Standing Committee & RB
September 2004 meeting
STANDING COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 2004
HARD GOSPEL
The Church of Ireland Hard Gospel Programme is seen as a pioneering project, which, it is hoped, will encourage other churches to undertake similar work. In a report the Hard Gospel Committee Chairman, Archdeacon David Chillingworth, describes the programme as 'an exciting development which offers the possibility that the Church of Ireland might address creatively sectarianism and other 'living with difference' issues.'
HOW SYNODS WORK
In a written report on how the Church of England General Synod conducts its business, the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Revd Alan Harper, suggests that "we could learn much from their method of doing things." The Bishop pointed out for example that a panel of ten persons shared between them the chairmanship of the sessions at the General Synod held in York earlier this year. Also work and debates focused upon selected and carefully researched topics. There is no 'Book of Reports' giving backward looking accounts of business over the past year and instead reports on specific issues are published to inform debate. The Bishop highlighted the opportunity given at the Synod for questions and concluded that 'the freedom to ask questions on any topic within the oversight of the General Synod is an effective substitute for a line by line scrutiny of committee reports". The report is to be referred to the Synodical Reform Committee for further consideration.
VETTING UNIT
The Church of Ireland has urged government departments in the Republic of Ireland to introduce a Garda clearance and vetting procedure for all who work with children. In response the Minister for Children, Brian Lenihan, explained that the Garda Vetting Unit processes vetting requests and is operating well with more than 120,000 applications dealt with last year. A Government Working Group has examined all aspects of the vetting of persons coming in contact with children and vulnerable persons.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
A survey of information technology usage in the Churches of the Anglican Communion will begin this autumn under the direction of the Anglican Communion Telecommunications Commission. Mrs Janet Maxwell, Director of Communications and the Revd Michael Graham, Internet Committee, represent the Church of Ireland on the Commission.
NEW PUBLICATION
A new Church of Ireland Historical Bibliography, edited by the church's historiographer, Dr Kenneth Milne, is to be published later this year.
GENERAL SYNOD
The General Synod returns to the Stillorgan Park Hotel, Dublin in 2005 and will meet in Armagh at the Armagh City Hotel in 2006.