Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney St Andrew’s House PO Box Q190 Sydney Square 2000 QVB Post Office NSW 1230 New South Wales Australia Telephone: +61 2 9265 1555 Facsimile: +61 2 9261 4485 22 November 2011 Circular to Ministers, Wardens, Parish Councils and Synod Representatives 2011 Synod Summary This circular conveys information about the matters decided by the Synod when it met on 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18 October 2011. A full summary of the proceedings of the Synod can be found on the website of the Sydney Diocesan Secretariat at www.sds.asn.au. Please contact me if you have any questions about the matters referred to in this circular. Kind regards ROBERT WICKS Diocesan Secretary Table of Contents Page Presidential Address ........................................................................... 2 Key Items of Business ..................................................................... 2-3 The Missionary Hour ........................................................................... 3 Elections ............................................................................................. 4 Resolutions passed ............................................................................ 4 Ordinances passed and to which assent has been given ................. 5-6 Ordinances to which assent has not been given ................................. 7 Appendix: Text of Resolutions ...................................................... 8-17 Presidential Address The full Presidential Address can be obtained from the Anglican Media website. It is available in several formats – Text: http://sydneyanglicans.net/images/uploads/Pres_Address_2011.pdf Audio: http://sydneyanglicans.net/media/audio/presidential_address_2011 Video: http://sydneyanglicans.net/media/video/presidential_address_2011_pt_1/ A report on the Presidential Address prepared by Anglican Media is also available at – http://sydneyanglicans.net/news/stories/take_heart_sydney/ Key Items of Business Report of the Archbishop’s Strategic Commission on Structure, Funding and Governance The Synod welcomed the final report of the Archbishop’s Strategic Commission on Structure, Funding and Governance about ensuring the sustainability of the Endowment of the See and recommending changes to the operation and inter-dependence of diocesan bodies. The Synod also welcomed responses to the report from the Glebe Administration Board (GAB) – Sydney Diocesan Secretariat (SDS), the Anglican Church Property Trust Diocese of Sydney (ACPT) and the St Andrew’s Cathedral School (SACS). The Synod requested the Standing Committee to consider the possible ways in which the concerns raised in the responses may be addressed and then how the recommendations of the Commission may be implemented. In light of this the Synod also requested the Standing Committee to pass such legislation as may be desirable or practical, excluding any sale ordinance, and report to the next session of the Synod on any future proposals. The report of the Commission can be accessed at – http://www.sds.asn.au/Site/104364.asp?a=a&ph=sy. The responses from GAB – SDS, ACPT and SACS can be accessed at – http://www.sds.asn.au/assets/Documents/synod/Synod2011/SupReport2011/6.WorkOfASC. EOS%20etc.combined.pdf Funding Principles and Priorities and amendments to Parochial Cost Recoveries Synod noted a draft Statement of Funding Principles and Priorities and requested Synod members to provide comments by 1 March 2012 with a view to the statement being finalised for the 2012 session of Synod and circulated to Synod members with bills for Synod Appropriations and Allocations and Parochial Cost Recoveries by 1 August 2012. The draft statement aims to find the best way forward with reduced resources to fund and support our mission. The draft statement is based on the following main principles – • The adoption of 6 spending categories: Anglican essentials, Archbishop’s responsibilities, network essentials, Diocesan training college(s), high priority Mission drivers and high priority Mission support. • All parishes should share directly in meeting the essentials of what it means to be “Anglican” – e.g. our Archbishop, the Synod, and our membership of the Anglican Church of Australia. • The Endowment of the See (EOS) should carry the costs of maintaining the team which directly supports the Archbishop. • All parishes should pay for the basic network costs – e.g. the SDS, parish insurance program and Professional Standards Unit (PSU). • The Synod should pay for essential Mission spending – e.g. training college, mission drivers and mission support. - 2 - The Synod also requested that a procedure be included in the statement whereby any organisation seeking funds must give a detailed proposal for the purpose, outline the likely timing of the expenditure and any reserves held by the organisation. General Synod assessments and consultation with the General Synod Standing Committee The Synod noted that the General Synod generates business surpluses from activities such as the Long Service Leave Fund and from commissions under the Telstra Anglican Plan. It also noted that churches, clergy and parishioners of the Sydney Diocese make significant contributions to these business activities. In the light of this, Synod requested the General Synod Standing Committee to grant proportional relief to our 2011 general assessment and to set future budgets for the general assessment aware of our contribution to business surpluses of the General Synod. Synod also – (a) supported the adoption of certain principles in respect of the finances of General Synod, and (b) recorded its view that certain legislative changes are critical to the maintenance of harmonious relationships within the Anglican Church of Australia. The full terms of the resolution are set out in the appendix. Common Prayer: Resources for Gospel-Shaped Gathering Synod received a development version of the publication, “Common Prayer: Resources for Gospel Shaped Gatherings” that had been produced by the Archbishop of Sydney’s Liturgical Panel. The Synod commended its use and study by parishes and requested that comments and suggestions be made to the Panel, if possible by 31 March 2012, and at the latest 30 June 2012 in order that a revised version of the publication can be brought to the next session of the Synod. The services can be downloaded and feedback given at www.commonprayer.org.au. The full terms of the resolution are set out in the appendix. The Missionary Hour The “Missionary Hour” on the evening of the fourth day of the session featured Bishop Ivan Lee interviewing – • The Rev Malcolm Richards and Mrs Elizabeth Richards – Berea Bible School, Diocese of Kindu, Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo. Malcolm is the former principal of the School. He took up the position of General-Secretary of the Church Missionary Society NSW earlier this year. Malcolm and Elizabeth returned to DR Congo in July to run the annual pastors conference. They spoke about the success of the School in training pastors and evangelists for ministry in DR Congo but also about the opposition graduates have faced. They also spoke of the difficulties travelling through DR Congo, principally due to the extremely poor state of the roads following years of civil war. Yet despite these challenges the gospel is being preached in the far reaches of the Diocese. • Bishop Ng Moon Hing of the Diocese of West Malaysia. Bishop Moon Hing spoke about his vision for discipleship training within his Diocese that created not just disciples but “disciplers”. He spoke about church planting initiatives that are underway. He also spoke about various challenges to ministry in Malaysia, including a multi-religious community where Islam is the dominant religious belief. Prayer followed each interview. - 3 - Elections The following table indicates the number of elections of persons to boards and committees which were conducted and comparisons with past years. Uncontested Contested Total Year Elections Positions Elections Positions Elections Positions 45th Synod 1999 69 263 12 87 81 350 2000 32 83 3 7 35 90 2001 35 92 6 11 41 103 46th Synod 2002 76 265 18 120 94 385 2003 27 99 0 0 27 99 2004 25 75 1 3 26 78 47th Synod 2005 44 322 7 52 51 374 2006 21 90 1 1 22 91 2007 16 57 1 3 17 60 48th Synod 2008 76 315 7 50 83 365 2009 34 70 7 16 41 86 2010 22 70 2 13 24 83 49th Synod 2011 83 277 4 68 87 345 Resolutions passed The appendix sets out all the resolutions passed by the Synod. The following resolutions are of particular interest to ministers, wardens and parish councils. Please refer to them in the appendix. 3/11 Towards 2050 4/11 Disability Sunday 5/11 Threatened execution of Yousef Nadarkhani 7/11 English Bible Translation Options 8/11 Restorative Justice 10/11 Anglican Communion Covenant 18/10 Archbishop’s Strategic Commission on Structure, Funding and Governance 11/11 Priscilla and Aquila Centre 13/11 Supply of Christian Teachers 16/11 REAP Journals 17/11 Funding Principles and Priorities 18/11 Gambling in Australia 22/11 Parish contribution to the Work Outside the Diocese Fund 30/11 International Chinese Christian School 36/11 Common Prayer: Resources for Gospel-Shaped Gatherings 37/11 Legal definition of marriage - 4 - Ordinances passed and to which assent has been given The Synod passed 12 ordinances, although the Archbishop has declined to assent to two of those ordinances. Here are brief notes on those ordinances to which the Archbishop has given his assent. Parochial Cost Recoveries Ordinance 2009 Amendment Ordinance 2011 Under the Parochial