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1. The Rural Dean (The Rev’d Nigel Whinney) welcome
all representatives to Synod and especially those attending for the first
time and those from the newly joined benefices.
2. Apologies: Gwyn Llewelyn. Diane Talbot-Williams.
Elaine Guest. Karen Pavey. Ross Coad. Mary Godin. Christine Hopcraft.
3. Minutes of the meeting held at Chard on 5th
October 2005 were approved. Mrs. Penny Cunningham proposed and Mr. Jim
Langdown seconded the vote of approval.
4. No matters arising
5. Treasurer’s report:
Mr. Graham Tout told the meeting that expenditure
for 2005 was lower than in previous years and mainly consisted of postage
and photocopying and the hire of rooms for Synod – much is done on e-mail
now.
A request was made, immediately after the October
Synod, to 56 parishes for contributions towards the expenses of Rob
Walrond who took up his post as Deanery Rural Affairs Officer on 1st
January. Only 3 parishes remain that have not contributed.
The treasurer wished to thank all parishes for how
quickly they had paid the Parish Share. All but one parish have paid
their Share in full (to date) which is outstanding and he is most grateful
for this brilliant performance and asked Reps to pass on his thanks to the
PCCs.
The Chairman, Mrs. Rosemary Tout, asked Synod to
adopt the accounts. The Rev’d Andrew Tatham proposed and Miss Dee English
seconded their approval.
6. As the post of Secretary is vacant, there was no
Secretary’s Report. Instead, the Rural Dean gave out his Notices.
There is a plan to cut down on meetings and
consequently the Pastoral Committee and Standing Committee have been
amalgamated and will next meet at noon on Wednesday 8th March
in the Minster Rooms, Ilminster.
The Deanery Pilgrimage will be to Winchester
Cathedral on Saturday 29th April 2006.
The Archdeacon’s Visitation will be on Wednesday 9th
May from 6.00pm. The service will begin at 7.00pm.
The Deanery Evensong will be held at the Church of
BVM at Buckland St. Mary at 6.00pm. The preacher will be The Dean of
Wells The Very Rev’d John Clarke.
The Deanery still lacks a Secretary. The Rural
Dean asked everyone to search their conscience and to listen to God’s call
and to think of anyone who they knew who might help in this matter.
7. Catherine Cavender spoke for the Rural
Communities Regeneration Group.
She read an extract from an e-mail recently
received from the Diocesan Secretary outlining an initiative from The
Bishop’s Council to set up a Working Party, under the chairmanship of the
Rev’d David Osborne, to draft an environment policy for the diocese. In
drafting the policy, the diocese is looking for advice and information
from various environmental organisations and experts. It is also studying
the policies that have been produced by some other dioceses and
denominations. However, this is a policy for the Diocese of Bath and
Wells and the working party wants to consult widely within the diocese to
discover the views, concerns and experience of people here.
Could we possibly let them know of any people in the
deanery who we think could have a particular contribution to make to the
working party, either from their area of work or their personal concerns?
It was also suggested that a member of the Working Party come to speak to
Synod this year.
Catherine reported that the Church & Countryside
Walks packs are still selling well. She is writing to all those who
designed the walks to invite them to check their own, local, walk before
Easter to make sure it is still open and in good repair. |
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8. Rural
Affairs Officer.
Rob Walrond began by showing us an apple
that depicted the world. He asked us what proportion of the apple we
thought would remain that would represent the area of land supplying all
the world’s food. After taking away 66% for the sea, more for the
deserts and forests etc we were left with 3% - a tiny proportion of the
whole. Rob then peeled this 3% and the apple skin he held up, represented
the amount of prime top soil that grew the entire world’s food needs – try
this at home!
Rob spoke of his primary aims. He is anxious to be
used by all of us in the Deanery.
His primary aims include:
a) To build individual relationships within
agricultural and church communities – and with relevant organisations
concerned with the rural community.
b) Support those who minister in the deanery – lay
and ordained.
c) Work with schools to strengthen church and rural
links. Rob would be writing to the schools soon after half term.
Suggestions:
i) Friday Feasts – quick and easy supper for the
village. 6.pm-8pm. Keep costs as low as possible but if there are any
proceeds perhaps 50/50 between the church and another charity.
ii) Farmers/countryside suppers – perhaps twice each
winter. Can be held in a pub with a Christian speaker. A help for those
farmers and their families who simply cannot get to church.
iii) Farm tour – could be on 1 farm or even visiting
3 farms in one evening on a tractor and trailer. This builds a bridge
between the farmers and their community. Finish with food!
iv) Town and country – parish twinning. Hold a
Harvest Service on a farm.
v) Share resources – World’s resources – eco
congregations. Rob told us a little about this – more on
ecocongregation@rase.org.uk or
www.ecocongregation.org. or The Rev’d Cathy Horder The Vicarage, 1
Millier Road, Cleeve, Bristol BS49 4NL on
cathy.horder@btinternet.com.
The Rural Dean pointed out to the meeting that Rob
had already been active in the Deanery visiting schools and helping
bereaved and suffering families from farming backgrounds. If we ever have
to deal with a farming family’s sadness, then Rob is always there to help.
9.
Discussion Paper:
a Name of Deanery.
The Rural Dean explained that this idea was put
forward as the Deanery was now so large – stretching from Curry Rivel to
Thorncombe and the M5 to Haselbury Plucknett. It comprises 12% of the
diocese. Did it make sense to give it another name that would more fairly
incorporate the other benefices and especially Chard that made up such a
large percentage of the Deanery?
The discussion began with the Rep from Churchstanton,
one of the recent parishes to join this deanery, telling us that their PCC
was happy to remain with the present name.
Buckland St. Mary and Haselbury Plucknett agreed.
Rev’d Tony Woodward and Rev’d Jenny Langdown favoured The Minster Deanery.
South Somerset was suggested but thought there would be a danger that it
might be confused with the South Somerset District Council. Martin
Rawstorne suggested The Ilminster Deanery as Ilminster was the centre.
The Scrumpy Deanery was also suggested!
A vote was taken:
i) Remain as Crewkerne & Ilminster
Deanery
27
ii) Minster Deanery 19
iii) Ilminster Deanery 4
It was decided to remain as the Crewkerne &
Ilminster Deanery.
b) Future arrangements for Deanery:
The Rural Dean reminded us that 60 parishes are just
too much for one Rural Dean to care for. Nigel is non-stipendiary and has
more time than he would if he had a parish – these plans are to be put in
place for 2011.
By introducing LMGs
(Local Ministry Groups) it could be seen to be introducing another layer
of beaurocracy. The smaller parishes would find it difficult to find more
people to act as Reps for Deanery and LMGs. Deanery Synod is held 3 times
a year and the Standing Committee does his best to make it interesting.
There are 4 options:
i)
Deanery Synod could be abolished altogether but The Church
Representation Act which legalises Synodical Government requires there to
be a Synod so this would be difficult in practice.
ii)
Put Synod in abeyance – to be called together when something
special needs to be discussed.
iii)
Leave it as it is with one less Synod a year.
iv)
To hold 2 LMG meetings and 1 Synod each year.
Please bear in mind that LMGs are here to stay. If
there was a national debate on a particular subject, then we could all get
together for an Extraordinary Meeting of Deanery Synod.
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Discussion followed: Would the powers of Synod be
delegated down to LMGs? Some thought that the Deanery was now so huge
that there was a danger that parishes far from one another held no
affinity. Those parishes comprising LMGs would feel more involved within
the smaller unit. The Deanery could meet for longer and in a different
form than now. The LMG would not have the same authority that Deanery
Synod has now. Perhaps we should remember the ‘Eco’ side of things – was
it right that so many of us drive so far in order to attend Synod – meet
locally and there is less travelling etc. The Lay Chairman (Rosemary
Tout) spoke strongly to keep Synod as it is. It is a good sounding
board. If we all keep to our local LMGs then we don’t know what other
people are thinking – we become introspective. Deanery Synod was
originally set up (1919) to enable the laity to have a formal voice within
the structure of the Church of England. The Synods add to the clergy
workload. Does the Rural Dean have to be ordained? Could the Deanery come
together socially – answering the need for a wider view. We all benefit
from mixing with a collection of such different people. Can this body
(deanery) function properly now it is so huge? We should be working
together in groups that make sense and are practical. We can still meet
together for pilgrimages and Deanery Evensong etc. This social activity
is important but to keep Synod in its present form is a mistake. There is
confusion between the Deanery and Deanery Synod. Does Synod contribute
very much to the interconnections between the parish boundaries?
The Rev’d Alastair Wallace pointed out the
conflicting principles between Deanery Synod and the LMGs. If a LMG is
made up of a small group of parishes, there was an obvious danger of those
within it becoming introspective and, on the other hand, at Deanery
Synod there was more chance of getting the wider view of the Church. We
must remember that the place of the laity within the LMGs is hugely
important and they have a strong role to play.
The Rural Dean invited us to refer to the Deanery
Annex - the Deanery was a better platform from which to organise things
such as Worship Courses, Lay Pastor Courses etc which would not work so
well at LMG level.
Would it be a good plan to hold 2 meetings of the
LMGs to 1 Deanery Synod per year? The LMGs would elect 1 lay Rep and 1
clergy Rep to Diocesan Synod which would mean that the Diocesan Synod Reps
would be better spaced out through the Deanery than they are now. If this
was so, would Diocesan Synod recognise those people elected from LMGs
(rather than Deanery Synod) The Rural Dean replied that he thought that
the diocese would be happy with whoever went to Diocesan Synod and
wouldn’t object to how they might have been elected from the Deanery. The
voice of the parish would be better heard through the LMGs than Synod.
As each group of parishes was moving at a different
speed, it was suggested that we keep the meetings of Synod as they are (3
times a year) until each LMG was up and running easily. There was the
difficulty for some parishes, that not only are they newly formed
benefices but they have moved into a different deanery as well.
Where does power reside and how important is Synod –
can anyone remember when we were last asked to debate any topic relating
to the national Church. It was agreed that we had been asked to debate
the Anglican/Methodist Covenant 3 years ago which did prove a most
interesting exercise (approved) Diocesan Synod plays a larger part in
these debates than does the Deanery.
If we made a decision now, what is the time scale of
the implementation of the new programme? Everything had to be in practice
by 2011 but the sooner we made these decisions the better.
A vote was taken:
i) Remain with 3 Deanery Synods per
year 0
ii) To hold 2 Deanery Synods per year leaving the
LMGs to hold as many meetings as they wish. 33
iii) To hold 1 Deanery Synod per year and 2
meetings each year for the LMGs 14
It was decided to hold 2 Deanery Synods per year
leaving the LMGs to hold as many meetings as they wish.
10. AOB
Dates and Numbers:
Next Deanery Synod: Tuesday 6th June.
7.30pm at Thurlbear School.
There is to be a Passion Play held at St. George’s
Church Hinton St. George on Sunday 2nd April at 7.00pm.
Tickets from The Rev’d Veronica James.
Tuesday 16th May – School of Formation
Workshop. St. Mary’s Church Chard. Open to everyone. Come and see what it
is all about. With Graham Dodds 7.30pm.
For items to be inserted on the Deanery Web Site
please contact Rob Allen on
robertallen@it-anglican.org or at 15 Station Road, Ilminster. TA19
9BE. News, Views and Dates of parish events please.
There being no other business the meeting closed
with The Grace.
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