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Resolution 1 Voluntary religious service and employment General Assembly calls upon Her Majesty's Government to encourage employers to allow their employees working for faith communities in a voluntary capacity to be permitted paid leave on those occasions when those responsibilities fall within working time. Proposer: Revd Murdoch MacKenzie East Midlands Synod 1.1 This resolution came from a church where a review of their NSM was being undertaken. A member of the eldership had recently lost their son in a car accident and the Minister had conducted the funeral. Afterwards the elders were shocked to discover that the Minister had taken a days' annual leave for the occasion. 1.2 The elders and the church agreed that there ought to be a scheme where employees who work for faith communities could be released from employment with pay to undertake duties which could not be carried out after working hours. The church was comparing the situation with employees in many workplaces who are allowed to have special leave to attend Territorial Army camps, undertake Magistrates duties and undertake jury service. 1.3 Such a scheme would help bring about the partnership with faith communities in social care which the Government is attempting to initiate. Resolution 2 Standardising the administration of LEPs General Assembly, concerned that, while unity at local level is enabling mission, the lack of co-ordination between denominations at national level is making it more difficult, calls upon the Ecumenical Committee to work with our ecumenical partners to establish: a) a single point of contact for national approval of constitutions for new LEPs and amendments to constitutions of existing LEPs, and b) a single form which satisfies all denominations' needs for statistical information. Proposer: Revd Murdoch MacKenzie East Midlands Synod 1.1 The Churches in Milton Keynes have converged the Anglican Deanery Synod, the Methodist Circuit and the URC District Council to enable the Churches better to carry out their mission. The lack of co-ordination of the denominations at national level is holding up that mission particularly in the area of constitutions for LEPs where it is not uncommon for there to be up to 12 drafts before a constitution is approved. Many of the changes are often minor in character. In the area of statistical information each denomination sends out a form at different times of the year and requires different information. 1.2 If these areas could be converged it would release people to be able to carry out the mission given to us by Jesus. Resolution 3 Advocacy for Christian Stewardship General Assembly, mindful of the United Reformed Church's need to complement spending cuts with increased giving, instructs the Life and Witness Committee to give priority to the development and promotion of stewardship, and, subject to the availability of funds additional to the 2003 Budget, to proceed as soon as possible with the appointment of one or more advocates for this work; and resolves that from 2004 onwards the post(s) shall be included in the United Reformed Church budget. Proposer: Revd Michael J Davies Southern Synod 1.1 In the current debate about URC finances a crucial element has been missing - Christian Stewardship. When a church or charitable organisation overspends it must first prune its costs to eliminate the immediate shortfall. Then it must review its plans and priorities to ensure that future budgets will balance. However, alongside both these steps, if it believes in the work it is doing, it must put a high priority on generating the necessary funds. 1.2 Through the first half of the 90s the URC had a deep commitment to Christian Stewardship. In local churches, which responded to TRIO, income increased significantly and met expenditure, including the work of the wider church through the Ministry and Mission Fund. Now we have no full time advocate and it shows! 1.3 The Southern Synod believes that the only way forward is to engage vigorously in advocacy again and that the appointment of a person or persons to spear-head it is a priority. Raising the resources should be a first charge on the budget. If this is not possible in the first year (2003), other funds must be sought to prime the pump Ð but the URC must get back on track and urgently, actively seek the resources it needs for the work and mission to which it is called. Resolution 4 Ecumenical Bishop in Wales General Assembly endorses the resolution which has been passed by the Synod of Wales agreeing to 'take steps appropriate to our polity to bring into being an Ecumenical Bishop in Wales who shall be in full communion with us as with all other parties to the scheme' and accepts fully the Proposal for the Appointment of an Ecumenical Bishop for Cardiff East (The Common Document). Proposer: Revd Stuart Jackson Synod of Wales 1.1 At a recent meeting, the National Synod of Wales carefully considered the Proposal and documentation provided by Enfys (the Covenanted Body) in 'the Common Document' and the 'Service for the Consecration of the Ecumenical Bishop'. The text of the Common Document plus Appendices together with the Service for the Consecration of the Ecumenical Bishop can be found in this Book of Reports (Appendix 11). Resolution 5 Remand Prisoners General Assembly asks Her Majesty's Government to ensure that all prisoners found not guilty of the charges against them or who are found to have no case to answer should receive pro-rata compensation for their period on remand regardless of any previous convictions. Proposed by: Revd David J Williams Wessex Synod 1.1 People remanded on bail while awaiting trial are free to continue to earn their living while those remanded in custody are not. About forty percent of remand prisoners are eventually found not guilty. Those who have no previous conviction are entitled to compensation for their time on remand while those who have a previous conviction are not so entitled. Their only recourse is to sue for wrongful imprisonment. This is not justice. This resolution sets out to redress the balance. Resolution 6 Inter-Synod Sharing Assembly gives thanks for the new spirit of sharing which has arisen in the life of the United Reformed Church from the consultation between the synods. It asks the Resource Sharing Task Group to initiate a consultation between the synods on the advisability and possibility of a more complete sharing of the financial resources of the synods, with a view to a more radical and equitable distribution of such resources across the whole church. Proposed by: Revd Adrian Bulley Wessex Synod 1.1 Wessex Synod has strongly supported the recent development of inter-synod resource sharing. We are blessed with greater financial resources than some of the other synods, and we believe that as members of the same church we should look towards sharing more fairly. 1.2 The Convener of the Resource Sharing Task Group wrote to all synods last November, asking they consider the inclusion of money received from the sale of redundant church property within the resource-sharing process. The meeting of Wessex Synod in March 2002 agreed to this proposal, but wished also to encourage a more radical review of the distribution of resources. We are aware that this may not be an easy task, but this should not prevent the attempt. Any progress will be made only with the participation of all the synods, and we feel that the Resource Sharing Task Group is the appropriate body to initiate the work. Resolution 7 CRCW Programme General Assembly asks the Ministries Committee to re-examine the way in which the criteria for the issue of Certificates of Eligibility to potential CRCWs are applied, to consider whether any changes are needed and to report to the Assembly. Proposer: Revd Paul Whittle West Midlands Synod 1.1 Whilst maintaining concern for due parity of conditions and status between CRCWs and Ministers of Word and Sacrament, Synod is concerned that the realities of recruitment and periods of service are given due weight in the way the CRCW programme is administered. A RECOGNISED MINISTRY The CRCW programme in the URC is a MINISTRY to which Christians are called by God (not just a job). Important steps have rightly been taken to ensure that this Ministry is recognised as having 'PARITY' with the Ministry of Word and Sacraments (commonly called 'ministers'). This idea of a community work Ministry, equal in status to 'ministers', where the workers have a calling and a training in theology and theological reflection as well as a professional training in community work probably makes the URC's programme unique. ACCREDITING POSTS AND FILLING THEM However, CRCW ministries are very different from pastorates. Most churches have long histories and are expected to carry on for indefinite periods. A CRCW post has a maximum life of 10 years and responds to a closely argued application made at a particular time relating to specific needs of a particular hard-pressed community. In these circumstances, an extended vacancy of indeterminate length either in the middle of the work or before it can properly begin is profoundly dispiriting. Whilst it is inevitable (and even desirable) that there should be a few more posts than workers, too large an excess leads to very lengthy, even indefinite vacancies and, ultimately risks the viability of the whole idea. A serious attempt to call, recruit and ensure the eligibility of appropriate people from other denominations may be necessary at this time to address urgent ministry needs and ensure the ongoing health and development of this whole programme. THE PROBLEM OF 'PARITY' We whole-heartedly accept the idea of CRCWs as a Ministry having real parity with the Ministry of Word and Sacraments. We expect there to be both professional and theological standards set and an equivalence both in terms and conditions and in status. That does not, however, mean that every procedure and approach appropriate to establishing the eligibility of 'ministers' can reasonably be re-applied to CRCWs. Indeed, the training required is itself noticeably different. There are hundreds of ministers in the URC and thousands more trained and qualified along broadly similar lines by other denominations who could apply to join the URC. There are probably fewer than fifty people who have ever completed CRCW training and no other denomination is training anyone for a directly similar post. Establishing eligibility as a CRCW for people from other denominations, if it is to be a practicable option, must require a case-by-case approach with honest pragmatism, even a willingness to require some theological training in the first year of an appointment, where appropriate. |
Synod resolutions
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