Diocesan Synod Round up - March 2019

Delegates from across our diocese descended upon the Hope Academy in Newton-Le-Willows for March's Diocesan Synod. They voted to ask Finance Committee to look into investment options for Clergy Housing, formally took note of a motion from Liverpool North Deanery Synod on civil partnerships and heard an update on the Rule of Life.

The meeting also saw an introduction to Bishop Bev before it closed with an address from Bishop Paul.

Opening business included  the Promulgation of Amending Canon No 38 Synod voted to approve changes to the structure of DMPC and hearing a report from Keith Cawdron on the February Sessions of General Synod

Ven Pete Spiers, the Archdeacon with responsibility for safeguarding introduced our first Safeguarding Annual review. Synod accepted the report and the emphasis that we are placing on improving safeguarding.

You can read the report here

Safeguarding Annual Review 2018

We have also improved our web pages on safeguarding with a new section you can see here

www.liverpool.anglican.org/safeguarding

Assistant Diocesan Secretary, Stuart Haynes, presented an update on Clergy Housing to Synod. He outlined the work being carried out to survey all our stock.

You can see his presentation here

Synod were informed that the strategy is to assess what work we need to do to make sure that we can offer a safe, warm, comfortable home. With a new team in place, they aim to have all the surveys conducted by July to enable the Board of Finance to explore financing options for what is needed to be carried out. Stuart outlined that the condition survey is revealing repairs costing around £1m would be needed to bring all the poor and fair items up to a standard. He set out that we could get better value through contracting this work at volume and carefully constructing programmes to deliver the necessary improvements.

Synod voted in favour of allowing Finance Committee to pursue the funding needed to develop this programme of work.

We will be emailing clergy by the end of April 2019 with an update on housing progress.

Father Crispin Pailing introduced the motion from Liverpool North that 

"This Synod commends to Liverpool Diocesan Synod the motion of Hereford Diocesan Synod* for an Order of Prayer and Dedication after the registration of a civil partnership or a same sex marriage, and asks that Diocesan Synod endorses the motion, noting that there is no departure from the doctrine of the Church of England in any essential matter, that the provision of a discretionary service allows for the same diverse expression of Anglican identity as do the arrangements for the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate, and that a corporate provision of such services can validly be supported without undermining individual dissent"

Synod debated this motion well with strong opinions on all sides before voting to take note. Like the rest of the Church of England synod will debate the issue further when the House of Bishops has completed its work on the Living in Love and Faith resources in July 2020.

Bishop Paul commended the Rule of Life to Synod and encouraged all members and worshipping communities across our Diocese to sign up.

Stuart Haynes then outlined some of the work done so far before outlining the plans to develop the Rule of Life in 2019, linking what we do to the rhythm of the church year and national campaigns.

You can see the presentation here

Sign up, and encourage others to sign up, at www.ruleoflife.org.uk

Evangelism in the Public Square

See the bishop's slides here