Day 1
Report of Standing Committee Highlights Wide Range of Work and Projects
The report of Standing Committee was received at General Synod in Limerick this afternoon (Thursday May 4). The report outlines the work of the commissions and committees that operate under the remit of Standing Committee. It highlights the second Church of Ireland Census and the establishment of the Safeguarding Trust Board as some of the most significant issues since the last General Synod.
Also highlighted in the report is the fact that the Bishops’ Appeal funded grants totalling €457,243 over the last year. The Central Communications Board’s review of the Church’s communications structures and strategic objectives is also mentioned. A report from the Historical Centenaries Working Group focuses on its symposium on the Battle of the Somme and support for the late Dr Valerie Jones’ popular book, Rebel Prods. The plans of the Pioneer Ministry Working Group to invite members of General Synod to share experiences of new forms of outreach that are seeking to engage with our communities are also presented.
The report was proposed by the Bishop of Meath and Kildare who highlighted the large number of good news stories contained within its pages. Looking at the work of Bishops’ Appeal and the money raised for humanitarian aid, Bishop Pat Storey thanked all who supported the charity. She said the setting up of the Refugee Working Groups, North and South, meant that the Church could try to put into practice what the governments have said they need: welcome refugees in your area, offer practical support and speak out against xenophobia.
Turning to the Church of Ireland Census 2016, Bishop Storey said that while the results are not yet available, it is a crucial gauge of where we are as an island–wide church. “It is not a flawless system by any means, but it does give us an idea of where we are at – why? So that we can aim for better. The census can actually focus us on mission, which is the very kernel of Long Term Church. There will be some good news in the census, but for many of us, it will highlight the need to act and to have a vision for the future before it is too late. If we allow the census to encourage us to be missional, it will have been a worthwhile exercise,” she stated.
As chairperson of the Central Communications Board she commended the new Church of Ireland website and the work of those who helped bring it to fruition and the communications staff and diocesan communications officers in disseminating information. She said that the Parish Development Working Group continued to offer encouragement and support to parishes around the island.
Seconding the report, Richard Codd highlighted the work of the Priorities Fund which allocated almost €508,000 for ministry, education, communities, areas of need and outreach initiatives in the past year.
He said that the Citizens’ Assembly was addressed by Bishop Michael Burrows in March while Canon Gillian Wharton also attended. He said the Government was to be commended on setting up by the Citizens’ Assembly and the Constitutional Convention.
Mr Codd also commended the Historical Centenaries Working Group for its input in marking the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme.
DISCUSSION ON THE REPORT
Speaking to the report the Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh drew Synod’s attention to the report of the Bishops’ Appeal Advisory Committee and said that change was impacting Bishops’ Appeal. He said that members of Bishops’ Appeal would appeal that we would reach out to our brothers and sisters in the developing world.
Iris Suitor (Armagh) spoke about East Africa which is experiencing the worst famine since 1945. She said Bishops’ Appeal was supporting two charities on the ground – Christian Aid and Tearfund. She gave stark figures for people facing starvation in South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Yeman. Natural disasters in Kenya and Ethiopia were also highlighted. She urged members to help these other people in the world who are suffering. She said Bishops’ Appeal envelopes were available at their stand.
The Revd John Ardis (Ross) said Bishops’ Appeal also helped with overseas development in rural development, health and information. He said many worthwhile projects came before them. If more money was available to put into development projects, crises might be averted, he said. He said many lives were improved by generous donations to projects. He said there were a number of diocesan Bishops’ Appeal projects which benefited both the recipients and the home dioceses.
The Bishop of Tuam, chair of Bishops’ Appeal, acknowledged the support received from across the Church of Ireland. Disasters are just one aspect of their work, he said, highlighting the development work carried out which linked with local churches. To ensure this continued, he stated, funding needed to continue. Two thirds of our funding comes from one third of churches in the Republic of Ireland but he said if Bishops’ Appeal was to continue to be the channel of the Church of Ireland then all parishes in all dioceses needed to contribute. He recognised that there were more demands on people’s money – last year there was €15,000 less to dispense on development projects. There is a crisis in East Africa but because the media is not highlighting it, funds are not coming in. Some time ago it was suggested that each adult be asked to donate one day’s income – “what a difference that would make” he said.
Val Rogers (Westport) highlighted the sending of three containers of warm clothing to Syrian refugees from his diocese.
Rhonda Willoughby (Meath and Kildare) spoke of the Meath and Kildare Good for the Sole project for the Leprosy Mission and highlighted the Food for the Sole cookbook which is on sale in support of the project. She said Bishops’ Appeal is helping people at grassroots in all sorts of ways.
Phylis Grothier (Cashel, Ferns and Ossory and Mothers’ Union) thanked all who contribute and support Bishops’ Appeal which supports a number of MU projects making a sustainable difference to family lives in Burundi, Ghana and Ethiopia.
David Millar (Dublin) spoke of Christian Aid’s support for a project by Holy Trinity Killiney and said there was a surprise waiting for the first 15 people to go to the Christian Aid stand.
Archdeacon Robert Miller spoke to the communications section of the report and said that the staff centrally are working effectively and hard and said maybe the resourcing of the staff should be examined.
Dean Alistair Grimason (Tuam, Killala and Achonry) said that communication was at the heart of what we do as a church. The raison d’etre of the Central Communications Board is to help with communications. He said the CCB review paper discussed last January pointed out some good, not so good and some challenges. He said that communications was under resourced and under valued. Challenges included things like clarity of who speaks for the church, the use of apps, social media expertise. All of this starts the redefining of where communications sits in the Church of Ireland. He thanked the press officer and assistance press officer and the staff in Belfast in Dublin. The commemorations in 2016 put extra pressure on them. He also mentioned the diocesan communications officers. He thanked Canon Ian Ellis for all his work as the editor of the Church of Ireland Gazette and wished him well in his retirement from that post. He highlighted the new Church of Ireland website and said perfecting it was an ongoing process. He commended the Parish Resources section of the website which he said was full of useful information.
Martin Montgomery (Derry and Raphoe) told parishes that people were looking for them online and said it was important for them to have a presence online. He commended Charlotte Howard in the RB for her work in helping with the IT. He urged people to look into developing websites.
The Revd Patrick Burke (Cashel Ferns and Ossory) spoke of the importance of diocesan magazines.
Edgar Hall (Dublin and Glendalough) spoke of the move of church service broadcasts to RTE One Extra online and asked the Church’s communications people to look into seeking a return to terrestrial broadcasts.
Joan Bruton talked about social media and said that nothing could replace speaking face to face to a person. The majority of people on Facebook tell you wonderful things but that is not the reality of their lives.
The Revd Ruth Gill (Limerick and Killaloe) spoke about Charities Legislation and the work parish treasurers are doing to comply with the Charities Legislation. She wondered if the Church of Ireland should have been registered as a whole rather than as individual parishes.
The Bishop of Connor commended the work of the Children’s Ministry Network and focused on the welcome that children receive in church. He acknowledged that church can be an adult place which can be unwelcoming. He highlighted the Make Yourself at Home Resource on making children and families at home in church.
Julie Curry (Down and Dromore) also spoke on Children’s Ministry and said that children are vital to the future of the church. She said the Children’s Ministry Network were there to resource the whole Church of Ireland. The materials are available on the Children’s Ministry website. She said Children’s Ministry needed to be invested.
Geoffrey McMaster (Glendalough) said that involving children could be simple and need not involve a lot of money or time. He said all required was to look at the church services and seeing how children could be involved.
Speaking to the Church and Society Commission, Archdeacon Andrew Forster (Armagh) said the church needed to be greatly concerned on the political situation in Northern Ireland where he said there was complete political deadlock, no programme for government, no budget, and politicians are focusing on the next election. Political deadlocks had always been dangerous times in our province, he said. He urged people to pray for Northern Ireland. He said the word reconciliation had disappeared from discourse over the last 12 months, community relations had taken a back seat and the community seemed more divided. He said members of the church on the island had to be people who sought the common good, who sought reconciliation and sought common ground so future generations would not seek division. We need to pray for Northern Ireland at this time, he concluded.
The Revd Adrian Dorrian (Down), chair of the Church and Society Commission, thanked all who had served on CASC and the staff of Church House for their support in particular Caoimhe Leppard and Peter Cheney. He highlighted CASC’s leaflet on Spiritual Care in Dementia.
The Bishop of Cashel spoke of his submission to the Citizens’ Assembly, for which he paid tribute to Sam Harper for his assistance. He said the submission to the Citizen’s Assembly was quite short and referred back to the referendum in 1983 when the Church of Ireland also said the Constitution was not the best place to deal with abortion. He said legislation was the best place to deal with this and it would be awful if the insidious cynicism about politicians were to affect this. He said the evidence and information presented to the Citizen’s Assembly was of an extremely high quality. He hoped that, in the event of a referendum on abortion, that the same will be said. He hoped that the electorate would handle it with respect, prayer and intelligence.
Canon Paul Willoughby (Cork) addressed the issue of centenaries and said the Church, through the Historical Centenaries Committee, had given dioceses and parishes a tremendous opportunity which had enabled people to tell their own stories. He said that the silence was over and people had been given permission to tell their stories and it was a sign of the country growing up.
Addressing the Priorities Fund, Anne Dorrian (Down) spoke of the beneficiaries of the Priorities Fund and thanked those who administer the fund.
Joanne Martin (Connor) talked of the Refugee Working Groups and said it would be beneficial to discuss a number of areas relating to asylum seekers. She said there were many ways in which the Church can get involved. She said many of these people come seeking community and friendship but with little language and ability to react. The Church must respond to these needs and reach out in friendship, she said. She encouraged people in churches that are near reception centres to become involved in supporting people in those centres. She highlighted the English Through the Prophets course being piloted in All Saints’ Church in Belfast which she said was working very well. She said they hoped to be able to provide the course to people by the end of the summer.
The Archbishop of Dublin spoke of an initiative undertaken by the Diocesan Councils of Dublin and Glendalough which involves partnering with the Irish Refugee Council in raising €300,000 over three years for an accommodation and integration programme. The IRC has been very helpful and talks of a holistic way of working and talks of the building of relationship and enabling people to realise that they have a contribution to make to Irish society, he stated. He also highlighted Dublin City University becoming a University of Sanctuary and part of the University of Sanctuary programme which involves twinning with people living in the Direct Provision Centre in Mosney. He talked of students of Mount Temple School in Dublin who have written a play about direct provision. He thanked St Patrick’s Cathedral for a musical presentation to give voice to the diocesan project also.
Walter Pringle (Clogher) talked about the Third Age and their Failte Isteach project on welcoming migrants. Failte Isteach provides an opportunity for migrants to develop their English and at the moment Failte Isteach projects are running across Ireland. He said members of the church had an opportunity to extend the hand of welcome in a practical way.
Speaking on Safeguarding, Neville Bagnall (Tuam, Killala and Achonry) said it was with great sadness that the work of the Safeguarding Trust Board was needed, but it was. He said he was sad to read of cases of historical abuse relating to the Church. He said he came away with a feeling of defensiveness. He asked if the church was too weak to act in this area to bring comfort and redress to what we have failed to do.
Dr Tim Jackson (Cork) spoke on the Disability Working Group. He said one of the challenges that had arisen recently was the challenge of inclusivity. He said the real challenge was how to include people. He said it was easy to dismiss people but we must look at how we can take things forward from here. The website contains information on how to include people with disabilities and enable them in church.
Nicky Wadsworth (Down and Dromore) suggested that parishes be encouraged to print large print copies of service sheets for those who are visually impaired so that they are included.
Joan Bruton (Meath and Kildare) spoke of her son who has Cerebral Palsy and received a Gold Gaisce Award. She urged people to think outside the box on ways of including people in church.
The Revd Barry Ford (Connor) spoke of the Working Group in Pioneer Ministry which is looking at concepts which have worked elsewhere in trying to reach the unchurched and showing God’s love to people who know little about God. He said around Ireland there were many activities to reach the unchurched both in church and non church settings. He said work would continue to explore how to develop this ministry. He said there was an invitation to share stories of new forms of outreach.
The Revd Colin Hall Thompson spoke about chaplaincy and the opportunity chaplaincies give to share with people who have nothing to do with the church. He said this was a pioneering opportunity to speak to people. He urged people to take the opportunity to speak to people about Jesus whenever they could.
In response to the debate the Bishop of Meath and Kildare thanked the contributors and said their comments had been noted.