Reflections from General Synod 2009.

This was my first time at General Synod in an official capacity as one of the House of Clergy Representatives from the Diocese of Down and Dromore. it proved to be a most intersting experience.

The General Synod was held over a weekend for the first time in its history, which meant it suited the laity much better; this was reflected in the improved attendance. it was fortunate for me that I had the back-up of Maureen to look after things here on Sunday, as many clergy spoke of struggling to find the necessary help and cover.

I thought it might be good to begin by outlining some of the workings of the Church of Ireland and explaining the role of the Representative Church Body, and how it relates to the General Synod, the Standing Committee, the Diocesan Synod, the Select Vestries and members of the Church of Ireland.

The Representative Church Body (RCB) is the main statutory trustee body of the Church of Ireland. In 1870, when the Church of Ireland was formed through dis-establishment with the State, the RCB was set up so that the property of the Church could be transferred into the Churches ownership. As a Charitable Trustee Body the RCB is governed by the Constitution of the Church of Ireland and is accountable to the General Synod in relation to Church regulations and to the civil authorities in relation to its trustee responsibilities.

The RCB exists to serve and support the Church, primarily looking after central church finance and property. It is the legal owner of Church of Ireland churches, graveyards, halls and rectories in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It relates to the Church through the Standing Committee.

The RCB estimates that it costs £35+ million each year to fund the church in providing stipends, pensions, housing and loan benefits to the clergy, retired clergy and the parishes. Whilst these commitments are largely funded by the voluntary subscriptions of Church members, the RCB makes a significant contribution towards stipend and pension costs out of income generated by its own trusts and endowments; this because many parishes cannot afford their Clergyperson.

Organisation of the Church of Ireland
The members of the local Parishes who become enrolles on the Register of Vestrymen are known as the General Vestry (or histroically the General Easter Vestry). The General Easter Vestries elect the Select Vestries and Diocesan Synod members, and in turn the Diocesan Synods elect the Diocesan Council members, the Standing Committee members and the RCB Executive Committee members. It is primarily through Diocesan Bischops, the Clergy, the Diocesan Synods and Standing Committee that matters of faith, mission and minstry are taken forward, whereas the RCB and Select Vestries are primarily concerned with the property and finance of the Church; the three F's - Fabric, Fittings and Finance. The role of the Diocesan Council is similar to the role of the Standing Committee at a diocesan level. The RGB relates to the Church through the Standing Committee and General Synod.

What were the main items on the agenda of the 2009 General Synod?

> Bill amendments relating to Hard Gospel
> Standing Committee report and vote regading stipends and pensions
> Mission Breakfast and Church and Society report on Green issues
> Education Report - issues for RoI school funding

These are just a few of the items on the agenda that stand out in my memory from the Synod 2009.

As I reflect on the Bill regarding the Hard Gospel, a report commissioned by the General Synod to look at secterianism within the Church of Ireland, I was impressed with its attempt to highlight many of the ways in which the Church of Ireland is very exclusive and hard to access by those who are on the fringes of the Church. This was reflected in Archbishop Harper's presidential address. However there is always the fear that inclusion of particular groups can be at the exclusion of the Truth of the word of God. It is here that the complicated debate between Orthodox Christianity and new challenges to morality, marrige, and the whole issues of Human Sexuality, have been exploded into the church context by the media and various pressure groups.

Getting back to the amendment of the Bill. The purpose of this Bill was to insert a declaration into future editions of the Prayer Book in advance of the 39 articles, as a way of expressing that the Church of Ireland did not intend to be offensive to those of other Christian traditions. The Bill had come before Synod in 2008 suggesting that within the 39 Articles of the Church of Ireland (see page 778 of BCP 2004) there were 'negative statements' in relation to other Christian Traditions. The amendment suggested that the wording should be changed to replace 'negative statements' with the words 'tone and tenor'. The change of emphasis was to infer that the 'tone and tenor' of the 39 Articles was not meant in any way to infer that some of the 39 Articles are negative statements is to suggest that their reformation theology has been in some way surpassed in the modern church, and could in the future be used to change the position of the 39 Articles within the Church of Ireland.

The amendment caused a prolonged debate in General Synod where the voices of those opposed to the amendment were many, showing the hand of the growing liberal agenda of both the bischops, clergy and laity, but praise God when it went to a vote both the House of Clergy and the House of Laity voted with more than a two thirds majority to accept the amendment as put forward. The amendment means the 39 Articles are held high and not demeaned by suggesting some of them contain negative statements.

Moving on the Standing Committee and Representative Church Body (RCB) reports that the Credit Crunch has taken effect on the Church of Ireland. The investment fund has suffered a crashing downturn. Some investments fell as much as 42%, with the pension fund suffering a decrease of 26% in total. This is having a significant impact on the Church of Ireland, as much of its daily-running revenues come directly from the interest earned on its investment portfolio; a portfolio that saw General Synod 2009 encouraging the RCB to remain ethical in its investments, regardless of the net losses. These financial worries will have a knock on effect on retired clergy, serving clergy and the local churches at Parish level. Clergy stipends have been frozen for a year to help local churches overcome shortfalls in funding and to show solidarity with many of our parishioners who have been left unemployed or who have taken huge cuts in income.

I move on to report on the Synod Mission Breakfast and Church and Society report on the Environment. The speaker noted that the secular world is increasingly interested in Green Issues, and explained that through an environmental Mission project 'A Rocha UK', that a number of men and women had come to faith. He was encouraging the church to engage with people on the issues that matter to them, and from here share faith. He was keen to point out that we are given the Stewardship of creation by God, and that this was a challenge to the Church to respond to a Biblical Missionary Imperative.

The final area of Synod debate which caught my attention was the Education Reports; these are divided between the Board of Education (N. Ireland), and the Board of Education (Republic of Ireland).

The N. Ireland report mentioned the difficulties faced by Parents and Children who face the transfer to Secondary School, with the confusion surrounding the new transfer system, focused on the need for clergy and church members serving on School Boards to take their responsibilities seriously and be proactively involved in local schools.

The report for the Republic of Ireland focussed on the recent budget reforms relating to the Church of Ireland maintained schools. The funding position for Church of Ireland schools has now changed meaning that Schools are now forced to charge for many of the resources they use within the classroom. For us in N Ireland the idea of Church Schools is a thing of the past but it is a live issue in the Republic.

I do hope this gives you a flavour of how the General Synod of the Church of Ireland works, and the sort of things debated this year. Basically the Synod is the governing body of the procedures and life of the Church of Ireland, and all change in constitutional matters, financial matters and theological matters must come to the General Synod for ratification and approval. The General Synod has been described as the Parliment of the Church of Ireland, which I think describes it well and gives us the sense of debate and thought going ahead.

I hope this months Rector's Corner wasn't too hard to digest, but I felt it was important to give an insight into the formal structures of the Church of Ireland, and to let you have a taste of how its asministrative (RCB) and governing bodies (General Synod) actually relate to one another and to the local church.

Rev Willie Nixon.