Standing Committee & RB20 Mar 18

March 2018 Standing Committee News

The Standing Committee of the General Synod met on Tuesday 13th March 2018 in Church House, Dublin. Ms Hazel Corrigan opened the meeting with a reading from Luke 2 and in prayer, remembering in particular ministries and agencies which bring healing and relief.

The report and recommendations of the Priorities Fund Committee were received and accepted; the committee recommended that diocesan targets for contributions to the 2019 fund should not be increased and should remain at their current levels. The Priorities Fund provides grants under four criteria: training (lay and ordained); Christian education; outreach initiatives; and innovative ministry in a rural context. In 2017, the committee received 84 applications (from all 12 dioceses) requesting grants amounting to €1,292,489. It has recommended 65 grants, totalling €641,858. The Chairman of the committee, Mr Roy Totten, thanked parishes, dioceses and individuals who contribute to the fund. The Archbishop of Armagh, in turn, thanked the Chairman, the committee and the Priorities Fund Organiser, Mrs Sylvia Simpson, for their work. 

The Standing Committee agreed to allocate one of its nominations to the board of the Secondary Education Committee to a representative of the Pentecostal Churches; the committee administers the Protestant block grant scheme for second level school pupils in the Republic of Ireland. A process for the nomination of the remaining directors allocated to the Church of Ireland has been initiated.

Dr Andrew Scholes, a lay member of General Synod for the Diocese of Connor, was co–opted to the membership of the Historical Centenaries Working Group. Dr Scholes is the author of The Church of Ireland and the Third Home Rule Bill and contributed to the working group’s conference on the Ulster Covenant in 2012.

The Bishop of Clogher and Mrs Margaret Fullerton were appointed to attend the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, in Belfast, from 4th to 8th June. The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe and Mr Richard Codd were appointed to attend the Annual Conference of the Methodist Church in Ireland, in Londonderry, from 13th to 16th June. The Bishop of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory was appointed to attend the Provincial Synod of the Moravian Church, in Derbyshire, from 6th to 9th July. The Dean of Limerick, the Very Revd Niall Sloane, was appointed to attend the Ireland Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, in Limerick Institute of Technology, from 18th to 22nd July.

Members were reminded of the following deadlines ahead of General Synod 2018, which will take place in the Armagh City Hotel from 10th to 12th May:

• receipt of Bills (for circulation) – Thursday, 29th March;
• receipt of Motions (for circulation) – Tuesday, 10th April;
• advance receipt of Requests for Information – Thursday, 3rd May;
• receipt of Petitions – Thursday, 3rd May; and
• late Bills – Thursday, 3rd May.

In all cases, documents should be sent to the Honorary Secretaries at Church of Ireland House, Rathmines, Dublin 6, or by email to honsecs@ireland.anglican.org. Forms are available at www.synod.ireland.anglican.org and the Legislation Committee is available to assist members of General Synod with the drafting of Bills for General Synod. To avail of the assistance of the committee, members are asked to contact the Synod Officer, Dr Catherine Smith, at catherine.smith@rcbcoi.org

Members were also asked to note that the date of the June meeting of Standing Committee has been moved from 19th June to 12th June.