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Diocesan Synod held an additional meeting via Zoom on a cold and crisp January evening.

Prior to the business of the evening, Archbishop Stephen told Synod members the sad news of the death at the weekend of Penny, wife of Bishop of Whitby Paul Ferguson. Bishop Paul was present for the meeting and the Archbishop assured him of the love and prayers of all:
“I want to assure you of how much we love you and the high regard we hold you in—we are so thankful for all the service you give us and that Penny gave to us.”

LIVING CHRIST’S STORY

Following a Lectio Divina in small groups (looking at 2 Corinthians 9.6-11), Archbishop Stephen invited Archdeacon Sam Rushton, Interim Diocesan Director for Strategic Transformation, to introduce the main business of the evening. Her presentation informed Synod of progress in developing strategy to revitalise growth over the next five years, inviting its endorsement of the parameters to be used by deaneries in their forthcoming planning exercise.
She reminded Synod of the process so far; the adoption early in 2021 of our refreshed diocesan vision of Living Christ’s Story and the ways in which we aim to do that, as we address a number of challenges facing us in the here and now.

2021 had seen a process of consultations beginning with Deanery Leadership Teams and then moving to Parochial Church Councils, focused on the question of how we will share and use our God-given resources as a diocesan family to enable every community to Live Christ’s Story in its own context.

While the responses to that consultation process are still being fully analysed (although a summary can be found at www.dioceseofyork.org.uk/living-christs-story), Deanery Leadership Teams are shortly to be asked to undertake a planning process to establish how best to engage their human, financial and practical resources in mission for the coming years.

Bishop of Whitby Paul Ferguson formally moved the motion, “This Synod welcomes and endorses the strategic direction for the diocese, as set out in papers DS 22/02a and DS 22/02b: Living Christ’s Story, including the framework and parameters for deanery planning.”

This enabled Synod to discuss the issues prior to a vote.

Note: Paper DS 22/02a is titled “What sort of a church in what sort of a diocese is God calling us to be?”, and was written by Archbishop Stephen for Archbishop’s Council in the autumn of 2021. Paper DS 22/02b is titled “Living Christ’s Story; Setting the Framework for Deanery Planning” and was compiled by Archdeacon Sam Rushton for this Diocesan Synod meeting.

Splitting into online ‘breakout rooms’, Synod members were asked to discuss whether the analysis of what needs to be done set out in the presentation was correct, whether the planning framework struck the right balance between missional priorities and financial necessity, and whether the proposals for the deanery planning process prompted any particular questions.

Feedback from the small group discussions into a plenary session covered a wide range of issues; this will be studied and factored in to future thinking and detailed planning over the coming months.

A vote was taken at the end of the meeting on the motion moved by the Bishop of Whitby:
This Synod welcomes and endorses the strategic direction for the diocese, as set out in papers DS 22/02a and DS 22/02b: Living Christ’s Story, including the framework and parameters for deanery planning.

Synod voted 88 (92%) in favour, 5 against and 3 abstained.

NEXT MEETING
Saturday 9th April 2022

Please note that the three slides shown above are extracts from Archdeacon Sam Rushton’s presentation to Synod; the full set of slides is available under ‘Resources Centre’ at www.dioceseofyork.org.uk /living-christs-story.