Report from Synod, March 2011

       My second venture into the world of Synod was a little further away this time – a trip to Kent, the garden of England.  It was too far for a day trip so John, Doreen and I decided to travel to Canterbury and stop over.  Naturally we stopped off on the way and had some tea.  You have never seen such a big mug.  We eventually got there and checked into the hotel, which had free tea and coffee facilities so we immediately liked it.  There was just enough time to wander into Canterbury, where we caught a glimpse of the Cathedral and drank some tea.

       The following morning we set off for Synod, stopping off at picturesque Chilham on the way.  It had beautiful Tudor buildings, a castle and church. 
       We tore ourselves away and arrived in Willesborough in good time.  Unfortunately, it took longer than expected to find the church but we still got there in time for a cup of tea followed by a big lunch, which was just what we needed after our huge breakfast.  After a well-timed trip to the one lavatory, we trooped into the church for the meeting to begin.
       The meeting opened at 1:10pm with devotions lead by Gerald Kirsch and there were 8 clergy and 23 lay members in attendance.  After the minutes, matters arising included the Clergy Benevolent Fund, which some churches hadn’t been paying into and so would be asked to do so.  The Anniversary celebrations were looking to be expensive (in the region of £12,000), but we could have an affordable key ring made to our design.  The Jerusalem Declaration was pretty much sidelined and would be reviewed in more detail at Convocation.  There were 4 or 5 people in training to become lay readers, but the search would continue.
       There then followed the Bishop’s report, stating the Year Book was ready and the next draft would follow soon.  The conference following last Synod had provided a real feast of spiritual food.  He had been sad to hear that Rev Geoff Collins had received his home call but had been unable to attend his funeral in Skye due to insufficient notice.  Barry Jones had also received his home call.  The Day of Prayer had been a good day, with 37 people attending at St Jude’s.  Paul thanked me for my poster.  He also reported the Denomination had been accepted as full members of Churches Together in England.  Again, John proposed a vote of thanks for all of Paul’s work in the Diocese and local churches.
       We then came to the treasurer’s report, but first Ron asked for more giving to the Home Mission Fund.  Colin then managed to get a word in and after giving a very healthy account, he proposed increasing the amount in the quota for the fund to £70.  Following much discussion, Colin again managed to get a word in and said he proposed holding a ‘Jubilee’ year, as described in Leviticus.  Other than the payment to the Home Mission Fund, there would be no quota for 2011.  Remarkably, there were two people against this motion but 17 for so it was carried.
       Following the Stipend Fund report (all going well), we came to the election of officers where everyone who held office last year were re-elected. A full list of officers is now available on the Diocesan website!  (www.fcofesd.org.uk)
       For the first time we had a brief report from each of the churches.  This was a well received section of the meeting, where even the less well off churches found positive things to report.  It gave an indication that the Diocese was in a very buoyant mood, despite any difficulties being faced.  The Diocese had much to be thankful for.
       Any other business was upon us, which included signing yet more Charity Commission forms as the Diocese also had to register as a charity.  It seems a never ending process.  I also gave a brief report on the website progress and I am pleased to say the website is now live.  Yay!  Paul also showed off his new FCE flag, which looked very smart.
The next Synod would be held at Sunbury Court on Monday 17 October 2011, followed by the Southern Diocese conference, Monday to Thursday.  We then closed the meeting at 3:10pm.
       Following another well timed trip to the solo lavatory, it was time for the Memorial Service being held for Rev Geoff Collins, which was well attended and we were pleased that Geoff’s son was able to attend.  This was a moving service and it was incredible to hear about all that Geoff had done in his lifetime.
       After another cup of tea and some supper it was time to return home.  Sadly, we delayed by an accident on the M1.  Other than finally collapsing on the sofa at around 11pm, it had been a very good day and I enjoyed the entire trip.

Report from Synod October 2010

Report from Synod, October 2010

Having been a delegate for St Jude’s Church for the last 10 years, I decided it was about time I showed my face at a Synod.  Yes, in ten years I had seen many Convocations but not one Synod.  This needed to be remedied.  So, early one Monday morning, armed with a list of directions and a map I’d printed from Google, I set off for Sunbury Court and my first Synod.  It also happened to be the first time I’d driven on the M25 and in London.  I hoped my map didn’t fly out the window.

   Less than an hour and a half later, through luck, a good sense of direction, Divine Guidance or possibly all three, I arrived at Sunbury Court with plenty of time to spare.  In fact time for two cups of Earl Grey tea before lunch was ready.  I thought this a very good beginning.

After a tasty lunch, which included some interesting sausages and a chat with Paul’s German visitor, we all trooped off into the meeting room.  I hadn’t been to Sunbury for a number of years but the meeting room was just as I remembered it.  Red.

The meeting got underway fairly promptly at 1:05pm, visitors welcomed (including Bishop Primus) and apologies for absence received.  There was one matter arising from the minutes, which was the Clergy Benevolent Fund was still under review.

Bishop Paul then gave his report for the previous year, a copy of which was handed out but I appear to have lost.  Thankfully I took copious notes and can give a full description, over the next three pages.  Kidding.  There was a lot happening over the year - the Southern Diocese conference at St Jude’s, Ballam, The Rock was performed several times around the country and Gerald Kirsch was welcomed into the FCE.  There was also sad news in that Mrs Bishop had been called home, and Revd Geoff Collins, who had retired to the Isle of Skye, was suffering from cancer.  In spite of this, he was still active in his work for the Lord and was writing two sermons when Paul had called.

Paul’s trip to India for three weeks had been an experience he would never forget, greetings had been brought from the FCE at every opportunity.  Work had continued at St John’s, Tottington throughout the summer, the Diocese had been able to maintain its witness and the Office had been generously supported by the diocese, for which Paul thanked John for his work.  John then thanked Paul for all his work.

It was decided that the Day of Prayer 2011 would be held on 19 February, at Walsall, Exmouth and Harlesden.  Alas, at this point I was not paying as strict attention as I should have been, and when Paul said ‘Natalie can do that, can’t you?’ I thought I was being asked to go to Robert Wilson’s church.  I was a tad relieved to find out I had been volunteered to prepare the programme for the day, even though I had no idea what this entailed.

Thoughts then turned to the 150^th anniversary of the 1863 FCE Constitution and how to celebrate this momentous occasion.  This would need some serious thought and St Jude’s volunteered to have a think and coordinate with the north.

We considered the Jerusalem Declaration, which had filled quite some time at Convocation, and decided they didn’t know what to do with it.  After a series of speakers, mostly against, Synod decided they also didn’t know what to do with it and asked for a speaker to be at the next Synod to explain what had been intended in order to get a balanced view.

Turning to the future of the Denomination, there was much discussion on filling the gap left when a ministry came to an end.  We needed to find hidden treasures and people to encourage and train to bloom into a useful tool for the church.  The difficulty of finding sufficient time to study and complete the required papers to become a lay reader was also discussed.

Reports were received from the Treasurer, Diocesan Stipend Fund, Home Mission Fund and the Prayer Chain Link.  Everything was running smoothly, except the Home Mission Fund needed more money, as always.

The end of the meeting was then in sight, having reached any other business.  John had suggested having a Bishop’s fund for emergency use, however money would be available from the denominational Treasurer is required.  We then discussed the need for a website, as the Diocese didn’t have one.  I was paying attention this time and on cue volunteered to create the website.

The next meeting was set for Saturday 12 March 2011 at Christ Church, Willesborough and then that was the end of the meeting.  A round trip of 3 hours was too long for just a 2 hour meeting, so I hung around for a bit longer to drink more tea and chat to people I hadn’t seen for months.  All in all, I thought it was a good start to Synod expeditions.