Report

The Rural Dean welcomed all the Synod members and especially David Jasper (Sth.Petherton with the Seavingtons), Andrew Tatham (Broadway) and Colin Furness (Chard Furnham) to the House of Clergy.  He also welcomed Dudley Coates, a Methodist Minister and observer at General Synod and several other Methodists who were there to engage in a discussion later in the evening.

Prayers were led by Michael Gallagher, Rector of Crewkerne.

Minutes of the last meeting 23/10/02 having been circulated to the Synod membership with the Agenda for this meeting, were, after consultation,  taken as correct.

RURAL DEAN’S NOTES:          

  Deanery Website -      We now have a Deanery Website which is independent of the

Ilminster Team website. Our new -look website address is:

www.crewkerne-ilminster-deanery.org.

Nigel thanked  Rob Allen for setting it up.  Members were encouraged to visit the website and contact Nigel or Rob with any suggestions/comments about it.

Communications.  Due to the increased significance of the Website, our Communications procedure has been

reviewed. Information for the Website will now be fed to Rob Allen through Nigel Whinney as Web Editor, Catherine Cavender as Lay Chairman,  Sr.Phyllis on Synod matters, and through Jim Langdown as liaison to and from the parishes.

Output will be the Website, input to the Grapevine and to the Deanery Digest, which Catherine has agreed to compile. 

Members are invited to maintain the interest and topical nature of the site by channelling information/advertisements re local events through the above-mentioned people.

Diocesan Synod  Elections to the new Synod will take place at our next Deanery Synod (12^th June) for effect    from 1^st August. We need 6 lay members and 5 Clergy members. At present, our LAY members are: Catherine Cavender, Ross Coad, David Cuthbertson, Rosemary Tout and two Vacancies; our CLERGY  members are Alan Elwood,Jennifer Langdown, Margaret Maslen , Alastair Wallace and Nigel Whinney.

Diocesan Committees’ structure  is under debate and changes are imminent.  This autumn also sees elections to a number of these including: Bishop’s Council, Vacancy in See, Diocesan Development Fund, Councils for Mission & Ministry and Social Responsibility, Diocesan Board of Education.

Nomination papers will be available at Diocesan Synod on 18^th October, and will need to be returned by 7^th November, for Election papers to then be prepared.  

Diocesan Synod  Elections to the new Synod will take place at our next Deanery Synod (12^th June) for effect    from 1^st August. We need 6 lay members and 5 Clergy members. At present, our LAY members are: Catherine Cavender, Ross Coad, David Cuthbertson, Rosemary Tout and two Vacancies; our CLERGY  members are Alan Elwood,Jennifer Langdown, Margaret Maslen , Alastair Wallace and Nigel Whinney.

Diocesan Committees’ structure  is under debate and changes are imminent.  This autumn also sees elections to a number of these including: Bishop’s Council, Vacancy in See, Diocesan Development Fund, Councils for Mission & Ministry and Social Responsibility, Diocesan Board of Education.

Nomination papers will be available at Diocesan Synod on 18^th October, and will need to be returned by 7^th November, for Election papers to then be prepared.  

 DEANERY TREASURER’S REPORT:          

Graham Tout congratulated the Deanery on having paid 99% of last year’s Parish Share as of this date – the Share averages about £10,000 for each of the 43 parishes. About 80% of the Parish Shares goes on Clergy expenses, and like other employers, the Church is not immune from inflation, pensions and other staff costs.  As costs increase it seems inevitable that the role of PCCs and Clergy in the parishes will change.

There may be a conference for Parish Treasurers to look at common, as well as individual, Parish Treasurer problems.

The Deanery currently has £1,062 in the deposit account. Each Synod costs about £100 of which the major expense is postage. On this basis, a contribution of £10-£15 per parish would suffice.  The Deanery Secretary hopes to send more of the Minutes/Agendas by e-mail – her address is phyllis.csf@talk21.com

RURAL AFFAIRS:

Ross Coad spoke to his comprehensive written report on the Rural Communities RegenerationGroup (RCRG) which had been mailed to all Deanery Synod Members. Much work had been done by various parishes and individuals (with help from Carmel Wilkinson of the SSDC Countryside Agency) to research, walk and write up 21 different  Deanery Walks designed to encourage tourists and local people to a greater participation and understanding of local areas, churches and other tourist attractions. Ross strongly urged  Synod members to pursue the matter in their parishes.

PROPOSED ANGLICAN/METHODIST COVENANTS

Dudley Coates, a Methodist Minister married to an Anglican Priest, introduced The Common Statement of the formal conversations between the Church of England (12 participants) and the Methodist Church (12 participants) plus 5 observers from other Churches. It was noted in the history of the 2 churches, there had been much mutual sharing, and common ground, as well as some growing apart, so there had been many aspects for the conversations to consider.  The outcome of the conversation was a proposed Anglican/Methodist Covenant which would be a process of commitment, rather than a scheme, towards more sharing. Para.194 of the Common Statements reveals 7 Affirmation by each church of the other, and 6 Commitments by the 2 churches to continue the dialogue.

The Synod members moved into small groups each with a local Methodist present to engage in sharing understandings and difficulties,etc.

At the plenary session it was observed that since it appeared that the whole covenant was based on mission, the affirmations and commitments did not emphasise this sufficiently strongly.  There was a general feeling that people might like this aspect to be developed early in the progress of this covenant.

It was then proposed “that this Synod approve the Anglican-Methodist Covenant, consisting of a pre-amble and mutual Affirmations and Commitments, set out in  paragraph 194 of the Common Statement.”

It was emphasised that members were voting as members of Synod and not as representatives of the PCCs many of whom had not apparently discussed the issue. The result of the voting was:

Those for the motion                    63

Those against the motion              1

Those abstaining                            5

The motion was duly carried.

The Rural Dean thanked Dudley Coates for his work and invited him to close the meeting with prayer.