Notes
All votes are given in the form "votes for"-"votes against".

The following are not included:

• Take Note motions;
• amendments to motions; and
• the non-controversial draft Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure (GS 1476A).

carried

(a) welcome the Guidelines on the Professional Conduct of the Clergy;

(b) commend them to the Church as a contemporary statement of expectations of clergy conduct; and

(c) invite the Convocations of Canterbury and York to approve the Guidelines and make arrangements for copies to be provided for all clergy in their respective provinces.

That the Measure entitled “Stipends (Cessation of Special Payments) Measure” be considered for revision in committee.

That the Legal Officers (Annual Fees) Order 2003 be approved.

In paragraph (a)(i) leave out the words “a Crown Appointments Commission” and insert the words “a Crown Nominations Commission”

In paragraph (a)(i) leave out the word “Four” [members of the Vacancy in See Committee] and insert the word “Six”

After “as follows” insert “(i)” and at the end insert:

“(ii) (but not so as to terminate the membership of the Crown Appointments Commission of any person who at the date of the coming into force of the said Regulation is such a member by virtue of being a member of and elected to the Commission by the Vacancy in See Committee of an individual diocese and who is at such a date a suffragan bishop or subsequently becomes a suffragan bishop while members of the Vacancy in See Committee of that diocese remain members of the Commission): In paragraph (a)(i) before the words “of the Vacancy in See Committee” insert the words “(not including a suffragan bishop)” and after the words “considered by the Commission” insert the words “Provided that if such a member becomes a suffragan bishop that person shall forthwith cease to be a member of the Commission.”.”

(a) affirm its commitment to continue tackling the challenge of institutional racism within the Church of England and providing a prophetic voice in addressing the issues of racial injustice;

(b) commend the report Called to Act Justly and invite bishops and their dioceses to consider its implications for their ministry, witness and work for racial justice;

(c) endorse the recommendations in Section VII of Called to Act Justly and ask the Archbishops' Council to report on progress in implementation within the next three years; and

(d) recommend that Bishops, in consultation with the Ministry Division introduce racial awareness/cultural diversity training as a standard requirement for all clergy, accredited ministers, and diocesan officers and staff.

(a) approve the Covenant, consisting of a preamble, Affirmations and Commitments, set out in paragraph 194 of An Anglican-Methodist Covenant (GS 1409) and reproduced as Appendix A of GS 1409;

(b) encourage the dioceses, deaneries and parishes of the Church of England to implement the Covenant in conjunction with their Methodist counterparts and in consultation with partner churches where appropriate; and

(c) authorise the setting up of a joint implementation commission, having the membership and terms of reference described in Appendix E of GS 1513, to monitor and promote the implementation of the Covenant.

That the Synod do take note of this Report.

That this Synod:

(a) is concerned that the increased pressures on bishops, clergy and laity is impairing the provision of pastoral care in the dioceses and across the parishes;

(b) re-affirm the essential importance of pastoral care in the ordained and lay ministries of the Church of England; and

(c) wish to encourage and resource the development of the shared pastoral responsibility and ministry of bishops, clergy and laity.

Embryo Research: Some Christian Perspectives: Report by the Mission and Public Affairs Council (GS 1511)

That this Synod

(a) affirm the sanctity of the human embryo and therefore the need to treat it with profound respect;

(b) recognise that there are different but principled and sincerely held views among Christians on the morality of embryo research;

(c) welcome the paper Embryo Research: some Christian Perspectives (GS 1511) as a helpful contribution to Christian reflection and debate on issues relating to the status of the embryo and its therapeutic potential;

(d) call upon members of the Church of England to continue to engage with the scientific community, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and Her Majesty's Government so as to ensure the ethical imperatives in embryo research are never forgotten; and

(e) ask the Mission and Public Affairs Council to provide a list of resource publications and possible speakers to assist moral and theological reflection on this issue.'

In paragraph 3 of the draft amending Regulation insert at the beginning -

“(1) In paragraph 1(a)(i) of the 1993 Regulation there shall be inserted at the beginning the words “one bishop who shall be elected by and from” and there shall be added at the end the words “; if there is only one such bishop, that bishop. Where there is an equality of votes the matter shall be decided by lot.”.”

carried

In paragraph 5(a) of the draft amending Regulation after the word “inserted” insert the words “after the words “casual vacancy” the words “(including any vacancy occurring because insufficient eligible candidates for election have been elected) and,”.”

(a) recognise the desirability of developing a strategy to seek a new and stronger partnership with Government and other bodies in respect of cathedral and church buildings, based on an understanding of the wide contribution which these buildings, and the social, cultural and educational work carried out in them, make to the nation's life; and

(b) accordingly request the Church Heritage Forum and the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division to proceed with the production and submission of a report to Government and other bodies, as recommended in the Report, and with the implementation of the other recommendations set out in paragraph 82 of the Report, with the aim of enhancing that understanding and seeking such a new partnership, whilst at the same time seeking to simplify in accordance with Key Issue 4, paragraph 46 the present system of faculty controls.

That this Synod welcome the analysis and vision of the report and approve the proposals set out in Chapter 9 of GS 1496 -

(i) with the insertion at the end of proposal 1 of the words “or the fourth year after ordination”;

(ii) with the omission of proposal 4(iii);

(iii) save that proposal 6(ii) should read “that, after the process of rationalisation of institutions within the regions, the House of Bishops continues to grant its recognition for ordination training to colleges within regional partnerships”;

(iv) with the insertion at the end of proposal 10(ii) of the words “but ask the Archbishops' Council to do further research into secular employment and retirement trends, before reducing any residential theological training places”;

(v) with the omission from proposal 10(ii) of the words “of about 75” and with the insertion at the end of that proposal of the words “and that alternative sources of funding for family support be explored, with the aim of seeking to achieve a less drastic reduction of residential places than the 75 specified in proposal 10(ii) as it appears in the report”;

(vi) but in the case of proposal 10(ii) subject to the figures and the means by which they are arrived at being re-examined after the geographical boundaries of the regional training partnerships have been agreed and that a report on a revised proposal 10(ii) be brought to this Synod for further consideration at the July 2004 group of sessions; and

(vii) with the insertion at the end of proposal 14(iii) of the words “save that the sponsoring bishop, taking account of the respective strengths of different regional partnerships and of specific concerns presented by the ordinand, is entirely free to select a regional training partnership other than that of the region in which his diocese is located”.

(b) call on the Church in the dioceses, deaneries and parishes to be actively involved in the implementation of the National Children's Strategy and make full use of the excellent teaching and training material that has already been developed by and in conjunction with other denominations; and

(c) ask the Archbishops' Council to monitor the implementation of the National Children's Strategy and to give a report on progress before the end of the current quinquennium.

(a) to remove any requirement for approval or submission of details for works that would not require any local authority permission whether or a not a secular building were 'listed' and

(b) to deem requirements under Faculty Jurisdiction where local authority permissions would be required in respect of works to a building or its curtilage, to be met (save in respect of Listed Building Consent that would be required for a secular building) by notification of applications made under the Planning Acts and/or Building Regulations and provision of copies of any permissions granted.

Peter Owen
last modified 23 July 2003
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