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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