The General Synod of the Church of Ireland today held the third reading of each of the four Bills before it this year.

Bill No. 1, to revise, amend and replace Chapter VIII of the Church of Ireland Constitution to reform the Church’s courts and tribunals system was passed.

Bill No. 2, to reform the Clergy Pensions scheme by amending Chapters VI and XIV of the Constitution to raise the normal retirement age from sixty-five to sixty-seven for those who join the Fund, or rejoin the Fund having ceased to contribute for a period, from 1st January 2009, was passed.

The amendments will also alter early and late retirement tables for all serving clergy who continue in service after 31st December 2008, and provides for new statutory provisions that were enacted in the United Kingdom. Previously, clergy were able to access a portion of their pension upon reaching the normal retirement age without necessarily having to retire. The Bill, in keeping with statutory law, will mean that it is only possible to commute a portion of a person’s pension upon their actual retirement.

The old arrangements will remain in place for clergy in the Republic of Ireland.

Bill No. 3, to make the Archdeacon of Belfast Precentor of St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, was passed.

Bill No. 4, which will permit the redrawing of the boundaries of rural deaneries across the boundaries of archdeaconries and dioceses within a united diocese, was passed.

Formerly a rural deanery had to be made up of parishes within a single archdeaconry, and archdeaconries were not permitted to cross the boundaries of a diocese.

The boundaries of a rural deanery will now be able to cross those of archdeaconries or dioceses that are under the jurisdiction of a single bishop.

All four Bills were passed unanimously.