At its meting in July 2004, the General Synod voted to join the Trade Justice Movement. The Church of England has now joined - see here for the official press release.
A small mailing of Synod papers arrived on Monday. It included the official record of the Business Done at the July sessions; this is available online.
There was also a copy of GS Misc 760 The Church of England and Church Colleges and Universities Mutual Expectations Working Group. The working group is being set up by the Board of Education and invites submission of written evidence by the end of September 2004.
In a reply to a question at this month’s General Synod the Bishop of Salisbury referred to Versions of Scripture: A Note by the House of Bishops (GS Misc 698). The full text of this is reproduced below.
GS Misc 698
VERSIONS OF SCRIPTURE
A Note by the House of Bishops
1. While the Church of England authorizes the Lectionary - what passages are to be read on which occasion - it does not authorize particular translations of the Bible. Nevertheless, among the criteria by which versions of Scripture are judged suitable for reading in church during the course of public worship are the following:
2. A distinction needs to be drawn between translation and paraphrase. Versions which are read in church during the course of public worship should be translations of the Bible, not paraphrases of it. In less formal contexts, paraphrases may be useful.
3. Versions of Scripture which are translations and appear to satisfy at least four of the criteria set out in paragraph 1 above include:
4. Decisions about which version to use on which occasion are best made as locally as possible.
5. It should be noted that the NIV and the ESV do not include the Apocrypha, which is a necessary resource for Church of England lectionaries.
6. Some of the translations listed in paragraph 3 are ‘inclusive’ translations which avoid the use of masculine nouns and pronouns when reference is made to women as well as men. Where a masculine noun or pronoun is used in the original language, making an English text ‘inclusive’ necessarily involves a degree of departure from accurate translation. A conscious choice would have to be made between the two criteria of inclusivity and accuracy in respect of any of these versions.
On behalf of the House
+ DAVID EBOR:
9 October 2002
I earlier referred to part of GS 1536 Rethinking Sentencing being online. The full text is now available here.
Although it is not being debated by Synod GS Misc 742 Paths to Unity explorations in ecumenical method is online here.
Legislation and Liturgy papers now online
Papers for Legislative Business
GS 1484B (36 kB)
GS 1485B (56 kB)
GS 1486B (31 kB)
GS 1487B (23 kB)
GS 1484-7Z (208 kB)
These are the amendments to the Canons and representation rules to put into effect changes in the size and composition of Synod.
GS 1505Z - Report of the Steering Committee on final drafting of the Draft Stipends (Cessation of Special Payments) Measure. (27 kB)
GS 1524Y - Report of the Revision Committee for the Draft Pastoral (Amendment) Measure. (99 kB)
GS 1555X - Explanatory memorandum for the Draft Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure (35 kB)
GS 1537 - Legal Officers (Annual Fees) Order 2004 (77 kB)
GS 1538 - Ecclesiastical Judges, Legal Officers and Others (Fees) Orders 2004 (127 kB)
GS 1553X - Memorandum by the Archbishops’ Council on the Draft Parochial Fees Order 2004 (52 kB)
Papers for Liturgical Business: Weekday Lectionary and Amendments
GS1520A Texts for Authorization, split into eight files
Contents (17 kB)
Table 1 The Lectionary Years (33 kB)
Table 2 Weekday Lectionary: Old and New Testament Readings (331 kB)
Table 3 Psalm Tables for Seasons (43 kB)
Table 4 Psalm Table for Weekdays in Ordinary Time (26 kB)
Table 5 Psalms in Course (26 kB)
Table 6 Daily Eucharistic Lectionary (231 kB)
Amendments to Calendar, Lectionary and Collects etc (36 kB)
GS 1520Y Report of the Revision Committee (66 kB)
More papers are now online.
GS Misc 749 Rethinking Sentencing (49 kbB
GS1544 Enabling a World of Difference (133 kB)
GS1550 Archbishops’ Council’s Annual Report (1122 kB)
GS1545 Financial Business - Budget for 2005 (462 kB)
GS1546 Common Worship: Initiation Services (369 kB)
GS1547 Trade Justice: A Christian Response to Global Poverty (73 kB)
GS1548 The Church of England and Europe (239 kB)
It has been pointed out to me (see Paul Bagshaw’s comment) that the online version of GS1554 Clergy Discipline (Doctrine) does not include the text of the draft measure. I’ve enquired at Church House and been told that
“It is not in a format that can go on line. It is produced by Framemaker as required by the Parliamentary authorities, so is not readable unless you have this software.”
My second bundle of papers for next month’s Synod (listed below) arrived today. It was rather larger than I expected, mainly because of the size of GS 1549.
GS 1543 Marriage Law Review
GS 1541 Alternative Sources of Funding for Ordinands in Training
GS 1541A Alternative Sources of funding
A Constitution for Europe
A booklet about the European Constitution published by the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
GS 1549 Common Worship: Times and Seasons and Festivals
Texts for Commendation. 558 A5 pages.
Papers for Private Members’ Motions
GS Misc 747 Domestic Violence: note by Mrs Ben Rabha
Papers for Contingency Business
GS Misc 752A Canon B44: Background Note
GS Misc 752B a note from the Council for Christian Unity
Papers not for debate
GS Misc 742 Paths to Unity: explorations in ecumencial method
by members of the Faith and Order Advisory Group
GS Misc 743 Adding Values: Annual Report of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group
GS Misc 751 Membership of the Archbishops’ Council etc
GS Misc 753 Formation for Ministry within a Learning Church: An update
GS Misc 750 Strategic Spending Review
GS Misc 755 Staff Pay Structures
GS Misc 756 The Church Urban Fund
GS Misc 757 CCU Visit to Finland
GS Misc 758 Report on the activities of the Archbishops’ Council
HB[04]M2 House of Bishops Summary of Decisions (10 June 2004)
GS 1556 List of Members
I have used this to update the list of members that I maintain here.
Paper copies of General Synod papers can always be purchased from Church House Bookshop. There is a list of the July 2004 papers here on the bookshop website. I understand that the list will remain until the end of September.
There is a link from the bookshop’s homepage.
An initial batch of General Synod papers has been put online today.
GS1540 Report by the Business Committee (79 kB)
GS1542 Making the Synod’s Procedures More Effective (54 kB)
GS1551 Appointments of Chairs (26 kB)
GS1554 Clergy Discipline (Doctrine) (227 kB)
GS1543 Marriage Law Review (86 kB)
GS1541A Alternative Sources of Funding (185 kB)
GS1541 Alternative Sources of Funding for Ordinands in Training (48 kB)
Paper copies of the last three are due to be sent out to members today; the others have already been issued.
The Report of Proceedings for the February 2004 meeting of General Synod is now available for download in pdf format.
Complete report as one file (1.28Mb)
Sections of the report, listed by sitting
Prelims (106Kb)
1st Day (256Kb)
2nd Day (388Kb)
3rd Day (402Kb)
4th Day (380Kb)
5th Day (233Kb)
Index (100Kb)
The agenda for next month’s General Synod is now online as a set of Word documents.
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Special Agendas
1 - Legislative Business
2 - Liturgical Business
3 - Private Members’ Motions
4 - Diocesan Synod Motions
5 - Financial Business
The introductory pages to the agenda are not online. They include a summary of the times of the sessions, the times of services, and the times by which questions, amendments etc must be submittted. They also list the contingency business which will be taken if a gap opens up in the Agenda:
1. Canon B44 - item 810 (in special agenda 4)
2. Christmas Stamps - item 703 (in special agenda 3)
I’ve now found one and a bit reports online.
GS Misc 744 Trade Justice is available online here but beware, it is a large (1.3 MB) pdf file.
The Preface, Introduction and Chapter 1 of GS 1536 Rethinking Sentencing can be dowloaded from here on the Church House Publishing website as a 400 kB pdf file.
None of next month’s Synod papers appear to be online yet, but the Church of England has issued a press release with an outline of the agenda.
Public policy and mission issues feature strongly in wide-ranging Synod agenda
There are also press releases about two of the reports to be debated.
Trade justice report calls for church action
Synod to debate Rethinking Sentencing report
Note added on 18 July. Synod agreed to the dates below.
The Business Committee’s report for the July Synod contains two items relating to the dates of Synod meetings.
First, there will be no meeting in November 2004.
Second, there is a list of proposed dates for February 2006 to February 2008. Assuming that Synod agrees to these it will be meeting as follows.
09-13 July 2004
14-18 February 2005
08-12 July 2005
14-16 November 2005 (Inauguration of the new Synod)
06-10 February 2006
07-11 July 2006
13-15 November 2006 (only if required)
26 February - 02 March 2007
06-10 July 2007
12-14 November 2007 (only if required)
11-15 February 2008
The meeting in February 2006 is slightly earlier that usual and that in February 2007 slightly later because of the planned refurbishment of Church House in 2006/7. If a meeting is required in November 2006 it will not be possible to hold it in Church House.
Here are the papers for July’s liturgical business.
GS 1520A Weekday Lectionaries and Amendments
GS 1520Y Report by the Revision Committee
GS 1546 Common Worship: Initiation Services
Rites on the Way and Reconciliation and Restoration
a report from the Liturgical Commission
Here are the papers for July’s legislative business.
GS 1484-7Z Report by the Steering Committee
GS 1484B Draft Amending Canon No 26
GS 1484C Petition to the Crown
GS 1485B Draft Church Representation Rules (Amendment) Resolution 200-
GS 1486B Draft Clergy Representation Rules (Amendment) Resolution 200-
GS 1487B Draft Religious Communities (Lay Representation) Rules (Amendment) Resolution 200-
Papers for final approval of the changes to the composition of General Synod
GS 1505B Draft Stipends (Cessation of Special Payments) Measure
GS 1505Z Report by the Steering Committee
Papers for final approval
GS 1524A Draft Pastoral (Amendment) Measure
GS 1524Y Report by the Revision Committee
GS 1555 Draft Miscellaneous Provisions Measure
GS 1555X Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1537 The Legal Officers (Annual Fees) Order 2004
GS 1538 The Ecclesiastical Judges, Legal Officesr and Others (Fees) Order 2004
GS 1537&8X Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1553 The Parochial Fees Order
GS 1553X Explanatory Memorandum
GS 1538 and GS 1553 will be deemed to be approved without debate, unless a member requires a debate.
The postman brought the main bulk of papers for next month’s General Synod this morning. A few more papers are due to be issued in a week’s time.
I have split my list of them into three. Below is everything except for legislative and liturgical business.
GS 1539 Agenda
GS 1540 July Group of Sessions 2004: Report by the Business Committee
GS 1542 Making the Synod’s Procedures More Effective
GS 1551 Appointment of Chairs
Synod will be asked to approve three appointments.
Chair of the Appointments Committee: Prebendary David Houlding
Chair of the Archbishops’ Council’s Audit Committee: Tony Hesselwood
Chair of the Business Committee: Revd Dr Richard Turnbull
GS 1554 Clergy Discipline (Doctrine)
Report of a working group set up by the House of Bishops
GS 1536 Rethinking Sentencing
GS Misc 749 Restorative Justice - Rethinking Sentencing: Background to the Synod debate
Reports from the Mission and Public Affairs Council
GS 1544 Enabling a World of Difference: The contribution of the Mission Agencies to the Mission of the Church of England
Report from the Partnership for World Mission
GS Misc 744 Trade Justice: a Christian response to global poverty
GS 1547 Trade Justice: a Christian response to global poverty: An Introduction to the Debate
Reports by, respectively, Christian Aid and the Mission and Public Affairs Council
GS 1548 The Church of England and Europe
Joint Report by the Mission and Public Affairs Council and the Council for Chrisitian Unity
Papers for Private Members’ Motions
GS 738A Stipend Differentials Note by Mr Lilley
GS 738B Note from the Ministry Division
Papers for Diocesan Synod Motions
GS 748 Drug Misuse
Financial Business
GS 1545 Archbishops’ Council Proposed Budget for 2005
GS 1550 The Archbishops’ Council Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2003
GS 1552 Annual Report of the Archbishops’ Council’s Audit Committee for the year to 31 May 2004
GS1550 will only be debated if a member asks for this. GS 1552 is for information only.
Members of General Synod have just been sent a provisional timetable for next month’s meeting in York. I have put it online here.
The Hind Report on the future of theological education in the Church of England was accepted, after some amendment, by General Synod in July 2003. A task group was set up under Sir Philip Mawer to make proposals about the number and boundaries of the proposed Regional Training Partnerships. The group reported recently (GS Misc 745) and this news item appeared on the Church of England website yesterday. The report can be downloaded from here. Be warned, it’s a 1.2 MB Word document, which for some reason has been saved as a template (.dot).
PS Links to the Hind report and to a record of the motion passed by Synod and a list of proposals as amended and approved by the General Synod are here.
Synod members have been sent the following papers this week.
Business Done at the February 2004 Group of Sessions
As already noted this is available online here as a 145 kB Word document.
GS Misc 740 The 31st Report of the Central Stipends Authority (for the year 2003)
GS Misc 726 Scriptures in Dialogue: Christians and Muslims studying the Bible and Qur’an together
A record of the seminar ‘Building Bridges’ held at Doha, Qatar, 7-9 April 2003
I noted that Protecting all God’s Children: The Child Protection Policy for the Church of England (3rd edition) (GS Misc 725) had been issued to Synod members a few weeks ago. This was officially published on 13 February (see Church of England news). Although the news item does not mention the fact, the policy is available online here as a 175 kB pdf file.
The official record of the business done at last week’s General Synod is now available online here as a 145 kB Word document.
The second mailing of papers for next month’s Synod arrived this morning. There was rather more in the package than I expected.
First, there are the remaining papers for matters on the agenda.
GS 1522 February Group of Sessions 2004: Report by the Business Committee
Already online here.
GS 1534 Thirty-eighth Report of the Standing Orders Committee
This is accompanied by a notice paper listing 31 proposed amendments to the standing orders.
GS 1527 Review of Clergy Terms of Service
There is a lengthy summary of this report, with a complete list of its recommendations, here.
GS Misc 731 Asylum: A Briefing Paper by the Mission and Public Affairs Council
GS Misc 729A Briefing Paper for York Diocesan Synod Motion: Cohabitation
GS Misc 729B The York Diocesan motion on contractual relationships - A Comment by the Mission and Public Affairs Council
GS Misc 738A Differentials: A Background Paper
GS Misc 738B Stipend Differentials: A background note from the Ministry Division
These are papers for a private member’s motion which will only be taken if an unexpected gap opens up in the agenda - something which I don’t think is at all likely.
Then there are several papers not for debate, but which might be of interest.
GS Misc 725 Protecting all God’s Children: The Child Protection Policy for the Church of England (3rd edition)
GS Misc 727 Dioceses Commission Annual Report 2003
The list of members is longer than the report itself.
GS Misc 730 Religion in Broadcasting: Second Report of the Religion in Broadcasting Group
GS Misc 733 Suffragan Bishops: A House of Bishops Occasional Paper
GS Misc 734 12th Assembly of the Conference of European Churches: Report of the Church of England Delegation
GS Misc 735 Report by the Church Working for Women Group
GS Misc 736 Activities of the Archbishops’ Council
GS Misc 737 Fees Advisory Commission: Note about the consultation on the future remuneration of diocesan registrars
GS Misc 739 Note about the National Church Institutions (NCIs) Staff Pay Structures
HB(04)M1 House of Bishops Summary of Decisions of meeting on 15 January 2004
Finally there are nomination papers for the election of 13 Church Commissioners.
The electorate in each case comprises the relevant members of Synod (except for the Deans, where all can vote), but candidates (apart from bishops) do not have to be members.
This report, GS 1529, is now online in the Commissioners’ part of the Church of England web site.
Main body of report (216 kB)
Annex A (26 kB)
Annex B (51 kB)
Annex C (27 kB)
They are all Word documents, except for Annex B which is an Excel file, allowing you to manipulate the statistics.
The following papers for next month’s General Synod are now online. They are all Word documents.
GS 1484A Draft Amending Canon No 26 (33 kB)
GS 1485A Church Representation Rules Amendment Resolution (52 kB)
GS 1486A Draft Clergy Representation Rules (Amendment) Resolution (30 kB)
GS 1487A Religious Communities (Lay Representatives) Rules (Amendment) Resolution (23 kB)
They should be read in conjunction with GS 1484 -1487Y, the report of the Revision Committee, which I noted on Wednesday.
The following papers for next months Synod are now online. They are all Word documents.
GS 1522 February 2004 group of sessions: Report by the Business Committtee (75 kB)
GS 1484 -1487Y Draft Amending Canon No 26 etc: Report by the Revision Committee (419 kB)
This is the legislation to reform the size and compostion of General Synod following on from the Bridge Report
GS 1530 Telling the Story: Being Positive about HIV/AIDS (243 kB)
This report will be debated at Synod on Thursday 12 February. Before the debate Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for International Development, will address the Synod and answer questions.
GS 1532 The Gift of Authority (46 kB)
This is the Council for Christian Unity’s report on the ARCIC report The Gift of Authority.
GS Misc 731 Asylum (55 kB)
This is a background paper for a debate on Asylum to be held on Friday 13 February.
Two of these papers(GS 1522 and GS Misc 731) have not yet been mailed to Synod members.
GS 1528 A Measure for Measures In mission and ministry is available online (in Word format) here. This is the Report of the Review of the Dioceses, Pastoral and related Measures, which is scheduled for debate at General Synod on 10 February 2004.
Also available is a summary of the repsonses to the consultation on the draft report; these are not included in the printed document.
This is now available online here as a Word document. It is not what I would call complete, since it does not include the introductory notes, or the Special Agendas listing the legislative and liturgical business, and the full lists of private member’s and diocesan synod motions.
UPDATE on 16 February 2004
I have just noticed that the online agenda is not in quite the same form as the paper version sent to Synod members. The legislative and liturgical business is included, but in the main text, and not in special agendas at the end. I would find it more helpful if the paper version was similarly arranged.
Here are the papers for February’s liturgical business.
GS 1493B Additional Collects
A vote to give final approval will be taken. The texts can be downloaded as a Word document form here.
GS 1535 Common Worship Ordinal
Report by the Liturgical Commission. The draft ordinal will receive first consideration.
The draft weekday lectionary will also have its first consideration.
Here are the papers for February’s legislative business.
GS 1476B Draft Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure
GS 1476Z Report by the Steering Committee
This draft measure will be considered for final approval.
GS 1484A Draft Amending Canon 26
GS 1485A Draft Church Representation Rules (Amendment) Resolution 200-
GS 1486A Draft Clergy Representation Rules (Amendment) Resolution 200-
GS 1487A Draft Religious Communities (Lay Representation) Rules (Amendment) Resolution 200-
GS 1484-7Y Report by the Revision Committee
This is the legislation to reform the size and compostion of General Synod following on from the Bridge Report. In its report, the Revision Committee expresses the hope that it will come into effect before the General Synod elections in 2005.
GS 1505A Draft Stipends (Cessation of Special Payments) Measure
GS 1505Y Report of Revision Committee
GS 1524 Draft Pastoral (Amendment) Measure
GS 1424X Explanatory Memorandum
This will implement one of the recommendations of GS 1528 (the Report of the Review of the Dioceses, Pastoral and related Measures). It will permit a lease to be granted, under the authority of a faculty, of part (or parts) of a church which remains open for public worship, without recourse to a declaration of redundancy.
GS 1525 Draft Amending Canon No 27
GS 1525X Explanatory Memorandum
This makes some amendments to the Canons which are required to implement some proposals in the Common Worship Ordinal.
GS 1526 Single Transferable Vote (Amendment) Regulations 2004
GS 1526X Explanatory Memorandum
This deals with a conflict in the STV regulations, that can only occur in elections with constraints, and even then only in exceptional circumstances.
The postman brought the main bulk of papers for next month’s General Synod this morning. A few more papers are due to be issued in a week’s time.
I have split my list of them into three. Below is everything except for legislative and liturgical business.
GS 1521 Agenda
There is a link to this document on the Church of England web site but the document is not there. I understand that it will become available on Monday.
GS 1523 Mission-Shaped Church
sub-title Church planting and fresh expressions of church in a changing context
GS 1528 A Measure for Measures: In mission and ministry
GS Misc 732 Covering note from the Archbishops’ Council
GS 1528 is the Report of the Review of the Dioceses, Pastoral and Related Measures
GS 1529 Future use of the Church Commissioners’ Funds
Report by the Spending Review Working Group of the Archbishops’ Council and the Church Commissioners
GS Misc 728 Being Human: introductory note from the Doctrine Commission
This refers to GS 1494 Being Human which was issued in July 2003.
GS 1530 Telling the Story: Being Positive About HIV/AIDS
Report by the Mission and Public Affairs Council
GS 1532 The Gift of Authority
Report by the Council for Christian Unity. The ARCIC report The Gift of Authority is online here.
Diocesan Synod Motion
A motion from Birmingham Diocesan Synod is due to be taken (at last), and the following background papers have been issued.
GS Misc 704 (Revised) A background note by the Chief Legal Advisor to General Synod
GS Misc 704A A background paper from the diocese
A small packet of papers was sent to General Synod members this week.
Guidelines for the Professional Conduct of the Clergy
This is a publication of the Convocations of Canterbury and York, and has already been issued to clergy.
GS Misc 724 Weekday Lectionary: Sample Tables for 2002-3 and 2003-4
This is a corrected version of the original (issued last month) which was rather badly laid out.
Papers for the February 2004 group of sessions are scheduled to be posted on Fridays 16 and 23 January.
General Synod papers are published by Church House Publishing (CHP) and paper copies can be purchased from Church House Bookshop.
On very rare occasions they are also published online. The obvious place to look for them is on the General Synod and Papers pages of the Church of England website. However, they do sometimes turn up elsewhere. For example, GS 1517, Strategic Financial Review, can be found on the Church Commissioners’ site.
When I discover any Synod papers online I will publish links to them here.
Although General Synod is responsible for producing Measures, Canons and various sets of Rules, the finished products are not considered to be Synod papers, and members do not receive copies.
Measures of the General Synod, once they have received the Royal Assent, become the responsibility of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. All measures since 1988 are available on the HMSO website.
The Canons of the Church of England are available in pdf format on the Legal Services webpage. You can view and print these files, but it is not possible to copy text from them.
So far as I am aware the Church Representation Rules are not available online.
The Canons and Church Representation Rules are published by CHP.
General Synod members are not given copies of the verbatim reports of proceedings; if we want a printed copy we have to pay for it. However these reports are one of the very few Synod papers available online.
You will find a list what’s available if you visit the General Synod page of the Church of England website and click on the “Reports of Proceedings” link on the left hand side.
The report for the most recent group of sessions, July 2003, is here.
These papers were sent to General Synod members in November 2003.
GS 1519 Some Issues in Human Sexuality
GS Misc 722 A Companion to Some Issues in Human Sexuality
GS 1519 has already been noted in our main blog.
GS Misc 713 Charta Oecumenica
Guidelines for the Growing Cooperation among the Churches in Europe from the Conference of European Churches with an Introduction and Commentary from the Council for Christian Unity
The Charta itself was published in April 2001. It can be found here on the website of the Conference of European Churches.
GS Misc 723 Commitment to a Common Life
Images and Reflections from the 2003 Forum of Churches Together in England
GS Misc 721 Statistics of Licensed Ministers 2002
GS 1520 Weekday Lectionary
GS Misc 724 Weekday Lectionary: Sample Tables for 2002-3 and 2003-4
A report from the Liturgical Commission giving their proposals for a replacement of the temporary weekday lectionary. There are also some proposals to amend the rules for regulating and ordering services (for example to ensure that when 6 January is a Sunday the Sunday readings in Epiphany are used on the same days in the Church of England as in other churches).
HB(03)M3 House of Bishops Summary of Decisions - meeting held on 7/8 October 2003
The usual uninformative summary
I thought it would be useful to record the reports and other papers that I receive as a member of General Synod. There are typically ten mailings a year.
There are two series of numbered documents:
I will list all papers that I receive in these two series. Others, such as election papers, lists of appointments and flyers, will only be listed if I think that are likely to be of interest to non-members of Synod.
The first list will follow shortly.