Standing Committee & RB
June 2004 meeting
STANDING COMMITTEE
JUNE 2004
GENERAL SYNOD 2004
The General Synod in Armagh was recognised as a great success with conference facilities at the Armagh City Hotel, car parking, traffic flow and high grade accommodation making a significant contribution to the smooth running of the event.
Archbishop Eames said Armagh Diocese had felt honoured to host the event for the first time. He added: ?The absence of lengthy legislation was a welcome change and I believe contributed greatly to a willingness to debate a wider spectrum of issues than is usually possible.?
Responding to suggestions that the General Synod should return to Armagh in the future, Archbishop Eames said: ?An argument can be made that for historic reasons Dublin should not be completely abandoned as a location. There may be a case for an Armagh Synod to be considered together with other regional locations such as Derry and Raphoe, Limerick, Cork and the West ? such regional centres to feature on a rota basis with Dublin.?
In a reference to the Book of Reports, the Primate questioned the need for reports to include so much information. He suggested that an edited version highlighting the main points would be more effective and useful in promoting Synod business.
The Central Communications Board (CCB) suggests there is considerable merit in hosting the General Synod in Northern Ireland regularly.
The General Synod will meet in the Stillorgan Park Hotel, Dublin in 2005.
LARGE PRINT HYMNALS
A further supply of large print hymnals will be available from mid-August.
PRIORITIES FUND
Diocesan contributions to the Priorities Fund will be increased by 3% next year. Since the Fund?s inception 24 years ago more than 10.5 million euro has been distributed in grants. In a report the Fund encourages applications for ?seed capital? and for grants that may attract further funding from other agencies. Areas currently supported by the Fund include ministry training, religious education in schools, youth work and Reconciliation and Outreach projects.
Application forms for grants may be obtained from The Organiser, Priorities Fund Office, Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6 or email: Priorities Fund
Closing date for receipt of applications is 31 October each year.
CHURCH OF IRELAND PRESS
The Church of Ireland Press, which owns and runs the Church of Ireland Gazette, has elected Revd John Auchmuty as Secretary in succession to Rev Robert Whiteside. Mr Geoffrey Perrin is appointed to the Board.
PORNOGRAPHIC WEB SITES
The Diocesan Synod of Meath and Kildare is calling on Irish financial institutions to refuse payment of credit card payments to internet web-sites purveying child pornography. The Committee is considering ways of progressing this suggestion.
ECUMENICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
The Committee for Christian Unity presented a review and evaluation of ecumenical contributions. The Church of Ireland is a member of five ecumenical bodies, as well as being involved in various ways with other ecumenical initiatives such as the Irish School of Ecumenics. The five ecumenical bodies are: the Irish Council of Churches (ICC); the Irish Inter-Church Meeting (IICM); the Conference of European Churches (CEC); Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and the World Council of Churches (WCC).
The Committee comments: ?Being part of such bodies exposes us to a richness of diversity in worship, ministry and witness. It gives us the opportunity to contribute to as well as benefit from the world-wide Christian Church as members of the WCC, or help shape a new emerging Europe through CEC, and to consign our past to history as we seek to move forward on this island through the work of the ICC and IICM.?
The Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches will meet in Porto Alegre, Brazil from 14 to 24 February 2006. The Church of Ireland will be represented at this meeting by the Rt Rev Peter Barrett and Mrs Yvonne Naylor.
The CTBI Assembly will meet in Swanwick from 22- 25 February 2005. The following will represent the Church of Ireland at this meeting: Rt Rev Peter Barrett, Rt Rev M G St A Jackson, Rev S Gyles, Rev D R Nuzum, Mrs R McKelvey, Rev Canon M Ryan and Mrs A J Wills.
Rev Daniel Nuzum is appointed to represent the Church of Ireland on the Churches Representatives Meeting of CTBI in place of Rev R G Gray.
Rev Raymond Fox is appointed Church of Ireland representative to serve on the Irish Council of Churches Executive Committee in place of the Most Rev Dr John Neill.
The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) has written to the Church of Ireland following the admission of the Czech Republic to the European Union. ECCB Lay Moderator, Mahulena Cejkova, writes: ?We are standing at a beginning, and are experiencing joy at entering this open community to which we have always wanted to return.?