Report of Diocesan Synod on 16 June 2007

Diocesan Synod took place in the marquee in the garden at Bishopscourt. It provided a convivial and productive venue for our June Synod. A coach was laid on for those who wished to travel from the Railway or Bus Stations in Chelmsford but as things turned out it was not much used.

1. Legacy Skate Park and Youth Centre

Mr Pete Hillman gave an inspirational and enthusiastic report on the success of the Legacy youth project in Benfleet which had started in 2001. Legacy had grown from a small weekly meeting of youngsters in the local vicarage. As numbers grew, the youth group had relocated to Mr Hillman’s house, and had then moved to a church hall. Baptisms had taken place in a swimming pool.

A charitable trust had been established to enable Mr Hillman to work full time for the project; then another trust had been set up, with budget of over £500k, to build a youth centre and skate park. These facilities had opened in March 2005, in a neighbouring parish. Within a year all but £80k had been raised and 3,000 members had joined. Young leaders had been trained and a preaching ministry for the young had been introduced. The project continues to progress and everyone present congratulated Pete on his presentation and the project.

2. London Global Day of Prayer

The Bishop of Barking, Rt Revd David Hawkins, reported on this major event at West Ham football ground on Pentecost Sunday. In spite of the rain, some 20,000 people had attended.  It had been a simple and wonderful celebration of Lord’s Prayer, bringing together many different people and languages with many different styles of worship. The event would continue every year for the next three years in prominent London venues in the hope and expectation that it would grow from this very positive beginning.

3. Racial Justice Sunday

Canon Justin McKenzie reminded Synod of the impact of immigration on the country and the Diocese, and advised that Racial Justice Sunday would be held on 9 September.  Material was available for every parish from him.

4. Deanery Vision

Mr Steven Webb, Chief Executive of the Diocese, reported that this exciting process was under way. While Deanery Vision reports were awaited from some deaneries, a very useful start had already been made. The exercise had clearly been carried out prayerfully with God at the centre.

Deanery Visions would set a platform for discussions over the next few years and would help to influence the ways in which the various parts of the Diocese worked together.  Consideration had been given to people and other resources, in both individual parishes and surrounding areas.  Key themes were touched upon and everyone who has participated in the exercise thus far was thanked. Delivery of the Visions is the end of the beginning of the exercise and an analysis of the contents will now begin with a view to reporting in more detail later in the year.

The next steps would be a review of all the information with continuing dialogue taking place through many avenues, including pastoral committees, Mission & Ministry, the Finance Committee and deaneries with a view to making and measuring further progress.

5. Ministerial Review

The Archdeacon of Southend, Ven David Lowman, said that modern ministry was very different from the ministry into which he had been ordained 30 years previously.  Ministry would continue to change, and clergy would continue to be true to the inheritance of faith and alert to the current situation and to the spirit of change. They needed to be sustained in their important work.  It had been with this goal in mind that the new ministerial development review process had been designed. It would provide an annual review which would provide an opportunity for conversations about hopes, aims and aspirations for the future, with an Episcopal review continuing to be conducted every other year.  The process was intended to support, equip and enable the work of the clergy.

It was observed that great care must be taken in the selection and training of consultants; the process should not add a further level of assessment; and its importance might justify additional financial resources.

Revd Canon Roger Matthews, Director of Mission and Ministry, responded that lessons had been learned from past experiences, following the London model; the scheme involved the selection and training of consultants; he was encouraged by nominations so far; and the scheme should be led by the clergy themselves.

Curates and Readers would not be included in the initial roll-out; the position of PTOs was under consideration; the latter might be appropriate in some cases and the Area Bishops would be consulted.

6. DAC Design Awards

The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, welcomed the winners of the design awards. Bishop John noted that applications had been of a high standard and had covered works that required Faculty consent, from small items to reordering, redevelopment or churchyards. The awards were not intended to recognise the scale of the work, but rather to encourage parishes to seek individual designs of high quality that were appropriate to the local area and to the Christian faith and would enhance the local church. The awards recognised the way design promoted the work of the church and represented this to the community.

The winners were as follows:  

Highly Commended
St. Laurence, Upminster	Wrought-Iron Votive Candle Stand
St. Alban, Romford	CeilingMural/Plaque/Redecoration (including Reredos)
Commended
St. Alban, Romford	Tract Stall/Hymn Book Cupboard/ Credence Table/Incumbents’ Board
St. Mary, Shenfield	New Lighting
All Saints, Writtle	New Chandelier Lighting
St. Mary, Little Hallingbury	New Flooring
St. Peter & St. Paul, St. Osyth	New Kitchen
Merit
St. George, Great Bromley	Two statues (Mary Presenting Jesus and George and the Dragon)
St. Peter & St. Paul, West Mersea	Memorial Stained Glass Window (to commemorate the Island’s Fishermen and Oystermen)
St. Peter, Westcliff	Extended Entrance Lobby
St. Mary, Woodford	Lifting Platform for Disabled Access
St. Mary, Ardleigh	Internal Re-ordering (kitchen facilities)
Special Award
(To mark the contribution by Peter Richards to the work of the DAC) St. Alban, Romford and, in particular, to Father Roderick Hingley                 “For introducing contemporary art and craft works into the life of the modest suburban church where beauty and traditional worship go hand-in-hand with the life of the community”

7. Annual Reports to Synod

The Reports were received. Bishop John thanked the Diocesan staff for their work.

8. 2008 Budget

Mr Webb reported that the budget was an evolving process and improvements had been made and would continue to be made. Moving towards a balanced budget was a high priority, while recognising that money was a tool, not the principal driver as was the case in a purely commercial organisation.  
Substantial consultation over the 2008 budget would take place. There was general agreement that the church needed to become more “mission-shaped”, and following detailed analysis of Deanery Visions, a change of priorities might be required.

The deficit in 2006 had been £800k, the main factors being overspend on property maintenance and a shortfall in Parish Share receipts. Clergy numbers had been more tightly controlled than previously and this had had a beneficial impact on the budget. Budgets in the next few years should be as close to inflation and as stable as possible.

Canon Don Cardy, Chairman of the Finance Committee, reported that the 2008 budget had not been finalised as several items were awaited. However, a draft should be available shortly.  The increase was currently projected at between 3 and 4%.

Almost 80% of parishes paid their share in full in 2006, and parish share received to date for 2007 was 1% ahead of 2006. Increases in the share over the next three years were likely to be at inflation or approximately 3%. Income and expenditure must be matched to the budget.

Expenditure in 2008 would be approximately £19.15 m. For the most part this represented stipends, NI and pensions. Increases should match wage inflation rather than the Consumer Price Index. Central costs were mainly in stipendiary support (80%), with the remainder covering education, the National Church and finally administration.  It was not known whether any additional support would be forthcoming from the National Church.

It was stressed that Deaneries should not overstretch parishes and efforts should be made to engage and involve everyone in the process and keep them up to date with progress; no increase should be significantly more than the deanery average.

In response to concerns that there had been insufficient time for deaneries and parishes to discuss the draft budget in November 2006, Canon Cardy referred to efforts to start the consultative earlier in 2007, while noting that the timetable relied on receipt of data from other bodies such as the National Church and General Synod.

Canon Cardy confirmed that the diocese would be in a position to consider a contribution to reserves in 2008 if additional funds were received from the National Church.

9. Questions

Mr Webb advised that enhanced criminal record checks had been carried out on nearly 50% of licensed clergy. The Diocese had organised a mail shot to clergy which had unfortunately not been well responded to and therefore another would follow.  The CRB system was still evolving and a new system was awaited in 2009.

In response to a question on the errors in mailing lists and expenditure on IT systems, Mr Webb pointed out that the situation had been improving and would continue to improve.

Bishop John advised a questioner that parishes could chose to admit children to communion with permission.

10. Retirement of Ven Michael Fox

Bishop John paid tribute to Ven Michael Fox, whose service as Archdeacon of West Ham and to the Diocese over many years was greatly valued and appreciated.

11. Appointment of new Archdeacon of West Ham

Bishop John announced that Revd Elwin Cockett had been selected as the next Archdeacon of West Ham and Elwin was introduced to members of Synod.

12. Mr Robert Berry

Bishop John and Mr Anthony Nicolle, Vice-Chairman of the DBF, paid tribute to and thanked Mr Berry, who was retiring as Chairman of the Diocesan Board of Finance, for all that he had achieved in that capacity.

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