General Synod Synopsis from Salisbury Members – York 2010 General Synod met at York University from Clergy Pensions Friday 9th to Tuesday 13th July 2010. On the As with most pension schemes the post-1998 clergy Sunday morning we worshipped together in pension scheme is under considerable pressure from York Minster. The dominant item on the agenda overall financial market weakness and increased was the legislation to allow the ordination of longevity of life. Following the February 2010 women as bishops to proceed. This debate was Synod, final approval was given to the changes then scheduled to take several days and the various agreed, with one important difference. The changes, sections of this debate are collated into one relating only to service after January 2011, are: opt report in this synopsis. into the State Second Pension, and reduce the clergy Report of the Business Committee scheme benefit to half the stipend level from two thirds – benefit neutral but cost saving; 41½ years The usual free ranging debate which releases service for full pension (previously agreed at 43); synodical hobbyhorses onto the race track for a brief pension age 68 instead of 65; increases to follow run in the sunlight was muted. Perhaps this was a RPI; new arrangements for early ill-health reflection of the seriousness of our agenda. Even the retirement; civil partners to have same rights as Chairman’s remark that she hoped the committee spouses (cost ‘negligible’). Not all were happy with had allowed too much time for women bishops was this piecemeal approach, but to delay changes received in silence. Nevertheless a few members would exacerbate the problem. Consideration will revealed their underlying concerns to be:- be given to a hybrid scheme – part defined benefit • Wanting an address from a women bishop and part defined contribution for the future, so from elsewhere in what’s left of the further changes may follow. Anglican Communion. Questions • A debate on marriage after divorce. The last item on Friday was 93 questions for written • Confidentiality within the Crown or oral response. As always the questions covered a Nominations Commission. wide range of subject as members took advantage of the opportunity to challenge the leaders of different • A code of practice on conflicts of interest. councils and commissions about Church policy and • The Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent practice. message to ECUSA. Two of the questions were asked by Mike Burbeck. These may, or probably won’t, appear on a future The first covered “who was going to announce the agenda. period of reception for the ordained ministry of women had come to a close”. The Archbishop of Additional Weekday Lectionary and Canterbury replied that this cannot be answered by Amendments to Calendar, Lectionary and one part of the Universal Church - i.e. it is not over Collects and continues until the Roman Catholics and The previous Synod had recommitted this Liturgical Orthodox Churches agree. The second question Business with the view to the inclusion of three asked for agreed definitions for “one”, “holy”, verses omitted from the reading for Monday of Lent “catholic”, “apostolic”, “Church”. The Bishop of 3. The Revision Committee agreed to re-instate the Chichester stated that a glossary might run the risk verses (now Luke 9:1-11) With this change the of foreclosing on the Church’s ongoing reflection Business received Final Approval. The weekday on the meaning of these terms – i.e. there is no lectionary is to be commended for those places and agreed understanding! Sadly, it is the lack of this situations where an alternative to the continuous understanding that allows people of different beliefs morning/evening lectionary is felt to be appropriate. to argue using the same words but with a totally The readings are largely shorter and do not require different meaning. people to have heard what was read the day before, Presidential Address 10th July nor anticipates them being there the next day. It’s used in Salisbury Cathedral for Evensong! The Archbishop’s theme was that the way to come closer to God is to be generous and honest towards 1 everyone. We constantly risk knowing the price of Faith and Order everything and the value of nothing. He quoted the The setting up of a new Faith and Order Magna Carta of 1215 on Jury trial and free, swift Commission was approved. justice for all and Winston Churchill who said “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by Introducing the debate, the Archbishop of what we give”. Canterbury said that the Synod might want to reflect on the purpose of theology and theological He suggested we should break the link between paid resourcing in the Church of England. The Church employment and work. ‘Good work’ is not had been served by the Doctrine Commission necessarily paid employment. We need the pursuit (which had not operated in recent years), the Faith not of profit, but of economic justice on a global and Order Advisory Group, and the House of scale. He spoke of the wonderful Quaker Bishops Theological Commission. Bringing these industrialists, Cadbury, Fry and Rowntree (the together would provide for a more focused handling Trinity of Chocolate) as examples of how of discourse. businesses can act ethically and responsibly in the creation of work and wealth. “Wealth creation is a Numbers would be smaller than the combined good thing, with a spiritual health warning.” membership, at 16: six bishops, and ten clerical and lay theologians. Scholars would be invited for The Archbishop said being generous and honest particular pieces of work. Cost savings were toward everyone is ‘social holiness’. We cannot expected. expect to come closer to God if we are not working for the good of others. Canon Richard Franklin asked for reassurance that the new body would not become a Congregation for Archbishop Sentamu said it deeply saddened him the Doctrine of the Faith. He also questioned that there was not only a general disregard for truth, whether it would be able to fulfil all the roles of the but a rapacious appetite for ‘carelessness’, three bodies, which had different functions. compounded by spin, propaganda and resort to misleading opinions paraded as fact about Rowan Legislative Business Williams. He said enough was enough. We should The Bishop of Hull continued his inept stumble all possess a high regard for truth. through the employment jungle admitting at one He asked who may come close and dwell with God. point that “I’m procedurally up the spout”. Readers The answer is those with generosity and honour to may share our concern given that this is an area of our neighbour, leading to human flourishing, giving law in which procedure is all! Nevertheless, he rise to the fruits of sincerity, humility, succeeded in securing final approval of the dependability, stickability, compassion and justice. subordinate regulations to the Terms of Service As St.Aelred said, our hearts are like a spiritual legislation. These deal with important details such Noah’s Ark made of imperishable wood of virtues as initiating capability proceedings against bishops and good deeds. We should gather in and care for and archbishops (because he forgot this in all those who are in any kind of need, particularly February!), maternity, paternity, parental and those likely to drown in the chaos of their lives. adoption leave, time off for the care of dependents and the commencement date – 1 January 2011 Archbishops’ Council Budget for 2011 unless the bishop mislays his dairy. Andrew Britton, the finance chairman, presented the Our Fellowship in the Gospel 2011 budget. The Archbishops’ Council has committed itself to five years of tight spending On Sunday afternoon there was a short debate on control. The largest item is training, where slightly Our Fellowship in the Gospel: Report of a Joint reduced numbers in theological colleges demand a Study Group between the Church of England and modest increase of 2.2%. A larger increase for the Church of Scotland. We had been given a clergy retirement housing (5%) results from summary of the Report to read. It told of the additional provision with the help of outside turbulent relationships between the Church of borrowing. The other three items, national England and the Kirk during the Reformation and responsibilities, mission agency pensions and grants the two centuries afterwards and of increasing good contribute to an overall increase of 1.5%. This is fellowship in the Gospel over the past 150 years. charged to the dioceses under an agreed formula . The Bishop of Guildford, the Rt Revd Christopher Hill, and a former Moderator of the Church of Scotland, The Rev Dr Peter Donald, set the scene. We formally welcomed the Report and looked 2 forward to further conversations between our two Archbishops’ Council Annual Report Churches on biblical and theological issues At the same time that Spain were scoring 1 nil Review of the Constitution of the Archbishops’ against Holland in the World Cup, it was a thin Council house that attended the report’s presentation with questions to follow. The textural part of the report In a brilliant effort to enliven a dull but important was more informative than in previous years and topic the Archbishop of York introduced this item even included a number of photographs. The new by inviting the Synod to join him in the Marseillaise design’s motivation came from the Charity for reasons which are too abstruse to explain here. Commission’s directive to show what is done for What a pity that only our own James Humphery and the public’s benefit, to outline plans for the coming one other member knew the words in French and year whilst indicating how those for the previous joined in for a few bars.