Standing Committee & RB18 Jun 08

Standing Committee News June 2008

17 June 2008 

The Standing Committee of the General Synod met in Dublin on 17th June. In opening the meeting, Archbishop Alan Harper welcomed the Very Revd Chris Peters, Dean of Ross, to his first meeting of Standing Committee. Dean Peters is a clerical representative for Cork, Cloyne and Ross following the election of Archdeacon Robin Bantry White as clerical Honorary Secretary for the Southern Province.
 
The Archbishop also welcomed the new Church of Ireland Press Officer, Mr Paul Harron, to his new post.
 
The Archbishop paid sincere thanks to the Revd Canon Dr Adrian Empey, retiring Principal of the Theological College, expressing good wishes to him and Mrs Empey for the future.

Honorary Secretaries’ Report

The report of the Honorary Secretaries was adopted.  In the report it was noted that two amendments have been received to the Special Bills presented to Synod in 2008. The first of these Special Bills proposes to amend the Book of Common Prayer by including therein the Declaration, which was adopted by a resolution of the General Synod in 1999 with regard to its understanding of the historic formularies of the Church of Ireland. The second Special Bill proposes changes to the marriage services.

General Synod

During the customary discussion of the recent meeting of General Synod in Galway, the Archbishop of Armagh and a number of other speakers expressed their appreciation for the warmth of the welcome received in the city, and the vision taken away of a vibrant and flourishing church life in the West.
 
Archbishop Harper thanked the Bishop of Tuam, the Provost of Galway and Synod staff for all their efforts. The city also hosted a generous civic reception in St Nicholas’ Church.

Members of Standing Committee were reminded that dioceses are electing Synod members for a new triennium and that next year’s meeting in the Armagh City Hotel will take place over a weekend. People who may have found it difficult to attend mid-week Synods might now feel encouraged to allow their names to be put forward for election.

Appointments

The Standing Committee passed a resolution to appoint the following to the Hard Gospel Implementation Group: Mr Trevor Douglas, the Revd Andrew Forster, Mrs Ethne Harkness and Mr Geoffrey Perrin. It was proposed to also invite the Bishop Elect of Limerick, the Revd Canon Trevor Williams to the group, and for it to have the power to co-opt two further members as required.

Following the retirement of the Rt Revd Michael Mayes, Bishop of Limerick, from the World Development – Bishops’ Appeal Advisory Committee, it was agreed to appoint the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Reverend Alan Harper, to the Committee.
 
The Anglican Covenant Working Group is due to report in January 2009. It was agreed that the Rt Revd Paul Colton, Bishop of Cork, should be appointed to the group.

4 Nations Faith and Order Consultation

The Scottish Episcopal Church is hosting the second 4 Nations’ Faith and Order Consultation in Edinburgh in October. It was agreed that the Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Revd Michael Jackson, Dr Andrew Pierce and Very Revd Susan Patterson, Dean of Killala, attend, with the possibility of an additional fourth member if required.

Parity of Protection in Controlled Schools

The Standing Committee passed a resolution expressing unreserved support for the Transferor Representatives’ Council’s call to seek to ensure parity of protection for the Christian ethos in schools in the controlled sector with that currently enjoyed by schools in the Catholic maintained sector in  Northern Ireland.