Standing Committee & RB
Standing Committee News - April 2005 (with a statement by the Hon. Secs. 13th May 2005)
Relations with the Presbyterian Church
Mr Sam Harper reported the intention to meet with representatives of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland to explore common interests including the ecumenical bodies in Ireland, the restructuring of the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the Church in society and our mission as Churches and other legal and social issues.
It was suggested that representatives from the Church of Ireland should include the Honorary Secretaries, the chairpersons of the Committee for Christian Unity, the Church in Society Committee, the Hard Gospel Committee and the Council for Mission.
Royalties Fund
Three items were recommended from the General Synod Royalties Fund. These were a loan of EUR5000 for the production of a Children's Communion Booklet by the Children's Liturgical Working Group of the LAC; a grant of EUR5000 to subvent the Irish language edition of The Book of Common Prayer; and a total of £19,000 to underwrite potential internet and print resource publishing needs for the Hard Gospel programme over the next three years.
Masonic Order
The Honorary Secretaries also reported on their consideration of a query regarding the Masonic Order, which was raised at General Synod 2004 and subsequently in the Standing Committee. A discussion ensued during which a number of points of view were expressed. It was agreed that membership of the Masonic Order should be left to the conscience and judgement of the individual.
Victims and Survivors - Northern Ireland
A consultation was received from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland entitled Services for Victims and Survivors looking at the issue of services and also the creation of a Commissioner for Victims and Survivors. This was referred to the Social Justice and Theology Panel of the Church in Society Committee, chaired by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass. The Standing Committee recommended a number of individuals with expertise in the area of reconciliation and healing to form the panel that will address this issue. These were Ms Kate Turner, Revd Canon Trevor Williams, Very Revd Raymond Thompson and Revd Kenny Hall.
The Masonic Order
On 13 May 2005 the Honorary Secretaries issued a further item relating to the April meeting of Standing Committee.
In the Gazette of 16-29 April the summary of the business of the April Meeting of the Standing Committee referred to the Masonic Order. The full text of the honorary secretaries' statement on the Masonic Order communicated to the meeting reads as follows:
"We recognise that the religious aspect of freemasonry, as far as we can tell, does not equate with the fullness of the Christian teaching of the Church of Ireland. Notwithstanding the above, we believe that membership of, and participation in, Freemasonry is a matter of free choice and conscience for members of the Church of Ireland."