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S y n o d N E W S l i n k "Extra Edition"
thursday, june 1, 1995
"This year, the shape, direction,
and future of the national church
will be in the hands of General
Synod, possibly to the greatest
extent since the first national
Synod, 102 years ago."
-- Anglican Journal
May 1995
___________________________________
s u m m a r y
Or, as Johnny Carson said on his last Tonight Show: "And so,
it has come to this."
Indeed it has. Faced with declining populations and less
financial resources to use for ministries, the national
church will shift gears at this Synod. Big time. "Radical
change is needed," reads the first underlying principle from
the proposal to restructure the church. "Tinkering will not
do."
The proposal below represents nothing short of a massive
restructuring of the national church. It is more than
shuffling numbers, it is probably the biggest internal
review undertaken by the church.
NEC has already been asked to cut two million from the
church budget and it has resulted in staff cuts at church
house, the merging of nearly all national program committees
into one "supercommittee", and . . . this.
Entitled "Preparing the Way," the proposal is the
culmination of three years of seeking a renewed direction
and renewed priorities for the church.
If you're ready, hold your breath and read on.
___________________________________
t i m e l i n e s
Friday, June 2 Presentation and small group discussions
(diocesan groupings)
Saturday, June 3 AM: Discussion about the proposed plan
and structure (Bible study
groupings); group messages
PM: Groups report back to Plenary and to
a Listening Panel
Sunday, June 4 Presentation of plan and structure with
changes and comments in response to group
messages (Plenary)
Monday, June 5 Decisions to approve plan, structure
(Plenary)
Tuesday, June 6 Enabling legislation (Plenary)
___________________________________
t h e v i s i o n
"THE VISION" = Focus
+
Shared Values
+
Gifts
FOCUS (Our renewed priorities)
a. Strengthen our mission and development partnerships
outside Canada
b. Clarify Anglican identity, liturgy, and worship
c. Nurture ecumenical relationships
d. Advocate social justice and prophetic mission within
Canada, especially in indigenous peoples' concerns and
social and economic justice issues
e. Work with the Council of the North to move toward
self-sufficiency
f. Provide services to dioceses -- information, financial,
administration
g. Eliminate other nationall coordinated domestic mission
SHARED VALUES
- Current strengths and traditions
- International, ecumenical, inter-diocesan partnerships
- Prophetic challenge
- Involvement and participation
- Clear expression of Anglican identity
GIFTS
Gifts We Need Nationally:
o Facilitating networks and partnerships at home
and abroad
o Effectively setting mission/development priorities,
choosing partners
o Speaking in a timely, informed manner on social,
theological, and ethical issues
o Providing financial expertise and facilitating
communication that is relevant and useful to
dioceses
o Coordinating activities
Gifts We Need in Parishes:
o Developing vital, healthy faith communities
(including developing/procuring our own programs)
o Participating actively in networks for social
justice and prophetic mission, liturgy, ecumenism
o Drawing upon national expertise when appropriate
o Working in partnership with companion dioceses,
other Canadian diocese, and national church
o Developing leaders
STEP ONE: ELIMINATE THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Well, sort of. Actually, drastically reduce its membership
and rename it Council of General Synod. Its makeup would be
thirty members as such:
4 officers;
4 bishops;
4 clergy;
4 laity;
2 youth;
3 Primatial appointments;
partners from ECUSA now as "guests";
and 9 Committee/Council representatives.
Here's how they will be elected:
o Officers come from General Synod and are elected every
three years.
o The clergy, laity and bishops are elected from their
Provinces ... one of each order from each of the four
Provinces.
o The Primate chooses three of his own ... to balance
what's not represented (i.e. minorities, indigenous, etc.
etc. etc.).
o Two members are chosen from those who are designated
"youth" (i.e. 25 or younger) members of General Synod.
They are "members at large" so could come from any
diocese.
o The 9 Committee representatives simply means that there
are now 9 Standing Committees of General Synod: Pensions,
Social Justice, PWRDF, Partners in Mission, Faith
Worship and Ministry, Council of the North, Council for
Native Ministries, Information Resources and Financial
Management and Development.
GRASSROOTS PHILOSOPHY EMBRACED
In this model of the Council of General Synod, the thinking
is that it is "ground up" rather than "Council down", that
is, rather than having a Council of General Synod member go
to a Committee (and they have no say in the matter), it's
the Committee who chooses who represents them at the
administrative/policy-making level of the church.
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
Imagine a wheel - at the centre of which is General Synod/Council
of General Synod (formerly NEC). Nine spokes - representing the
nine reformulated national Committees - emanate from this
centre. Those nine spokes (national committees) are:
Partners in Mission Committee
Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee
Council of the North
Council for Native Ministries
Information Resources Committee
Financial Management and Development Committee
Pensions Committee
Social Justice Committee
Primate's World Relief and Development Committee
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