Standing Committee & RB23 Sep 24

RB & Standing Committee News

The Representative Body met in Church of Ireland House, Dublin, on Tuesday, 17th September 2024.  The Archbishop of Armagh opened the meeting in prayer, and welcomed Archdeacon Barry Forde (Connor) and Dr Scott Brown (Connor) as new members.

Mrs Hilary Prentice, as the new Chair of the Executive Committee, presented its report and thanked Mr Lyndon MacCann SC for his great skill in serving as Interim Chair from October 2023 to May 2024.  The report highlighted the Executive’s work on succession planning, progress on clarifying the definition of legal personality in the Church of Ireland, and the approval of the Pioneer Ministry training agreement between the Church of Ireland Theological Institute and Church Army (alongside the approval of the first four Pioneer Ministry projects).

Ms Prentice noted that grants from the Church Fabric and Development Fund had been made to support St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, in relation to the visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla; the Church of Ireland–Moravian Service in St Patrick’s, Ballymena, and Gracehill Moravian Church; the Red Book of Ossory exhibition in St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny; and the continuation of the MindMatters COI mental health awareness programme.

The Executive welcomed the appointments of Ms Julie Bond as Head of Finance & IT, Mr Dermot Burns as Project Manager and Data Protection Officer, and Ms Lynda Small as Investment Accounting Manager, and expressed its best wishes to Ms Kate Williams on her departure after 12 years of outstanding service in leading the Finance & IT Department.

The Representative Body approved an increase in the Total Return maximum withdrawal from General Funds from 3.6% in 2024 to 3.9% in 2025 and in 2026 (as a percentage of the previous five–year average opening balance) with a further review to be carried out during 2026 and to take effect in 2027.  This additional funding will support Children and Families Ministry, the funding of curacies and third level education chaplaincy, MindMatters COI, support for bishops in their patronage role in education, and the appointment of diocesan designated liaison persons for safeguarding.

A presentation was made by staff from IPUT Real Estate Dublin, the largest owner of offices and logistics assets in the city, in which the RCB has greater than €10 million invested in unit trusts across all funds, representing approximately 2% of RCB investment assets.

The following appointments were made:

• Mrs Helen Arnopp as Chair of the Property Committee;
• Mr Robert Neill as Director of the Church of Ireland Clergy Pensions Trustee DAC (re–election); and
• Dean Nigel Dunne as a member of the Central Communications Board;

The meeting closed with the Grace.

The Standing Committee of the General Synod also met on Tuesday, 17th September, in Church of Ireland House, Dublin.  Mr Ken Gibson opened the meeting with a Bible reading from Acts 16 and in prayer, including gratitude for the work of the Representative Body which met earlier in the day.

The Standing Committee approved the proposals of the Budget Sub Committee and recommended them for consideration by the Allocations Committee of the Representative Body.

As recommended by the Representative Body, the Standing Committee set the rates of Minimum Approved Stipends as follows with effect from 1st January 2025:

• £37,310 per annum in Northern Ireland; and
• €45,640 per annum in the Republic of Ireland.

The increases in the Minimum Approved Stipend rates for 2025 are reflective of the Consumer Price Indices in the respective jurisdictions for the year ended 30th June 2024.

As recommended by the Executive Committee of the Representative Body and the Church of Ireland Clergy Pensions Trustee, the Standing Committee set the rates of Pensionable Stipend as follows with effect from 1st January 2025:

• £33,390 per annum in Northern Ireland; and
• €42,247 per annum in the Republic of Ireland.

In addition, as also recommended by the Executive Committee and the Trustee, the Standing Committee set the rate of levy to be paid by each diocese towards the cost of securing the solvency of the Clergy Pensions Fund from 1st January 2025, at the unchanged percentage rate of 3% of the Minimum Approved Stipend in force on that date.

The Standing Committee approved amendments to the Clergy Permanent Health Insurance (PHI) Policy and Guidelines, also approved by the Representative Body at its meeting on the same day.

The Standing Committee approved that the General Synod of 2026 will take place in the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, from Thursday, 7th May, to Saturday, 9th May.

A paper was presented on behalf of the Honorary Secretaries detailing a proposal for the introduction of an electronic voting system for in–person meetings of the General Synod to replace the voting card/teller system. This will be followed by a demonstration of the proposed system and an opportunity for the members of the Standing Committee to provide feedback.

The following appointments were made:

• the Revd Catherine Simpson to the Board for Ministry with Children and Families, representing the Board of Education (Northern Ireland);
• Mrs June Butler, Mr Stephen Trew, Dr Simon Woodworth, and the Revd Canon Gillian Wharton to serve on a working group to consider the motion passed at General Synod 2024 on how to articulate more effectively the voice of the Church on subjects relating to global conflicts;
• Ms Rachel Fraser to the Advisory Council to the Church of Ireland Centre at Dublin City University, in her capacity as a school principal;
• the Revd Rob Jones to the Commission on Ministry, representing the Standing Committee;
• Bishop Pat Storey (as Chair), the Revd Carlton Baxter, the Revd Canon Gillian Wharton, Canon Dr Kenneth Milne, Dr Raymond Refaussé, Mr David Ritchie, Mrs Janet Maxwell, Dean Nigel Dunne, and the Revd Alan Rufli to the Central Communications Board (with the Press Officer and the Dublin and Glendalough Communications Officer in attendance);
• Canon Dr Kenneth Milne (as Chair), the Revd Canon Peter McDowell, Dr Raymond Refaussé (as Secretary), the Revd Canon Ricky Rountree, Fr Bernard Treacy OP, Ms Cecelia West, and Mr George Woodman to the Literature Committee (a sub–committee of the Central Communications Board).

The meeting closed with the Grace.