Ecclesall's 104th Deanery Synod |
St Marys Bramall Lane |
23rd February 2004 |
These notes are in no way to be construed as official minutes - they are the incomplete and highly subjective ramblings of St Marys' web warden
After drinks from St Marys' posh coffee machines, Julian welcomed everyone, then Phil Batchford (Curate at St Marys) led a time of worship and focus, talking briefly about what's going on at St Marys, particulary the recent parish day.
The meeting was chaired by Jackie Butcher, the new Lay Chair, who is a member of General Synod (see below), a Mum, and a resting Astrophysicist.
Jackie described events at the recent General Synod. The C of E report on human sexuality was discussed, but not in quite the lurid detail that the press would have us believe. There had also been good debates about AIDS in sub-saharan Africa, which had not received so much publicity, and especially
This new C of E report (which several Synod members were clutching I noticed) has come from a group chaired by Graham Cray, the Bishop of Maidstone, who used to be Phil Batchford's boss as head of Ridley Hall Theological College, has been an important influence on Greenbelt, and the Nine O'Clock Service, and U2. This deanery synod rep also once had breakfast with him.
The Cray report talks about how our 'networks' have changed. And asks how we can reach people when 50 percent of the population has had no contact with church for two generations. It suggests new ways of 'being church'. Sunday attendance shouldn't be the target. Pram services for instance, may be a valid expression of 'church' in their own right. The church our children join may not be the same as our church, which is scary and exciting.
At this point, Rev Peter Williams, from All Saints Ecclesall, proposed a detailed motion welcoming the Cray Report, and 'endorsing its commitment to the need to be...accepting of the principle of the permeability of parish boundaries in our mobile and secular culture'. This was not just a slap on the back for my mate Graham, as we were soon to discover.
Father Simon, from St Matthew's Carver Street bemoaned the inclusion of this motion at this point. After some procedural debate, it was decided to give the Deanery Synod chance to read the report and to debate All Saints' motion next time.
This was a chance for people to talk in small groups about what the Deanery is good for, trying to come up with useful, practical actions to benefit churches in the Deanery. My group included the Curate from St Chad's Woodseats, and laiety from Dore, and St Matthew's. We spent most time talking about the pro's and con's of a Deanery grouping of churches. The divides of culture, geography and churchmanship often mean that a church may find it easier to work with churches of different denominations rather than Anglican churches within their Deanery. I said that I believed there was horizon-broadening value in churches from different backgrounds and traditions having to meet and work together.
We all filled a large sheet of paper with the results of our discussion, and the sheets were displayed for all to see, although there wasn't time for any kind of plenary session. Actually, members of the synod received a summary of these writeups the very next day, so full marks to the folk who managed this.
“This Synod deplores the establishment of a Church Plan by Christ Church Fulwood which has taken place in the Parish of St Matthews contrary to canon law and the wishes of the parish concerned, and calls for the immediate withdrawal of the Church Plant and for consideration to be given by Synod and Diocesan authorities to church planting where such a venture would be welcomed and sanctioned by the appropriate Diocesan authorities.”
Father Simon talked about the history and nature of the parish system. In October 2002 he was told at a meeting about the plan by Christ Church Fulwood to plant a church in St Matthew's parish. The reason given was that their building isn't big enough. It later emerged that it was more to do with targetting the young (and indeed upwardly mobile) professionals who are inhabiting much of the new housing in the city centre. St Matthew's had been looking forward to the opportunity to evangelise them, and said no to the plan – maybe in 5 years time. According to canon law, the Incumbent's pemission is required. Bishop Cyril had written to say that nothing would happen without further consultation. There were no further meetings.
Press releases from St Thomas's and Christ Church Fulwood apparently had included phrases like “God is coming to West Street” which St Matthew's found offensive. In June 2003, Christ Church took the decision to go ahead with the church plant, but the Bishop and St Matthews weren't informed.
The current situation is that Fulwood's former Curate, Tim Davies has resigned his orders in the C of E, and was leading the new church, “Christ Church Central”, funded and assisted directly by CCF. This means that he is not subject to canon law or the jurisdiction of the diocese, the Bishop or, indeed, any deanery. As Father Simon put it, there is a new non-conformist church in their parish.
A member of St Matthew's PCC supported the motion, asking the diocese not to put any more Curates in Fulwood parish.
Several people spoke with eloquence against the motion. The motion was described as too negative, it doesn't encourage re-engagement and doesn't allow for the fact that God is moving in a new way. Also the point was made that in this synod we can only hear one side of the argument. People wanted to know what the Bishops thought.
Someone proposed that we don't vote on the motion. This was fairly strongly rejected. So we voted, and the motion was carried (by 19 votes to 16 I think).