The Governing Body met at the University of Wales, Lampeter. There had been no meeting in April 2006 and, accordingly, this meeting had before it various items of business that had accrued since the previous meeting 12 months earlier.

ARCHBISHOP'S ADDRESS

The Archbishop dealt with a number of issues. He called for a serious public debate on the government's apparent commitment to a long-term replacement for the Trident weapons system, at a likely cost of £25 billion. From a purely Welsh perspective, the Government of Wales Act 2006 had been the most momentous event since Devolution in 1997: it would give the National Assembly law-making powers over a wide range of issues and make it possible for the Assembly properly to scrutinise the decisions of the Assembly Government.

Dr Morgan then addressed two issues that concern the Church in Wales specifically: the ordination of women to the episcopate – which he supported – and the possibility of a permanent archiepiscopal See. Both of these are issues that will come before the Governing Body in greater detail at future meetings, and this was a reminder that decisions on important and far-reaching strategic issues lie ahead.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

In 2005, the Governing Body had agreed to a major restructuring of the Representative Body, reducing it in size by two thirds, to 25 members. These changes came into effect at the beginning of 2006. From January 2007, there would be a new funding pattern for dioceses through the block grant: a number of items of expenditure would be transferred to the dioceses, which would then be able to set their own local priorities.

The meeting approved wide-ranging consequential amendments to the Constitution to reflect the changes that had now come into effect, including a new Canon amending current provisions relating to the payment of Diocesan Registrars and the support of clergy incapacitated through ill-health.

PRESENTATIONS

The Governing Body heard presentations on social responsibility issues and on rural life and the report on a visit to the fiftieth session of the United Nations Commission on the status of women. One consequence of the resolution proposed in this presentation was that a group has now been established to consider the status of women throughout the Province and to report in due course.

PRAYER BOOK REVISION

A Canon was passed adding additional Orders of Service for baptism and confirmation to the Church in Wales Book of Common Prayer. The proposed alternative Order of Service had been discussed thoroughly on previous occasions so that, at this meeting, all that was to take place was the formal committee stage of the Bill to receive and endorse the report of the Select Committee and the formal vote on the Bill, which was passed with one abstention and no opposition.

REVISED STANDING ORDERS FOR THE GOVERNING BODY

Revised Standing Orders were adopted by the Governing Body. Their main effect is to modernise the language and group together those Orders that deal with particular stages of business. The only substantive change is to reduce from 30 to 20 the number of members needed to seek an immediate vote.

PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE ADULTS

A small Working Group had been set up to develop guidelines for best practice concerning regulations for the protection of vulnerable adults. The regulations would be considered in 2007.

ELECTORAL COLLEGE REVIEW

The workings of the system of electoral colleges for the election of bishops and of the Archbishop had been reviewed and a number of recommendations made as a result. The Governing Body agreed a new provision allowing the Archbishop to appoint a facilitator for each election, to assist the vacant diocese in its preparations, and another allowing the Archbishop to nominate ‘an appropriate place’ within the vacant diocese as the location for the election. The effect of this is to widen the previous stipulation that the election be held in the cathedral of the vacant See. If the Archbishop does not exercise his power under this new provision for any particular election, that election will be held, as it would have been previously, in the cathedral. There were two further proposals that would have required constitutional amendment – one reducing the size of the electoral college and one the length of the meetings – but both were defeated.