_________________________ THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CHURCH IN WALES _________________________ REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE APRIL 2016 _________________________ CONTENTS Report of the Standing Committee 1 Summary of Recommendations 10 Appendices 1. Membership of the Standing Committee 2. Governing Body Motion on Refugees, September 2015: Update 3. Anglican & Ecumenical Budget 4. Report of the Provincial Archives Adviser THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CHURCH IN WALES REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE – APRIL 2016 1. The Standing Committee met on 3 December 2015 and 17 February 2016. The Committee’s recommendations for decision are set out at the end of the Report. MEMBERSHIP OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE 2. The membership of the Standing Committee is set out in Appendix I to this report. REPORT OF THE APPOINTMENTS SUB-COMMITTEE 3. The Standing Committee received a Report on matters discussed by the Appointments Sub-committee at its meeting held on 21 January 2016. Membership of the Governing Body 4. The Committee approved, under the power delegated to it by the Governing Body, the following co-options to the Governing Body for the triennial period to 31 December 2018, as recommended by the Sub-committee: Cleric The Reverend Canon Joanna Penberthy Unbeneficed Cleric The Reverend Dr Ainsley Griffiths Lay Persons His Honour Judge Andrew Keyser QC Mr Mark Powell QC Lay Persons (Under 30 years of age) Miss Sara Burgess Mr James Tout General Synod of the Church of Ireland 12-14 May 2016 5. An invitation had been received from the Church of Ireland to send a representative to its Synod to take place in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin from 12-14 May 2016. The Committee recommends that Mrs Elizabeth Thomas be invited to attend as the Church in Wales’s representative. Recommendation 1 REPORT OF THE BUSINESS SUB-COMMITTEE 6. The Standing Committee received reports from the Business Sub-committee on matters considered in correspondence (in lieu of a meeting scheduled for 3 November 2015) and matters discussed at a meeting on 21 January 2016. 1 Review of the September 2015 Meeting of Governing Body 7. The Sub-committee had reviewed the meeting of the Governing Body held in September 2015. An exceptionally high number of speakers (33) had contributed to the discussion on same sex marriage. There had been positive feedback about holding the Eucharist before dinner on the first day and the Sub-committee would bear this in mind for future meetings where practicable. Governing Body Worship Committee 8. The Worship Co-ordinator had convened the new Governing Body Worship Committee which will plan worship for the April and September 2016 meetings. The members of the Committee are: St Asaph: The Reverend Alex Mayes Bangor: The Reverend Janet Fletcher St Davids: The Reverend Harri Williams Llandaff: The Reverend Jan Gould Monmouth: The Reverend John Connell Swansea & Brecon: The Reverend Michael Thomas Highlights 9. The Business Sub-committee had received a report on the new arrangements for Highlights. The Reverend Heather Fenton (a retired Cleric from St Asaph diocese) had agreed to edit the April 2016 edition on a trial basis, assisted by provincial staff with photography and layout. Membership of the Governing Body 10. A note from Mr Peter Badcock (an elected lay member for Llandaff diocese) concerning the membership of the Governing Body had been received and referred to the Standing Committee’s Working Group on Age Limits and to the Business Sub- committee. Mr Badcock’s main point was that there should be an upper limit of say nine years for continuous Governing Body membership for lay members. The Sub- committee noted the response to this point in the Working Group’s report (para 55 and Appendix 8). A review of the periods of continuous Governing Body membership coupled with the numbers of new members over the last 10 years had shown a far higher rate of turnover than was generally assumed. Emergency Resolution on Refugees 11. The Committee noted a report from the Bishops’ Adviser for Church and Society on action taken to follow up the emergency resolution on the Refugee Crisis approved by the Governing Body in September 2015. It was agreed to include details of the action taken in this report. (Appendix 2.) 2 Governing Body Meeting April 2016 12. On the advice of the Business Sub-committee, the Standing Committee agreed the order of business for this two night meeting as set out in the Agenda. Consideration of Future Governing Body Business 13. The Standing Committee noted the Business Sub-committee’s list of possible items for inclusion on future Governing Body agendas. The Committee suggested that this should include another round of diocesan presentations to the Governing Body to increase understanding of the current activities in each diocese. Similar presentations had taken place over ten years ago. Anglican & Ecumenical Issues 14. The Business Sub-committee recommended the Anglican and Ecumenical Budget for 2016 to the Standing Committee, in the sum of £62,400 for the Anglican budget and £89,000 for the Ecumenical budget, a total of £151,400 representing an overall decrease over the 2015 budget of 0.2%. The Committee agreed the budget subject to increasing the grant to the Anglican Centre in Rome from £1,000 to £1,400. The budget agreed by the Standing Committee is set out at Appendix 3 to this Report. 15. The Committee asked the Business Sub-committee to take an even more detailed look at the individual payments to be proposed in the budget for 2017, the current financial position of recipients and also at the overall level of grants provided by the Church in Wales (which was now lower than 10 years ago). REPORT OF THE DRAFTING SUB-COMMITTEE 16. The Standing Committee received reports from the Drafting Sub-committee on matters it had discussed at its meeting held on 5 November 2015. 17. The resolutions agreed by the Governing Body at its last meeting on various property matters (Governing Body Minute 15/33) had included an instruction to the Standing Committee to give effect to the appropriate amendments to the Constitution, in accordance with section 34 (3) of Chapter II of the Constitution. The Committee therefore agreed to make the amendments prepared by the Drafting Sub-committee to: - the Regulations governing the Application of the Proceeds of sale of churches, church sites and churchyards; - the Redundant Churches Regulations; - the Regulations relating to Parsonages. REPORT OF THE LEGAL SUB-COMMITTEE 18. The Standing Committee noted that two issues had been referred to the Legal Sub- committee by the Bench of Bishops regarding Same Sex Marriage and Communion and Confirmation. 3 2020 VISION 19. At each of its meetings, the Standing Committee received reports from the various groups engaged with 2020 Vision issues: the Implementation Group, the Financial Issues Group and the Structural Issues Group. A report of the work of these Groups is given in Agendum 11. 20. One of the overriding themes of the Implementation Group’s reports has been the fundamental importance of communications in promoting 2020 Vision to the wider Church. This is a regular issue on the Group’s agendas. Another critical issue is ascertaining from a local perspective what progress is being made with 2020 Vision, where it is succeeding, where it is failing, and what needs to be done from a parish/Ministry Area perspective. In this context, the Committee has asked the Group to arrange the discussion groups at this meeting to give an opportunity for members to provide feedback on 2020 Vision from a local perspective, particularly as, in 2016, we are already halfway to 2020 from the time of the 2012 Review. BILL TO ENABLE THE ADDITION OF CHURCHES TO THE SECOND SCHEDULE OF THE PORVOO DECLARATION CANON 1995 BY SIMPLE MOTION 21. The Committee considered the Report of the Select Committee on the Bill to Enable the Addition of Churches to the Second Schedule of the Porvoo Declaration Canon 1995 by Simple Motion and agreed: (i) to receive the Report of the Select Committee; (ii) to circulate the Report to all members of the Governing Body for consideration in Committee at this meeting; (iii) to accept and endorse the Select Committee’s recommendation that the Bill be deemed ‘non-controversial’. (for the purposes of Section 29 of Chapter II of the Constitution) AGE LIMITS IN THE CHURCH IN WALES 22. In December 2014 the Standing Committee appointed a Working Group with the following Terms of Reference and membership: Terms of Reference The Working Group is invited to: (i) review the age limits currently applying in the Church in Wales; (ii) consult, collect information and take advice as necessary; (iii) make recommendations for any changes to the current provisions; (iv) report to the Standing Committee with such recommendations by July 2015* (*While agreeing this timetable, the Standing Committee recognised that July 2015 might not be achievable and invited the Working Group to advise if more time was needed.) 4 Membership The Venerable Christopher Smith, Archdeacon of Morgannwg (Chair) Mr Clive Myers (GB, RB and Chair HR Committee) His Honour Philip Price QC (GB, RB and Chair Standing Committee) Mrs Barbara Harding (GB, HR Committee) The Venerable Dr Will Strange, Archdeacon of Cardigan The Committee is very grateful to the Archdeacon of Morgannwg and to all members of the Group for their work. 23. The Committee received the Group’s report and agreed to include it on the agenda for this meeting of the Governing Body. Advised by the Working Group, the Committee recognised that the whole issue of age limits and the legal position is more complex than is often thought: that was why it had taken the Group longer to complete its task than originally hoped.