Wednesday 17 May 2000

• General Synod meets for last day's deliberations

• Synod members welcomed to Belfast by City Council

GENERAL SYNOD MEETS FOR LAST DAY'S DELIBERATIONS

The General Synod of the Church of Ireland meets for its final session in Belfast's Waterfront Hall today. The morning's proceedings will be dominated by the Board of Education Report and the Report of the Hymnal Revision Committee.

The Church of Ireland is in the final stages of publishing a new hymnbook and the Hymnal Revision Committee which has worked under the Chairmanship of the Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, Rt Rev Edward Darling, will make its final report to Synod before publication in September of this year.

The Committee has endeavoured to create a balance between the retention of much loved favourites and the introduction of some new and vibrant hymns which have been written over the last forty years. The greater part of Irish Church Praise, the most recent hymn resource published by the Church of Ireland, has been included in the new hymnal and over half of the hymns from the old Irish Church Hymnal have been retained.

The launch of the new hymn book will take place in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, on 5 September with the BBC's Pam Rhodes, presenter of Songs of Praise, playing a key role.

The Board of Education Report (Northern Ireland) highlights the considerable concern at the manner in which pre-school education has been developed. It says that advisory groups are neither appointed by the Education and Library Boards nor totally accountable to them. The Report suggests that this has resulted in the extension of the sectarian divide in an educational sector which had been hitherto comparatively free from such division.
The Report also expresses concern over the N I Department of Education's document Learning for tomorrow's world" due to the extensive use of market economy language with pupils being referred to as "customers".

Lunchtime will see the winner of the now annual caption competition being announced which this year is being judged by the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, Most Rev Richard Clarke. There will also be a variety of media opportunities to photograph delegates as Synod starts to wind down including the presentation of awards for the Magazine competition which is run by the Church of Ireland Press Office to encourage development of this vital communication resource.

The afternoon will bring reports from the Board of Social Responsibility, Committee for Christian Unity, Commission on Church Buildings and the Report of the Marriage Council.
The Board of Social Responsibility Report will highlight concerns in the Republic of Ireland over a "lack of morality in high places". The Report on Christian Unity expresses regret on the failure, so far, to establish an inclusive ecumenical body for Ireland.

General Synod will also conclude the final stage of legislation required for the Bills under consideration this year to become law before delegates head home from Belfast as General Synod ends.

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SYNOD MEMBERS WELCOMED TO BELFAST BY CITY COUNCIL

Members of the Church of Ireland General Synod were formally welcomed to Belfast at a special Civic Reception hosted in Belfast City Hall last night in the name of the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Bob Stoker.

The delegates met in the City Hall which had hosted General Synod in 1995 and were welcomed by the High Sheriff of Belfast, Tom Gillespie. He thanked General Synod for coming to Belfast and presented a plaque from Belfast City Council to General Synod commemorating the event.

The Archbishop of Dublin, Most Rev Dr Walton Empey, responded by telling the High Sheriff that members of Synod, particularly those from the south had been made to feel most welcome in Belfast. The Archbishop of Armagh and the Archbishop of Dublin then presented a picture of Armagh Cathedral to the High Sheriff, concluding the formal part of the evening reception. Synod members were able to continue to enjoy the surroundings of Belfast City Hall with refreshments that had been provided by Belfast City Council.

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