General Synod – 10th to 13th July 2009 Pt1
(Taken from notes compiled by the Salisbury Diocese representatives)
NB Mike Burbeck (Sarum St. Martin) is one of the General Synod laity reps. for Salisbury Diocese and can be contacted by email at:: burbeck@tesco.net
Synod was told that preference had been given to essential, time sensitive items and what might be done in better ways. Even so many members were restless over the sessions being reduced by a day and queried the real cost savings and why the agenda appeared inward looking with precious little about mission. Several also questioned why the ARCIC papers were being discussed in groups rather than a full Synod debate.
Giving for Life:
The national stewardship committee banged the drum on a theme of discipleship and renewing the call first made in 1978 for church members to give 5% of their net earnings to the Church with a further 5% going to other charitable causes. The timing of this call is much more auspicious than at first appears as the context in which this target was set was inflation at 7%, unemployment doubling in the previous 5 years and the “winter of discontent looming.
In 1978 average giving was 1% of net income. It’s now 3.2%. Achieving the goal will realise an extra £300 million a year thereby funding everything we want to do and more. The Synod suggested some helpful practical revisions to a draft booklet suitable for use in parishes and new material is likely to be ready next year; just in time for all the work we’ll be undertaking to repair the damage caused by the recession.
ARCIC –Life in Christ:
It is the custom at York for the Synod to divide into small groups on Saturday morning for discussion on a theological theme. This year the theme was Life in Christ: Morals Communion and the Church, using as the text the ARCIC (Anglican/Roman Catholic International Commission) report with that title.
We were assisted in our consideration of the subject by introductory remarks on Friday evening by the Bishop of Guildford and the Roman Catholic representative on Synod. The Archbishop of Canterbury also produced an introductory paper.
