Press Releases27 Jun 24

Standing Committee News

The Standing Committee of the General Synod met on Tuesday, 18th June 2024, in the former Chapel of the Church of Ireland College of Education, in Rathmines.  This was the first meeting of the Standing Committee which has been elected for the triennium from 2024 to 2027 inclusive.

Canon Gillian Wharton opened the meeting with a reading from Matthew chapter 5 and in prayer, gave thanks for all on the Standing Committee and commended to God the thinking, imagining and diligence, the listening and speaking of the members, and asked for God’s help for sensitive debate, and wise decision–making.

The Archbishop of Armagh welcomed the members of the new Standing Committee to the meeting.

Presenting the report of the Honorary Secretaries, Ms Hazel Corrigan noted that Archdeacon Paul Thompson and Ms Judith Cairns accepted an invitation by the Honorary Secretaries to represent the Church of Ireland at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, taking place in Belfast from 20th to 22nd June 2024.  The Honorary Secretaries congratulated Ms June Butler on her appointment to the Steering Group of the International Anglican Women’s Network.

The Standing Committee appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers as auditors of the accounts of the Representative Church Body (RCB) for the year 2024, on terms to be agreed by the RCB Executive Committee, with such terms to be reported to the Standing Committee.

In its consideration of the formats for central church meetings, the Standing Committee approved the following resolutions:

• that General Synod 2025 will take place on 9th and 10th May 2025 in Lawlor’s Hotel, Naas, and via means of electronic communications technology on Tuesday, 13th May, and on Thursday, 15th May (if required);
• that, from 2026 onwards, the General Synod will be held over three days in–person; and
• that in–person meetings of the Standing Committee will be held in Boardroom 1 of Church of Ireland House, Rathmines, going forward.

A short report on the results of the Church of Ireland Census was presented by the Honorary Secretaries.  The Standing Committee approved a resolution that the Census is to take place annually.

The Standing Committee established a working group to consider the motion passed at General Synod 2024 on how to articulate more effectively the voice of the Church on subjects relating to global conflicts, with members to be nominated at the next meeting of the Standing Committee in September 2024.

The Standing Committee requested that the Allocations Committee consider directing a sum of €4,500 from the General Synod Royalties Fund to support publication of the journal SEARCH.

Ms Judy Peters presented the Report on the Review of the Anti–Bullying and Harassment Policy, and highlighted the importance of the policy for the well–being of clergy, laity and parish life. 

Appointments

The Standing Committee established a working group to review clergy tenure, to continue the work of the Select Committee to Review Clergy Tenure, and appointed the following persons as members: Bishop George Davison; Archdeacon Barry Forde; Dean Stephen Farrell; Canon Malcolm Kingston; Canon Nicola Halford; the Revd James Boyd; Mr Lyndon MacCann SC; Mr William Oliver; Ms Helen Arnopp; Mr Glenn Moore; and Ms Irene Knox.

The following members were elected to the Legal Advisory Committee, which advises on any legal matters referred by the Standing Committee: His Honour Judge Tom Burgess; His Honour Judge Alastair Devlin; Mr Lyndon MacCann SC; Mr Oswyn Paulin; Mr William Prentice; the Rt Hon Lord Justice Stephens; Mr Andrew Walker; and the Honorary Secretaries of the General Synod.

The following members were elected to the Board for Ministry with Children and Families: Bishop George Davison; Ms Lynn Storey; the Revd Rebecca Guildea; Mr David Brown; Dr Millie Bellew; the Revd Julie Bell; Ms Carolyn Good; the Revd John Ardis; and Dean Niall Sloane.  A further member will be nominated by the Board of Education (Northern Ireland).

The following members were appointed to the Literature Committee, which is a sub–committee of the Central Communications Board: Canon Dr Kenneth Milne; Canon Peter McDowell; the Revd Richard Rountree; the Revd Ken Rue; the Revd Bernard Treacy; Ms Cecilia West; Mr George Woodman; and Dr Raymond Refaussé.

Mr Glenn Moore was elected to serve as a member of the Priorities Fund Committee.

Mr Richard Codd was appointed to the Finance and Arrangements Sub–Committee.

Canon Malcolm Kingston, Ms Hazel Corrigan, Mr Richard Codd and Ms Helen Arnopp were appointed to the Budget Sub–Committee.

The Revd Carlton Baxter was appointed to the Central Communications Board.

Mr Ed Hardy and Dr Harriet Wilkinson were appointed to the Central Board of the Church of Ireland Youth Department.

Representatives of the Church of Ireland were appointed to attend the following meetings of other Churches and ecumenical organisations:

• Roy Totten to attend the Moravian Church Provincial Synod in Swanwick (July 2024);
• Mr Mike Johnston to attend the Church of England General Synod in York (July 2024);
• Archdeacon Andrew Orr and the Revd Meghan Farr to attend the Ireland Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Cork (July 2024);
• Ms Gina Copy to attend the AGM of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (September 2024);
• Dean Niall Sloane, Canon Kevin O’Brien, and the Revd David White to attend an online meeting with the President and new General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches.

The meeting concluded with the Grace.