APRIL 2018 1. the Standing Committee Met On
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THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CHURCH IN WALES REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE – APRIL 2018 1. The Standing Committee met on 7 December 2017 and 15 February 2018. The Committee’s recommendations for decision are set out at the end of the Report. MEMBERSHIP OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE 2. At its meeting on 15 February 2018, the Committee considered its membership for the new triennial period to 31 December 2020. Members nominated by Dioceses 3. It was reported that the Dioceses had elected the following members: St Asaph The Reverend Canon Pam Powell Mrs Sue Last Bangor The Reverend Richard Wood Mrs Lis Perkins St Davids The Venerable Dr Will Strange, Archdeacon of Cardigan Mrs Elizabeth Thomas Llandaff The Venerable Peggy Jackson, Archdeacon of Llandaff Dr Heather Payne Monmouth The Venerable Jonathan Williams, Archdeacon of Newport Dr Jayne Collier Swansea & Brecon The Venerable Jonathan Davies, Archdeacon of Gower Dr Siân Miller Nominated members 4. In accordance with Section 34.2.3 of the Regulations relating to Chapter II of the Constitution, the Standing Committee can nominate up to two members of the Governing Body for appointment by the Governing Body onto the Standing Committee. The Committee agreed to nominate the following members: The Reverend Canon Steven Kirk (Chair of the Drafting Sub-committee) His Honour Judge Andrew Keyser QC (Chair of the Legal Sub-committee) Recommendation 1 1 Co-opted members 5. In accordance with Section 34.2.4 of the Chapter II Regulations, the Standing Committee can co-opt up to two members. The Committee co-opted Mrs Helen Biggin, leaving the other place vacant for the time being in case there is a need to co- opt a member with specific expertise later in the triennium. Election of Chair and Vice-Chair 6. In accordance with Section 34.4 of the Chapter II Regulations, Mrs Lis Perkins and Mrs Helen Biggin were re-elected Chair and Vice-Chair respectively for the new triennium. MEMBERSHIP OF SUB-COMMITTEES 7. In accordance with Sections 36.4 and 36.5 of the Chapter II Regulations, the Standing Committee appointed the following members to its sub-committees for the next triennium: Appointments Sub-committee The Archbishop of Wales (Chair) Mrs Lis Perkins The Venerable Dr Will Strange, Archdeacon of Cardigan The Venerable Peggy Jackson, Archdeacon of Llandaff The Venerable Jonathan Williams, Archdeacon of Newport Mrs Sue Last Dr Sian Miller Mrs Elizabeth Thomas The Committee agreed to appoint the same members to both the Appointments and Business Sub-committees, noting that their functions would remain separate. Business Sub-committee Ex-officio membership The Archbishop of Wales The Chair of the Standing Committee Elected membership Three clerics The Venerable Peggy Jackson, Archdeacon of Llandaff The Venerable Dr Will Strange, Archdeacon of Cardigan The Venerable Jonathan Williams, Archdeacon of Newport Three lay persons Mrs Sue Last Dr Sian Miller Mrs Elizabeth Thomas 2 Drafting Sub-committee The Reverend Canon Steven Kirk (Chair) The Reverend Dyfrig Lloyd Mr Arwel Davies Mr Tim Davenport Mr Mark Powell QC Mr Llŷr Williams Chair of the Legal Sub-committee In accordance with Section 36.5 of the Chapter II Regulations, the Committee appointed His Honour Judge Andrew Keyser QC as Chair of the Legal Sub- committee. 8. The full membership of the Standing Committee and its sub-committees is set out in Appendix I to this report. REPORT OF THE APPOINTMENTS SUB-COMMITTEE 9. The Standing Committee received a Report on matters discussed by the Appointments Sub-committee at its meeting held on 25 January 2018. Membership of the Governing Body 10. The Committee approved, under the power delegated to it by the Governing Body, the following co-options to the Governing Body, as recommended by the Sub-committee to 31 December 2020: Clerics The Reverend Dr Adrian Morgan Unbeneficed Cleric The Reverend Dean A Roberts Lay Persons Dr Marion Hughes Lay Persons (Under 30 years of age) Mr Edward Hodge Mr Daniel Priddy Appointments to the Panels of Governing Body Chairs and Assessors 11. Under the procedure for appointing to the Panels of Chairs and Assessors members are reviewed after six years. This year two members of the Panel of Chairs came up for review, Mrs Lis Perkins and the Venerable Peggy Jackson. The Committee recommends that they are re-appointed for a period of a further six years. The Committee also informs the Governing Body (not part of the recommendation) that the Right Reverend Andrew John has become a member of the Panel as the senior diocesan bishop after the Archbishop. Recommendation 2 3 12. This year no members of the Panel of Assessors came up for review under the six year rule. The Committee decided to leave further appointments to the Panel of Assessors in abeyance while a review of the use of Assessors takes place. It will use the Head of Legal Services in place of the Assessor on one of the days of the April meeting as an experimental procedure. Appointment of a Representative to attend the 2018 Methodist Conference 13. The Committee was informed that the Methodist Conference had a rota on which it invited other churches to appoint an Associate Member of the Conference, usually for two successive years, who had the right to speak but not vote. On the advice of the Bench of Bishops the Committee recommends that the newly appointed Director of Faith Order and Unity, the Reverend Dr Ainsley Griffiths, be appointed as the Church in Wales representative for 28 June to 5 July 2018 and 9 from 27 June to 4 July 2019. Recommendation 3 General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church, 7-9 June 2018 14. An invitation had been received from the Scottish Episcopal Church to send a representative to its General Synod, to take place in Edinburgh from Thursday 7 to Saturday 9 June 2017. The Committee recommends that the Reverend Canon Steven Kirk be invited to attend as the Church in Wales’s representative and that similar appointments of representatives to attend the synods of other churches be delegated to the Standing Committee in future. Recommendation 4 Appointment of a Representative to the World Council of Churches 15. Due to her role as Chaplain to the Bishop of Llandaff, the Reverend Dr Sarah Rogers has stepped down from her role as a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, on which she served for some years. The Standing Committee thanks Dr Rogers for her work in this role, and notes that the appointment of new members is a matter for the World Council of Churches. [NB Items 14 and 15 were taken direct to the Standing Committee as it was not known when the Appointments Sub-committee met.] REPORT OF THE BUSINESS SUB-COMMITTEE 16. The Standing Committee received reports from the Business Sub-committee on matters discussed its meeting on 25 January 2018. Review of the September 2017 Meeting of Governing Body 17. The Sub-committee reviewed the meeting of the Governing Body held in September 2017. 4 Governing Body Meeting April 2018 18. On the advice of the Business Sub-committee, the Standing Committee agreed the order of business for the meeting as set out in the Agenda. As members will be aware, following the resolution of the Governing Body concerning the admission to communion in September 2017, it was agreed to allocate time at the Governing Body meeting of Aril 2018 to hold a comprehensive discussion on the issues raised in the debate. Members of the Governing Body would be asked to set out any concerns and questions in order to enable a preparatory document to be circulated prior to the meeting. Consideration of Future Governing Body Business 19. The Standing Committee noted that the Business Sub-committee discussed possible items for inclusion on future Governing Body Agendas. A report from the Church Growth Group, led by the Bishop of Bangor will be taken to the September meeting of the Governing Body. (see also paragraph 28). The Committee has asked the Business Sub-committee look at the future programme of business to consider how it could purposefully programme the agenda of the Governing Body to bring the big questions in Welsh life to the Governing Body for discussion to help its members to engage better in Welsh life and form a better Christian mind together. An example is the item, the initial part of which is to be taken at this meeting, on the Place of the Church in the Public Square, where the committee has commissioned background papers and a short film to assist the Governing Body in its discussion. It is intended that the plenary debate and specific motion, produced in the light of whatever issues emerge in the discussion groups, will be brought to the Governing Body in September, following a discussion at the Standing Committee’s July meeting. Anglican & Ecumenical Budget 2018 20. In setting the Anglican and Ecumenical budget for 2018, the Committee was mindful that: (i) The request from the Anglican Consultative Council had become increasingly out of alignment with inflation, the Committee having adopted a policy over many years of restricting the grant to inflation increases; (ii) however, the Anglican Communion Office had indicated that the 2017 agreed contribution was recognised as being the full expectation for the year and the basis for future contributions. A new basis for determining provincial contributions would be brought forward in 2018 to ACC-17 and the Primates. (iii) The Committee recognised a series of new initiatives that would create additional costs, including the Safe Church Commission and the Anglican Inter Faith Commission, which resulted in a 6% request for 2018 (cash increase of £1,355).