Report of Proceedings 2016 General Synod February Group of Sessions Volume 47, No. 1 2 Officers of the General Synod Presidents The Archbishop of Canterbury The Archbishop of York Prolocutors of the Lower Houses of the Convocations Canterbury York The Ven Christine Hardman The Ven Cherry Vann The House of Laity Chair Vice-Chair Dr Philip Giddings Mr Tim Hind Secretary General Mr William Nye LVO Clerk to the Synod Chief Legal Adviser and Dr Jacqui Philips Registrar Mr Stephen Slack Secretary to the House of Bishops Legislative Counsel Mr William Nye LVO Mr Christopher Packer Secretary to the House of Clergy Deputy Legal Adviser Mr Jonathan Neil-Smith The Revd Alexander McGregor Secretary to the House of Laity Mr Nicholas Hills Officers of the Convocations Synodical Secretary of the Convocation of Canterbury Registrar Revd Stephen Trott Mr Stephen Slack Synodal Secretary of the Convocation of York Registrar Ven Alan Wolstencroft Ms Caroline Mockford Contents Full Synod: First Day (Monday 15 February) Introductions and Presentations 1 Appointment of the Chair of the Dioceses Commission 2 Presidential Address 4 Report by the Business Committee 9 Legislative Business: Amending Canon No. 34 17 Draft Mission and Pastoral etc. (Amendment) Measure 18 Shared Conversations on Spirituality, Scripture and Mission: Presentation 35 Questions 43 Second Day (Tuesday 16 February) Report from the Evangelism Task Group 85 Report of the Church of England–Church of Scotland Joint Study Group 104 Diocesan Synod Motions: Parochial Fees 129 Proposed Enabling Measure 142 Diocesan Synod Motion: Blood and Organ Donation 160 Full Synod: First Day (Wednesday 17 February) Diocesan Synod Motion: Impact of Sanctions on Benefit Claimants 169 Renewal and Reform: Presentation 189 Renewal and Reform: Ministerial Education 204 Renewal and Reform: Resourcing the Future 227 Prorogation 239 Full Synod: First Day Monday 15 February 2016 THE CHAIR The Archbishop of Canterbury (Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr Justin Welby) took the Chair at 2.30 pm. The Revd Michael Gisbourne (Chaplain to the General Synod) led the Synod in an act of worship. Introductions The Chair: May I refer to those who today are leading the continuous praying presence? They are the Community of St Anselm, St Matthews, Westminster and 24-7 Prayer. We are very grateful indeed to them. In a moment I am going to read out the names of the new members of the Synod. Please would they stand in their places when I mention their names and remain standing so that we can greet them all with applause at the end. The new members are: the Ven Martin Gorick, replacing the Ven Karen Gorham (Oxford); the Revd Steven Wood, replacing the Revd Sue Groom (St Albans); the Very Revd Tim Barker, Dean of Guernsey; Mr Timothy Fleming, replacing Mrs Sophie Vickers (St Albans); the Revd Sr Anita Cook (Religious Communities); Sr Catherine Harvey (Religious Communities). May we greet them all? There are two bishops attending during a vacancy in See: the Rt Revd Colin Fletcher, Bishop of Dorchester, for Oxford; and the Rt Revd John Holbrook, Bishop of Brixworth, for Leicester. They have the right to speak but not vote, and do not form part of the quorum for the House of Bishops, so when you are enjoying that particular bit of the sport, do not count them. I think it is worth saying - though it is not in my script so I will probably get into trouble - that Colin Fletcher has borne a long interregnum with great patience, and when you see him I hope and trust that you will welcome him warmly and demonstrate how much we appreciate how he serves the diocese of Oxford and the Church during this time. Presentations The following were presented to the General Synod and the greeted by the Archbishop of Canterbury: The Revd Canon Simon Butler (Southwark), Prolocutor of the Lower House of the Convocation of Canterbury; the Ven Cherry Vann (Manchester), Prolocutor of the Lower House of the Convocation of York; Canon Dr Jamie Harrison, Chair of the House of Laity: and Canon Elizabeth Paver (Sheffield), Vice-Chair of the House of Laity. 1 Presentations Monday 15 February The Chair: I think you have done the next bit which is that you welcome them with a round of applause. That concludes this formal item of business. THE CHAIR The Revd Canon Dr Rosemarie Mallett (Southwark) took the Chair at 2.46 pm. The Chair: Good afternoon, Synod. I am going to begin this afternoon’s session by inviting the Chair of the Business Committee to propose a variation in the order of business under Standing Order 9. Revd Canon Susan Booys (Oxford): Thank you, Madam Chair. Synod, you are seeing me slightly earlier than you expected. I refer you to the Fourth Notice Paper. The Archbishop of Canterbury would like make an extended address to include a statement on the Primates’ meeting that took place in January. We are requesting that Item 5 be brought forward so that it is taken immediately after Item 3 and before my report on behalf of the Business Committee. In asking for this variation, might I express our appreciation on behalf of the Synod for the work that happened at Canterbury in January. Synod, I request that you support this variation in the order of business. Thank you, Chair. The Chair: I am minded to vary the order of business in the way proposed by the Chair of the Business Committee, but, to do so, I need the general consent of Synod. This motion was carried on a show of hands. Appointment of the Chair of the Dioceses Commission (GS 2012) The Chair: I now call upon the Archbishop of Canterbury to move Item 3, the appointment of the Chair of the Dioceses Commission, for which you will need sight of GS 2012. The Archbishop may speak for up to ten minutes. The Archbishop of Canterbury (Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr Justin Welby): I beg to move: ‘That the appointment of Canon Professor Michael Clarke as Chair of the Dioceses Commission from 1 May 2016 to 30 April 2021 be approved.’ Michael Clarke will need no introduction to many of us on the Synod, a body on which he has served with distinction for over 20 years. He has been a member of the Dioceses Commission since it was reconstituted eight years ago, and has been its Chair since succeeding Dr Priscilla Chadwick in 2011. The Commission was then in the throes of a scheme to amalgamate the former dioceses of Bradford, Ripon & Leeds and Wakefield. Michael ably saw this through to the birth of the new diocese of West Yorkshire & the Dales in 2014. I believe that we are richly blessed to have someone with Michael’s deep understanding of the Church and society to steer the Commission at this time. Archbishop Sentamu and I are delighted that Michael has accepted our invitation to serve as the Commission’s Chair for a further term, not least as at least four of its other 2 Appointment of the Chair of the Dioceses Commission Monday 15 February nine members from this May will be new to it, so continuity is important. Synod’s approval is needed as he would serve from May as an ex officio member of the House of Laity. Accordingly, I ask Synod to approve this appointment. Mr Gavin Oldham (Oxford): I wish to support Michael Clarke’s appointment as Chair of the Dioceses Commission and to congratulate him on his successful first five-year term. My reason for wishing to speak is to ask him to place a new focus on the inefficiency of administration throughout the Church of England. Thus far the Dioceses Commission has looked at change on a wholesale basis, combining episcopal oversight, ministry, mission and administration in its changes, but I wish to ask that the administration is looked at separately, because we can dispense with subsidiarity to stop the duplication of these functions 42 times over. My Private Member’s Motion gives us the opportunity to consider this on the floor of the Synod if it gets over 100 signatures, but unless the Dioceses Commission picks this up, it has to be a Private Member’s Motion since our financial governance in this Synod is restricted to the Archbishops’ Council. The Chair: Mr Oldham, could you please stick to this point. Mr Gavin Oldham (Oxford): Each diocese governs its own affairs so there is no body bearing down on needless waste by duplication across the Church. With a large potential saving and much time to be released for evangelism, there is a huge benefit from cutting out unnecessary administration. I ask that Michael Clarke makes this a high priority in his second five-year term so that people at all levels of the Church will be released from administration to join in the renewal and reform we are trying so hard to achieve. Revd Canon Jonathan Alderton-Ford (St Edmundsbury & Ipswich): Until recently I was a member of the Dioceses Commission. I feel at liberty to speak as I am no longer a member of this body. Can I say that the eight years I have been on has been a wonderful experience and a great deal has been achieved. We have had two superb chairpersons, and Michael Clarke has done an absolutely brilliant job. The reason for my speaking is this. The frame of reference in which the Dioceses Commission works is clearly set out by papers and documents set out by this body. It is wrong for the previous speaker to make such suggestions at this time.