INTRODUCTION
This report covers the groups of sessions held in February 2019 and July 2019. After the spate of legislation in 2018, when nine Measures were enacted – the highest number in a single year since the Church was empowered by the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 to make Measures having the force and effect of statute – 2019 saw the enactment of just a single Measure.
ANNUAL FEES ORDERS 2019
At the July group of sessions, the Legal Officers (Annual Fees) Order 2019 and the Ecclesiastical Judges, Legal Officers and Others (Fees) Order 2019 were deemed to have been approved by Synod, no member having given notice of a wish to have them debated.
CHURCH REPRESENTATION AND MINISTERS MEASURE, AMENDING CANON 39 AND CHURCH REPRESENTATION RULES (AMENDMENT) RESOLUTION 2019
The draft Church Representation and Ministers Measure and draft Amending Canon 39 give effect to proposals that emerged from Phase II of the Simplification Task Group's work. The draft Measure substitutes new Church Representation Rules for those contained in Schedule 3 to the Synodical Government Measure 1969. The Rules implement a range of reforms. They allow the creation of joint parochial church councils (PCCs) covering two or more connected parishes and to replace the individual PCCs, and provide model forms for parish governance which represent a simplified form of the existing Rules. It will be open to a PCC to amend, supplement or replace them by way of a scheme made by an annual parochial church meeting (subject to approval by the bishop's council); only where a parish does not make a scheme will the model Rules apply automatically.
Amending Canon 39 makes a number of changes to the Canons in relation to different aspects of ministry: amendments concerned with the requirements as to the holding of certain services in parish churches to cover the position of multi-parish benefices and benefices that are held in plurality, and amendments to Canons concerned with ordination, with certain appointments and with the exercise of ministry.
The draft Measure and draft Amending Canon were given final approval at the February group of sessions. The motion that the draft Amending Canon be made, promulged and executed was carried at the July group of sessions and the instrument of Enactment duly signed. The Church Representation and Ministers Measure 2019 received Royal Assent on 4 July; its operative provisions come into force on such day as the archbishops may by order jointly appoint and different days may be appointed for different purposes. The Church Representation Rules (Amendment) Resolution 2019 was approved at the July group of sessions.
CODE OF PRACTICE ON CO-OPERATION BY THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND WITH OTHER CHURCHES
The draft Code of Practice, issued by the House of Bishops under section 5B of the Church of England (Ecumenical Relations) Measure 1988, was approved at the February group of sessions. The Code is described at paragraph 8 as:
more like a manual than a continuous essay. It contains lists that provide ‘recipes’ for going about interaction with other churches and that can be used as a checklist for ecumenical activity. It also has explanations that hope to ensure good practice. Thus, while the Code can be read as a way of gaining an overview of the Church of England's ecumenical practice, often it will be best dipped into with reference to particular questions or situations.
DRAFT CHURCH OF ENGLAND (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) MEASURE
The draft Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure – which is very miscellaneous indeed, ranging from leasehold interests in land vested in a diocesan board of finance to empowering General Synod to make provision by Canon enabling bishops to ordain members of religious communities – and draft Amending Canon 41 were agreed to at the July group of sessions. The draft Amending Canon went forward for Royal Assent.
CLERGY WELL-BEING
At the July group of sessions, Synod agreed to adopt a Covenant for Clergy Care and Wellbeing (GS 2133) and asked the Business Committee, with the agreement of the Presidents, to arrange for the covenant to be affirmed and proclaimed an Act of Synod at the February 2020 group of sessions. Further, it asked the Clergy Wellbeing Working Group to oversee the transformation of the proposals in the Covenant into actual practice and asked the Appointments Committee to appoint members to a Clergy Care and Wellbeing Facilitation Group to encourage and evaluate progress in the field of clergy care and well-being across the Church, with a view to reporting back to Synod within the 2020–2025 quinquennium.
ECUMENICAL RELATIONS
Draft Amending Canon 38, which replaces Canon B 43 (relations with other Churches) and Canon B 44 (local ecumenical projects) with a new Canon B 43 entitled ‘Of ecumenical relations’ had been given final approval at the July 2018 group of sessions. The motion that it be made, promulged and executed was carried at the February group of sessions and the instrument of Enactment duly signed.
FACULTY JURSIDICTION (AMENDMENT) RULES
The Faculty Jurisdiction (Amendment) Rules 2019 were approved at the July group of sessions and were to be laid before both Houses of Parliament pursuant to the Statutory Instruments Act 1946.
MISSION AND MINISTRY IN COVENANT
At the July group of sessions, Synod agreed a motion affirming the priority of doing mission together and welcoming and supporting the work of the faith and order bodies on the issues raised in the initial reception of Mission and Ministry in Covenant, ‘while also recognising that, for some within the Church of England, concerns about the proposals remain’. It asked the Faith and Order Commission to work with the Methodist Church's Faith and Order Committee on drafting texts for the ‘formal declaration’, for the inaugural service or services and the service of welcome, and for guidelines on presbyters/priests from one Church being received to serve in the other. It requested the House of Bishops to report during the next quinquennium on progress, together with proposals for implementation.
RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
Draft Amending Canon 40 inserts a new section DA into the Canons, making formal canonical provision for religious communities within the Church of England. It was given unanimous final approval at the July group of sessions and went forward for Royal Assent.
OTHER BUSINESS
The February group of sessions agreed motions calling for the formation of a Church of England-led Homelessness Taskforce; calling for the promotion, co-ordination and rapid acceleration of the Church of England Environmental Programme, with particular attention to reducing the Church's energy use and CO2 emissions; welcoming the report from the Archbishops’ Evangelism Task Group and commending the work of the new Evangelism and Discipleship Department; welcoming the House of Bishops’ vision set out in Growing Faith; and commending the vision of the Estates Evangelism Task Group for a worshipping Christian community on every significant social housing estate in England.
The July group of sessions agreed motions on serious youth violence; on support for retraining refugees with valuable professional qualifications; on the 25th anniversary of the Mission Shaped Church report; on Setting God's People Free; and on sufferers from dementia and their carers.
