Diocese of St Albans Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee Annual Report 2014

Acting Chair: The Bishop of

Living God’s Love The Mission and Pastoral Committee is a statutory body whose functions are set out in the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 within the framework of ‘Living God’s Love’. The Committee’s primary work lies in making better provision for the cure of souls in the Diocese and in considering proposals for pastoral reorganisation. It carries out this work with the aim that such provision and proposals should contribute to Spiritual and Numerical Growth.

The Committee is required: • To review arrangements for pastoral supervision and care in the diocese or any part of it. • To prepare strategies or proposals for carrying out the Committee’s functions for submission to the bishop and the diocesan synod for their approval. • To maintain an overview of matters relating to church buildings in the diocese and their use. • To make every endeavour to find a suitable alternative use or suitable alternative uses for churches which were proposed to be closed and buildings which have been closed for regular public worship in the diocese under a pastoral church buildings scheme.

Matters covered during the year Pastoral Reorganisation The committee met five times during the year. Mr Simon Sarmiento, The Reverend Roger During the year, 8 sets of proposals Stokes and the Reverend Carol Selby retired (2013 = 5) were under discussion to from the Committee, and we welcomed the unite parishes, change parish boundaries, Reverend Miriam Mugan (St Albans etc., and were at various stages of Archdeaconry Ecumenical Officer), John Butler consultation. and David Cansdale. • Proposed and St Paul’s

Walden Team Ministry. We said farewell to Siobahn Cole and welcomed her replacement Elisabeth Hare as • Aston; Bramfield, Stapleford, Synodical and Pastoral Officer. We are very Waterford and Watton-at-Stone – grateful to our staff for their skilful and patient local consultations continued. work on our behalf. • with Bolnhurst and Little

Staughton – Ely Diocese completed Deanery Liaison the first stage consultation for a The Committee received Mission Action Plans proposal to move from Dunstable, Buntingford, Hemel into Ely Diocese. This paved the Hempstead, Watford and Welwyn-Hatfield way for a scheme to join Bolnhurst deaneries. Members of the Committee also with , and remained in regular contact with deanery and Keysoe with the pastoral committees, attending their meetings Stodden churches. where appropriate.

• Proposed Bishop’s Stortford Group Mission Action Planning Ministry – this proposal was The DMPC used the Mission Action Planning deferred. process to develop the policy for its work and the Committee identified the following aims for • Welwyn Garden City churches – its work: local discussions and informal sharing arrangements continued. • Resourcing for Mission • Identifying and supporting missional • Patronage of Colney Heath, St Mark structures – the transfer of patronage to the trustees of a new patronage trust. • Sharing good practice

Two sets of proposals were completed and Development Plans Monitoring came into effect: Group

• Boundary alterations for Bedford Christ The Group met twice during the year and Church and Bedford, St Andrew – to take received and discussed reports from Dr account of new housing. Tony Barker on current and potential new housing developments throughout the • Plurality for the benefices of Diocese. The Group’s discussions included and – a medium-term consideration of which new developments arrangement to enable the priest-in- were likely to be appropriate locations for charge to be appointed as incumbent to the deployment of ministers, including both benefices. Pioneer Ministry and additional faith schools. Consideration was given to the future role of the Regional Development Ecumenical Working Officer when the post holder retires in The Committee encourages Deaneries to 2015. consider ecumenical co-operation initiatives. Closed Churches Uses Committee Mission and Parish Development Current cases were progressing as Matters follows: In December the Reverend Andy Croft made a • Holy Trinity, East Hyde was sold to presentation on the development and work of the Greek Orthodox Community of St Soul Survivor, a long-standing mission Charalambos in 2010. Planning initiative made the subject of a Bishop’s permission was sought to seek a Mission Order during 2014. conclusion to the disputed ownership Canon John Kiddle kept the Committee of access to the land proposed for use updated on the Living God’s Love initiative, as a car park. including the development of Mission Action Planning. The Committee received regular • St Giles, Upper Gravenhurst – reports from the Reverend Jeanette Gosney as Discussions were continuing with the Parish Development Officer. prospective purchaser concerning residential planning and design The Committee received a presentation in issues. February on Pioneer Ministry and commended inspiring work around the diocese. • Thundridge, St Mary Old Tower – the Consideration was given to how Mission two year use-seeking period will end Initiatives might best be authorised and in April 2015. Discussions about validated, e.g. via the structure of a security and crime prevention Conventional District (as for the Church of measures continued with local police, the Good Shepherd, Sandhills) or a East Herts District Council and English Bishop’s Mission Order (as for Great Heritage, and if vehicular access was Denham). granted a marketing campaign would promote an alternative use for the The Church site. of the Good Shepherd • Minsden Chapel (St Ippolyts) – A celebrates its disused church still vested in the 1st Birthday incumbent. A realistic option for

future maintenance of the chapel ruins was still being sought.

Suspensions of Presentation Future Plans - Mission and Pastoral At the end of 2014, 34 benefices were Committee Mission Action Plan suspended (2013 = 47). This continued drop The Committee will continue to develop in the number of suspended benefices reflects the DMPC MAP in the context of the the Committee’s efforts in reviewing cases Mission and Pastoral Measure and within individually and on a deanery basis in the light the wider diocesan and national of current and expected proposals for pastoral perspectives. Working groups will be reorganisation. appointed to take forward work on each aim.

The Committee will continue to consider the potential placing of pioneer ministers and the implications for Bishop’s Mission Orders particularly in relation to new development highlighted by the Development Plans Monitoring Group.