugees have received £85,000; both initiatives have been generously funded by Benefact Trust.
Standing Committee
The report of the Standing Committee will refer to the work of the Episcopal Electoral Process Review Group and (jointly with the RCB) the working groups on the future of curacies and third level chaplaincy. The Historical Centenaries Working Group has now reached the end of its term while the Consultative Group on Disability will be seeking to raise its profile. Following its launch service in February, the Pioneer Ministry Leadership Team will promote their plans to develop a movement to reach those with little or no connection to the good news of Jesus Christ through projects in the variety of contexts in which we serve across the island.=
Board of Education
Over 30,000 young people at any point in time are educated and supported through schools with a Church of Ireland ethos, mainly in the Republic. The report of the Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) highlights significant financial difficulties facing schools, new legislation regarding special education needs and inclusion, and marks the 50th anniversary of comprehensive schools. The Church of Ireland Centre at Dublin City University’s work has included Living Faith Living History – a compilation of stories about parish life by schoolchildren in Dublin and Glendalough – and the Interfaith Interpretations Podcast Project, developed with Dublin City Interfaith Forum.
The Board of Education (Northern Ireland) supports the revision of the Religious Education curriculum and endorses the view that collective worship is a Christian act and is vital to the retention of a Christian ethos in controlled and Church of Ireland schools. The resilience of all pupils and their parents and guardians for coming through and emerging from the pandemic is commended, and the Board also draws attention to the extensive work of its colleagues in the Transferor Representatives’ Council and the Controlled Schools’ Support Council.
Church of Ireland Youth Department
Some of the key developments in 2022 were the Exalt devotional prayer app for young people in partnership with Missional Generation, the Fuel II resource helping young people to build regular Bible reading habits, the National Youth Forum meeting (the first of a three–year cycle focusing on mental well–being, faith and church), and a climate justice toolkit launched in partnership with Tearfund Ireland and the Girls’ Friendly Society.
Covenant Council
The Covenant Council oversees our relationship with the Methodist Church. Its main current areas of discussion are understandings of ministry and leadership within each denomination; regulations regarding Covenant partnerships; co–operation and collaboration at every level; and an exploration of rites in the respective denominations (such as Holy Communion, ordination, marriage, confirmation, and baptism).
Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue
The Commission looks forward to the Church of Ireland hosting the Anglican Consultative Council in 2026; its most recent meeting was held in Ghana in February. The Commission is learning about how best to respond to the spiritual needs of people from Ukraine living in Ireland and, in its European affairs remit, has noted the sensitivities around the Northern Ireland Protocol and also expressing an Anglican perspective within the European Union following Brexit.
Council for Mission
The Council is completing a series of videos on the Anglican Communion’s Five Marks of Mission which feature people and projects throughout the Church of Ireland and beyond. Three have been produced so far – on the themes of Tell, Teach and Treasure – and the final two videos will cover Christian service (Tend) and challenging injustice (Transform).
Liturgical Advisory Committee
Over the last year, the Church’s new liturgies have covered how to respond to situations of sudden or unexpected death, marking the Season of Creation, and the succession of King Charles III following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. A major new resource for daily prayer in the home with families is planned.
Commission on Ministry
The Commission has raised concerns from parishes about the burden of administration and has recommended extra staffing at a central and diocesan level to assist parishes with compliance. Clergy well–being, the role of rural ministry, and issues concerning clergy tenure are set out in the report along with detailed recommendations around tenure.
Marriage Council
The Council will launch a new video and leaflet to highlight its marriage preparation and counselling services, and is encouraging clergy and others who support couples to refer people who may be in need of counselling services. The Council is also currently providing a seven–week online marriage support course.
Changing the Story – Mothers’ Union Lunch
Friday, 12th May 2023 – 1.00pm to 2.00pm, McCarthy Suite
The Mothers’ Union will host a light lunch of soup and sandwiches for members of General Synod in the McCarthy Suite on the first day of the meeting. The theme will be changing the story of gender–based violence and domestic abuse and working towards its ending. June Butler (All Ireland President) and Jacqui Armstrong (Mothers’ Union Advocate on Gender–Based Violence) will be joined by Bishop Andrew Forster and Lydia Monds (from the Church’s Ministry of Healing).
Admission is free and all donations will towards lunch expenses and the work of Mothers’ Union in highlighting domestic abuse and gender–based violence. If you wish to attend, please email muchangingthestory@gmail.com
There will be no General Synod Mission Breakfast this year.
Communications Competition – Results Announcement
Friday, 12th May 2023 – 1.45pm to 2.00pm, Westgate Suite
This year’s communications competition is celebrating the best in the print magazines and newsletters produced by our parishes, dioceses and affiliated organisations. Prizes will be presented in the Westgate Suite on Friday, 12th May, at 1.45pm.
The competition is kindly sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance. If you wish to attend, please email the Press Office at press@ireland.anglican.org
Lighten Our Darkness
Saturday, 13th May 2023 – 12.15pm to 1.15pm, Synod Hall
Young people from the Lighten Our Darkness group, from Mullingar Union of Parishes, will make a special dramatic presentation to encourage greater care for Creation. The presentation will be introduced by Bishop Pat Storey.
The audio feed will also be available on the General Synod website during its proceedings: www.ireland.anglican.org/synod/2023
News updates will be published during the meeting on the General Synod website and on the Church of Ireland’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds. The General Synod hashtag is #coigs