Standing Committee & RB
January 2012 Standing Committee News
The Standing Committee of the General Synod met on Tuesday 24 January 2012. The meeting was opened with a scripture reading and prayers. The Archbishop of Armagh welcomed three recently elected members representing Armagh Diocese to Standing Committee: the Revd Brian Harper, Mr Paul Bruce and, in absentia, Mr Adam Pearson. Members observed silence in memory of Mr Harold Stewart (Clogher Diocese) who died recently and in recognition of his longstanding past contribution to Standing Committee.Honorary Secretaries’ Report: Guide to General Synod; Upcoming Centenary Symposium; Liturgy Available
The Honorary Secretaries’ reported on the election of the new members (as above) and also drew attention to a revised concise Guide to General Synod, which will shortly be made available on the Synod website along with associated useful forms relating to Synod business (www.synod.ireland.anglican.org).
The Church of Ireland Historical Centenaries Working Group is organising a one-day conference to mark and explore the centenary of the Ulster Covenant from historical and theological perspectives. Open to anyone who wishes to be informed further in this area, this event will be chaired by Professor David Hayton (Q.U.B.) and held in Moira Parish Hall (Down) on 24 March – further details will be publicised during February.
A form of liturgy for use during the 1912-1922 centenary period, authorised by the House of Bishops, was brought to members’ attention. This will be circulated to clergy and available from the Worship section of the Church of Ireland website.
Presentation by the Board for Social Responsibility (NI)
Mr Ian Slaine, Chief Executive of the Board for Social Responsibility (NI) Ltd, provided an informative overview of the pastoral, social welfare and counselling work which it provides to people in Northern Ireland. Board provision includes: adoption services (Adoption Routes); counselling and support for birth relatives Next Step) and fertility counselling. On behalf of the Standing Committee, the Archbishop of Armagh conveyed thanks to Mr Slaine and the BSR staff for the professional work done by them in the community on behalf of the Church and in its name. The Archbishop said he wished to affirm and support its work which provides a significant contribution to people’s ability to cope with difficult family issues.
Church of Ireland Representatives
It was resolved that the following representatives be appointed to attend the following meetings: The Rt Revd Patrick Rooke and Canon David Crooks at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church to be held in Church House, Belfast (28-31May 2012); The Rt Revd Alan Abernethy and Mr Glenn Moore at the Conference of the Methodist Church in Ireland to be held in Enniskillen (7-10 June 2012); Mr Philip McKinley to the Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends to be held in Quaker House, Dublin (12-15 April 2012); and Mr Philip McKinley at a forthcoming Porvoo Communion Conference to be held in Uppsala, Sweden on the theme of ‘Diaspora’, a subject of significance in the Irish context.
The following were also appointed as Church of Ireland representatives to the Irish Council of Churches: The Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke; The Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson; the Rt Revd Trevor Williams; the Very Revd John Mann; Revd Canon David Crooks; Revd Canon Dr Ian Ellis; Revd Canon Timothy Kinahan; Revd Canon Walter Lewis; Revd Bernie Daly; Revd Adrian Dorian; Revd Daniel Nuzum; Revd Niall Sloane; Revd Gillian Wharton; Ms Ruth Handy; Dr Ken Milne; Mr Sam Morrow; Mr R Roe, and three students to come from the cohort of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute. The following were also appointed as supplementalists; Revd Canon Eithne Lynch; Revd Canon Ian Poulton; Ms Janet Barcroft and Mr Sam Harper.
Leuenberg Church Fellowship
Standing Committee approved a motion that a Memorandum of Agreement between the British and Irish Anglican Churches and the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe known as the Leuenberg Church Fellowship be appended to the Standing Committee Report and included in the Book of Reports for presentation to General Synod in 2012.
The Leuenberg Church Fellowship is a community of Protestant Churches in Europe, which over successive years have had regular bi-lateral and multi-lateral relationships with the Anglican Churches of Britain and Ireland, including the Meissen Declaration (1988) between the EKD and the Church of England and the Reuilly Declaration (1999) between the four Anglican Churches in Britain and Ireland and two Reformed and two Lutheran churches in France. At national level there have been similar agreements between Churches of the Leuenberg Church Fellowship and Anglican Churches including Church of England and the Methodist Church of Great Britain (2003) and between the Scottish Episcopal Church, the United Reformed Church and the Methodist Church of Great Britain. The multilateral Welsh Covenant includes the Church in Wales and several Protestant Churches. The Church of Ireland’s Covenant relationship with the Methodist Church in Ireland (2002) also forms part of this relationship. In the light of these and overlapping agreements, it was agreed by Anglican and CPCE representatives in April 2011 that they would recommend to their sponsoring bodies that there should be a memorandum of agreement between the parties who have participated in the consultations.
Book of Common Prayer Copyright Advisor
Standing Committee requested that the Honorary Secretaries convey sincere thanks to the Revd Canon Brian Mayne for his work as BCP Copyright Advisor, following his decision to resign from this role. The extensive contribution which Canon Mayne has made to the liturgical life of the Church and his painstaking, detailed work was noted with warm gratitude.
It was resolved that the Venerable Ricky Rountree be appointed to succeed Canon Mayne as BCP Copyright Advisor. Enquiries in respect of BCP copyright issues can be sent by email to Archdeacon Rountree at rbrountree@gmail.com. Copyright enquiries on other matters should be sent to the Synod Department of the RCB as usual.
Age-Related Representation at General Synod/Hard Gospel Implementation Working Group
Following circulation of a paper to Standing Committee by Mr Andrew McNeile and the Revd Gillian Wharton on age-related representation (and their having met with the Hard Gospel Implementation Working Group), there was considerable and broad discussion at Standing Committee on this theme and of representation matters in general. Age-related representation and other matters concerning representation will be further considered by the Hard Gospel Implementation Working Group. Standing Committee resolved that the Revd Gillian Wharton be appointed to the Hard Gospel Implementation Working Group until the final day of the General Synod in 2013 (this does not add to the original quota of membership of this group).
EU Single Farm Payments Scheme Working Group
It was resolved that the Honorary Secretaries invite the following to be members of the EU Single Farm Payments Scheme Working Group: Revd Canon Ian Poulton (Convenor); Revd Eithne Lynch; Mr Samuel Morrow; Mr John Thompson; Mr Eric Driver; Mr Roger Boyd; Mr John Moore; Mr Ray Elkin and Mr John Shirley; and have the power to co-opt additional women involve in agriculture to the group. It was requested that the group produce a resource document on the implications of the end of the EU single farm payment scheme and report its findings to Standing Committee in June.
Church of Ireland Press Office.
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