WEDNESDAY'S NEWS

Synod debates experience versus turnover

The General Synod has defeated a motion asking its Standing Committee to consider limiting the consecutive period of service on General Synod, diocesan synods and select vestries to three triennial terms.

There is an ongoing debate over experience versus turnover as some Church of Ireland bodies tend to have a high age profile and low turnover of members. The movers of Motion No 4, Mr WS Deverell and Rev WKM Brew, had tried to bring a similar motion at last year’s Synod. Mr Deverell (Diocese of Meath and Kildare) this year re-emphasised the Church’s need for fresh ideas and talent on its organising bodies and said many members of the Church had never been asked to participate in such bodies.

However, many members of the Synod agreed with Mr Lyndon MacCann (Dublin and Glendalough), who spoke against the motion, calling it undemocratic and tantamount to a disenfranchisement of committed and willing Church members. Mr MacCann asked the Synod to have faith that, where there was “new blood” available, the Church would find a way to encourage its involvement.

However, there was an acknowledgement that committees can become static over time and that the Church’s structures do not always actively seek to encourage new members to participate. This is an area that is likely to be taken up by the Hard Gospel Committee which has indicated that it will examine central and parish level structures as part of its remit.

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