The General Synod of the Church of Ireland today passed a motion requesting a Bill to be presented to the 2009 General Synod in Armagh to allow for payment to be made to non-stipendiary ministers.

Proposing the motion to members of the General Synod, Mr Wilfred Baker (Cork) stated that “non-stipendiary ministry has been a victim of its own success.”

Yesterday, Mr Andrew McNeile (Dublin) addressed the issue of non-stipendiary ministry when he seconded the report of the Commission on Ministry to the General Synod, stating that “the commission recognises that in many parts of the country non-stipendiary ministers are carrying out roles that are much broader in scope than was possibly originally envisaged, sometimes even equivalent to a fulltime incumbent.”

Seconding the motion, the Ven. Robin Bantry White (Cork) highlighted the critical role played by non-stipendiary ministers.

“There would be no hospital chaplaincy going on at all this week in Cork were it not for non-stipendiary ministry” he said.

“It would be best if the structures were adapted and adapted correctly.”

The Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr John Neill, while keen to emphasise his support for the motion, warned members of the General Synod about some difficulties involved with the payment of non-stipendiary ministers.

“When we were working on auxiliary ministry and non-stipendiary ministry, the elephant in the corner was the Social Welfare Act” he said.

“In order to get that changed, it might require legislation through Dáil Eireann. It is not a canon law difficulty, it is a civil law difficulty, and we have to get that sorted out.”

The Bishop of Cashel, the Right Revd Michael Burrows, expressed his view to members of the General Synod that “this motion addresses an injustice and a folly in how we structure our ministry.”

The motion was passed unanimously.