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Following the menu-based pattern of the now familiar Vision4Life material, opening worship served as a starter in which we heard the story of Abraham and Sarah, and were challenged to identify with the various characters. Nibbles or elevenses came in the form of the 42nd Psalm with music and video accompaniment, with a main course at lunch time in the form of four workshops that focused on art and the visual, technology, drama and imagination.
And there was still space on the menu for some good news stories from synod members through the course of the afternoon, and then a very sweet dessert to round things off — final worship with a confectionary-laden story before we sang that we would go out with joy, picking up a goody-bag on the way.
And all the while synod members and others were taking their turn outside in front of the church, sharing in a continuous reading from the gospels, amplified to catch the attention of passing shoppers on the High Street. Copies of Luke’s gospel were offered to those who chose to linger, so that the good news that inspired synod’s menu became food for a hungry world.
Picture: Synod Moderator Rowena Francis reading from Mark chapter 1— with West Denton minister John Paul, organiser of the public reading from scripture
Synod members received extra papers on arrival, which included a report from the synod clerk on plans for appointing resource staff. A year ago Synod approved a resolution to set up two new posts, one to work with children and young people, the other to be involved in training and development with adults. However, as the year went by, the appointing groups charged with this task found increasing difficulties, which were referred on to Mission Executive.
Hearing a statement from the Trust that it would be impossible in the present financial climate to fund both posts, synod accepted a resolution that gave the new Mission Executive space to act when agreement was reached about the best way forward.
The Trust report heard later in the day included recommendations from the Funding Group that sought to clarify the way in which synod monies are used. Synod agreed that there should now be six distinct funds— a General Fund, Property Fund, Mission Fund (to be launched in the autumn), Manse Fund, M&M Fund, and General Reserve Fund. There was also support for a specific resolution to support retired ministers’ housing through a 15% levy on the sale of future redundant manses.
However, there was unease over the proposal to limit property grants to £50,000 pa, and to remove the assumption that a church wishing to redevelop would be able to keep the proceeds of its own property sales. Trinity minister David Bedford pointed out that the building we were meeting in could not have come about under such guidelines. The Funding Group agreed to give this more thought, while warning that the financial climate will remain harsh.
We heard of two ministers shortly to move away— Nigel Watson from Jesmond to East Kilbride in Scotland, and Andy Coyne from Sunderland to St Mary Cray and St Paul’s Cray in Kent. The moderator greeted Ann Honey as the new Church Related Community Worker at RSM in Newcastle, and also Christine Wood, who is working as our new Property Officer. Back to the synod as a retired minister is Norma Johnson, while a number of ministers are now working in extended and restructured pastorates. Synod was also reminded of the recent deaths of retired ministers Howard Cross and Howard Byers, and also of veteran lay preacher Fred McCree.
According to Education & Training Officer David Peel, that is how one former Assembly Moderator once described TLS: Training for Learning and Serving. And as a former Moderator himself, he should know! David introduced recent members of the course— Lesley Bustard, Helen Cooper, Mary Davidson, and Chris Eddowes, after which Helen spoke to synod about the change TLS had brought to her, and encouraged others to sign up. “Come on in” she said. “The water’s lovely!”
The Nominations Group report was shorter than sometimes. The October synod gives more attention to committee convenors and membership — spring is usually a time just to fill in any gaps. But this year there was the matter of the re-constituted Mission Executive.
A consultative meeting last summer brought in the idea, approved by Synod in October, that the bulk of the members of Mission Executive should be Mission Partnership nominees rather than committee convenors. So Synod was told that over the past months the Nominations Group, working on names submitted from Mission Partnerships, had drawn up a list of people with a diverse skills base and the usual balances of gender, geography and (as far as possible) age. These were accepted as members of the new body, alongside synod officers and resource staff:-
David Bedford, Mike Bridges, Sue Bush, Peter Clarke, Rhona Dunn, Dave Herbert, Catey Morrison and Margaret Stephenson.
The first meeting of the new Mission Executive will be at the end of March, when it will begin to work on its challenging brief of helping synod achieve a comprehensive mission strategy.
Synod’s representative on the Trust, Barnard Castle elder Elizabeth Conran, commended its work to Synod, and urged member churches to consider making a contribution to its work. She then introduced the Secretary of the Trust, Mr Peter De Lange, who gave a brief tour of historic churches in the region (not all Anglican) that the Trust had helped in recent years. He also had a pack prepared for Mission Partnerships, giving details of the Steeple Chase fund-raising event held each September.
Later in the meeting synod clerk John Durell drew attention to the current depleted state of our Listed Building Advisory Committee, which has significant responsibilities in allowing us ecclesiastical exemption in planning matters. Anyone with a measure of experience and expertise in this area who would be willing to serve is urged to contact him.
It is probably fair to say that our initial experience of consensus decision making last October was less than happy. Bringing the process to bear on our discussion of a paper from Ministries & Training Committee on Eldership: An Education & Training Strategy, we were left unhappy that day that the reservations of a minority seemed to prevent any progress.
However, when David Peel presented a revised version of the paper, which incorporated insights that came out of conversations with last October’s questioners, it was apparent that the listening and consultative process that is an essential part of consensus working had now taken place, and synod was quickly able to accept the paper by agreement. As David noted, if the original discussion had taken place in the morning rather than the afternoon session, it would probably have been possible to do the work over the lunch break, and achieve the same result in a day.
The paper encourages a change in culture in our churches concerning eldership, with more thought being given to the process of election, preparation for service, and in-service education and training. Synod will set up a database and encourage the development of an elders’ network. However, Synod noted Gateshead elder John Derry’s observation that if we are not able to proceed with the expected training post, many of these aims will be hard to achieve.
While the Gospels were being read outside on the High Street, Synod heard a number of good stories of how our churches are busying them-selves with this Year of the Bible.
Jan Maxwell had a congregation wanting to be involved, but without more evening meetings. A lunchtime soup and sandwich gathering where people shared Bible stories in their own words was so popular that it had to be repeated! And Chris Eddowes told once more of the success of the Knitted Bible at Hartlepool—a project that brought all the church together, and which will lead to exhibitions again this summer and next. And a video clip shown by Ed Butlin gave a taste of youth work done through Icthus in rural Northumberland.
Synod gave permission for some fifty elders to preside at the sacraments in the present year in their own Mission Partnerships in cases of pastoral necessity. Extensions where requested will be granted by Pastoral Committee, but new requests will be granted only by full Synod meeting.
A letter from the group who met at Ushaw last autumn led to discussion in the first set of workshops that took place before the lunch break. Development Enabler Janet Turner will be contacting churches with the findings to take this process on to the next stage. Look out for more!
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Pictures of Northern Synod meeting at Trinity, Gosforth 21st March 2009 |
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