Posted Monday 22 June 2009
The Diocesan Synod met at St Margaret’s Newlands on Saturday 20 June 2009.
The main business was to complete the election of the Preparatory Committee whose task it is to receive nominations for the office of Bishop and to produce a list of between three and five candidates for the Electoral Synod to consider and vote upon.
The following members of the Preparatory Committee were elected:
Lay Members
Dr Jamie Hill
Mr David Rose
Clerical Members
Revd Darren McFarland
Revd Scott Roberston
The Synod opened with a Eucharist during which Bishop Idris counselled patience and prayer during the process. In his charge Idris outlined the roles of the Preparatory Committee and the Electoral Synod and the timescales involved:
“The Preliminary Synod will be convened by the Primus and its set agenda will be addressed. After that meeting you will not be summoned again until the first Electoral meeting which will probably take place in December but certainly not before that. So between August and December there is a time of waiting.
Arising from my own experience as Primus for two elections I want to warn of this time lapse when it seems that nothing is happening and no progress is being made. Please be patient; do not become anxious about this time which is a time of preparation for everyone. Prayer is essential and that can be offered throughout the diocese over this time of waiting.
The Preparatory Committee is given the task of identifying Candidates – that is not for you as an Electoral Synod to do. I make that clear because sometimes Electors as “Why have I not been able to choose a candidate?” The reason is that the Canon says that is what the Preparatory Committee have to do. The task of an Elector is to elect after careful thought and constant prayer. That is responsibility enough; but don’t get frustrated because the task is being handled by someone else — pray for them.
Now you will see that if the Preparatory Committee is to produce the list of Candidates it has to work in a concentrated burst between the end of August, say, and the end of November. Three months in which to arrange for ten or so people from around the Province to meet, to worship together, to form a working group and to have met with as many of the nominees as they feel appropriate and to offer you a list of Candidates for consideration. It does mean that it takes a long time before the Bishop has been identified and consecrated — but for the members of the Preparatory Committee the schedule is under pressure from day one. And although as Electors you are not called upon to meet until the Preparatory Committee has finished its work it is quite wrong to speak of nothing happening and no progress being made. I repeat, you will need to exercise patience.”
The full text of the Bishop’s Charge is available here.
The other item of business was to receive comments on the draft Diocesan Profile which had been prepared. The various comments were noted by the group which had constructed the document and a further draft of the document will be prepared based on these and other comments received over the next week or so.
Category: Bishop's Office, Diocesan Synod
