Standing Committee & RB
Standing Committee News - September 2005
The Standing Committee of the Church of Ireland met for the first time after the summer on 20 September 2005.
The Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Reverend Robin Eames spoke warmly of the former Honorary Secretary of General Synod, the Very Reverend John Paterson, also of the Very Reverend Gilbert Mayes, who both died recently.
Announcement of new Press Officer
The appointment of Ms Sarah Williams as Communications Officer for the Church of Ireland was announced to Standing Committee.
Ms Williams is currently employed as Press Officer to the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace. Prior to this, she worked as Assistant Press Officer at Church House, London.
Ms Williams will take up her Belfast-based position in the Press Office at the end of November.
Hard Gospel Committee appoints Director
Revd Earl Storey is to head up the Hard Gospel Project.
Announcing Mr Storey?s appointment as Director of the Hard Gospel Project, the Committee wished Mr Storey every success in this key Church appointment. Mr Storey will take up his position in October and will be responsible for the management of the project team and the achievement of the aims and objectives established by the Committee.
Budget agreed
The agreement of the committee budgets for the coming year is an important item dealt with at the September meeting. Chairman of the Budget Sub-Committee, Mr Wilfred Baker, explained the process by which this Committee makes recommendations to Standing Committee and thence to the Allocations Committee regarding future funding needs.
The Archbishop of Armagh thanked Mr Baker and the Committee members for the work they have put in. Standing Committee approved the budget total of ?689 000, making this a significant component of the Church?s investment in mission and outreach work and the provision of infrastructure in Church House Dublin and Belfast. A number of speakers voiced concern about budget demands in the light of an increasing deficit in central funds.
Reports
Other items considered at the September Standing Committee included the reception of a report from the group established at the General Synod to review the Guidelines and Protocols for Local Covenant Partnerships passed by the General Synod. Standing Committee recommended that the Guidelines be referred back to the Covenant Council for further consideration.
A report on the recent meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council was submitted by one of our representatives to the ACC, the Very Revd Michael Burrows, who attended the meeting of the ACC in Nottingham in June with the other representative, Ms Kate Turner. The Dean commented on the establishment of the listening process, and the consideration of the Windsor Report. The Dean noted his regret that the issue of the Covenant raised in the Windsor Report had not received more in-depth discussion at the ACC meeting, which spent longer debating the inclusion of the Primates in the body of the ACC. A wide ranging debate took place in which the issues of the future of the Anglican Communion, the nature of divisions within the Communion and the synodical tendencies inherent in the primates participation in the ACC were raised and discussed.
Dean Burrows was also the author of a report on the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation, held in Prague from 1 to 6 August 2005, at which the main issue debated was the identity of Anglican liturgy today. This promises to be a source of rich debate within Anglicanism during the next three years when recommendations will be presented to the next meeting of the ACC. Two other reports were presented on the Methodist Conference and the Presbyterian Assembly.
Disability Awareness Programme launch
The Working Group on Disability established in March by the Standing Committee met with the Archbishop of Armagh on 15 September, to discuss plans for launching a disability awareness programme on Sunday, 20th November.
Gift of books
Following a fire that destroyed the library at the Holy Theotokos Greek Orthodox Monastery in North Fort Myers, Florida , a gift of books about the Church of Ireland was agreed to contribute to the restoration of the library a gesture of goodwill.
Committee appointments and delegates
The Porvoo Communion
The Bishop of Connor and Canon Ian Ellis were appointed to attend the Church Leaders? Meeting with the Very Reverend RD Harman, Porvoo Contact Person, in Cardiff from 16 to 21 March 2006.
Parish Development Working Group
The following additional members are appointed to the Parish Development Working Group:
Rev D Bain, Ms H Groves, Mr P Hamill, Mr AC McElhinney, Ms C O?Laoire.
Hard Gospel Committee
The following additional members are appointed to the Hard Gospel Committee:
Mr B Frayne (Connor), Mr T Forsyth (Dublin), Mrs M McNulty (Down and Dromore), Ms Stella Obe (Dublin), , Revd Canon CG Hyland with the Revd DP Hoey.