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The first ‘in person’ meeting of York Diocesan Synod since November 2019 took place on a not-very-summery morning in Manor Church of England Academy, York.

It was Archbishop Stephen Cottrell’s first actual meeting with his Synod in the nearly two years since he took office, and the Academy’s hall was laid out in ‘cafĂ© style’ tables for the first time.

In his Presidential Address on Matthew 9.14–17, Archbishop Stephen said that we “...are asked to take the old, old story of God’s love and justice and grace and turn it into new wine for 2022.”

He urged us to press on with the challenge of making new things while also allowing God “to patch us up and make us even more beautiful, even bearing beautiful scars like his.”

“There is much to celebrate – which is why our synods should be joyful occasions.”

“Yes, we are facing big challenges and painful change, but we have confidence in God and confidence in the gospel and bear witness today and give thanks for all that God has done in Jesus Christ, committing ourselves to him as we serve this diocese of York and live Christ’s story.”

LIVING CHRIST’S STORY

After approving the appointment as an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of York of the Right Revd Glyn Webster (formerly Bishop of Beverley and now Priest-in-Charge of two York parishes), Synod heard Archdeacon of York Sam Rushton, currently Interim Diocesan Director for Strategic Transformation, report on current progress in the transformation of the Diocese through the ‘Living Christ’s Story’ (LCS) programme.

She noted that the Deanery planning process is already bearing fruit through the engagement of Deanery Leadership Teams and Synods, but that it will be some months before the plans will be able to be collated and merged into a proposal for the Diocese as a whole. Sam sketched in progress on three other principal strands of the LCS process: plans to appoint an externally-funded Digital Transformation Leader to help parishes and the diocesan administration to make the most of modern opportunities for communication and process management, the commissioning of an external review of support offered to parishes by the Diocese, and the re-imagining of mission and ministry in the Diocese.

Director of Mission and Ministry Dr Ian McIntosh is working hard to construct a re-imagined team in the wake of a series of staff changes, taking the opportunity to re-shape structures for future needs.

Making good use of Synod’s new room layout, Ian invited members in table groups to reflect on and discuss four questions to help guide the emerging new team:

  • What inspires and encourages you from what you have heard?
  • What worries you?
  • In terms of renewing lay ministry, what will some of the challenges be?
  • How might we meet them together?

Written responses were invited from each table and will be collated to inform future decision making.

BULLYING AND HARRASSMENT POLICY

Proposed by Archdeacon of Cleveland the Ven Dr Amanda Bloor, Synod approved the Diocese of York Bullying & Harrassment Policy. Archdeacon Amanda had led the group compiling the policy on behalf of the Archbishop's Council. The policy will soon be available from www.dioceseofyork.org.uk.

LECTIO DIVINA

Lay Dean of Hull Dr Tim Scott introduced a period of prayerful reflection on Matthew 13: 31-35; the Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast.

LIVING IN LOVE AND FAITH

One of our Diocesan Living in Love and Faith Advocates, the Revd Richard Walker, updated Synod on the current state of the national Living in Love and Faith process.

Following a period for study and reflection on the LLF resources published in November 2020, responses had been invited by the end of April 2022; the response rate in the Diocese of York was broadly comparable with that in the national Church of England.

Time is now being taken to analyse and absorb the responses received, and the national LLF ‘Next Steps’ group aims to bring a preliminary paper to the House of Bishops in the first instance.

www.dioceseofyork.org.uk/llf

FINANCE

Diocesan Secretary and Chief Executive Canon Peter Warry stood in for Director of Finance Kathryn Rose in presenting the Annual Report and Financial Statements of the York Diocesan Board of Finance Ltd for the year ended 31st December 2021.

An initial operating deficit of £2million in 2021 had been offset by an investment gain of £1 million (based on valuations at December 2020 and 2021) and what are known as ‘Exceptional Items’ - principally an additional £620,000 from the national church, and £432,000 arising from one-off property sales. It was noted that the investment gains have since been wiped out by market fluctuations in 2022.

Stipends had remained stable while property expenditure had risen, partly as a reflection of the difficulty in carrying out routine property maintenance in 2020.

Free Will Offer (FWO)—the payments to our Common Fund from parishes—had remained approximately 14% behind the last pre-Covid year of 2019, and Peter noted that from its introduction in 2012 to 2019 FWO had not increased with inflation and hence had already lost value.

Expectations for 2022 so far suggest that 2022’s Free Will Offer receipts are behind their revised budget, with some benefices having paid nothing in the first half of the year. Peter reminded Synod that it’s hoped to halve the ‘Covid shortfall’ in 2022.

ANNUAL REPORTS

Synod noted and received annual reports from those bodies required to compile them by statute or by their own constitutions:

  • Audit Committee
  • Property Committee
  • Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee
  • Diocesan Board of Education
  • Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches
  • Strategic Safeguarding Board

In presenting the Strategic Safeguarding Board report, Archdeacon of the East Riding the Ven Andy Broom noted that Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser Julie O’Hara is shortly to move to a new role in the national church. A proposal from the Synod floor to pass a vote of thanks to Julie was passed unanimously.

The full reports to Synod are available to download from
bit.ly/yorksynodreports22.

NEXT MEETING

Saturday 26th November 2022