Diocesan Synod met on Saturday 8 March at Didcot Civic Hall, with safeguarding and children’s and youth ministry topping the agenda. The papers are available online.
A day of welcome and farewells, the first onsite Synod of the triennium saw many present for the first time, while others gave their final speeches before moving on from their diocesan work.
The Revd Canon Liz Jackson led the room in Dwelling in the Word to start the day rooted in prayer and scripture. This marked Liz’s final Synod with the diocese before she moves to become Archdeacon of Walsall in May, having served as Associate Archdeacon of Berkshire since 2020.
The Revd Canon Janet Binns and Sue Scott were announced as the new deputy chairs of the Houses of Clergy and Laity respectively, deputising under the Revd Canon Geoff Bayliss and John Sykes. Both had their first taste of chairing during the meeting.
Welcoming the new bishops
After worship, and four submitted questions, Synod welcomed the newly consecrated Bishops of Buckingham and Reading. Unfortunately, the Rt Revd Mary Gregory, Bishop of Reading, was unable to attend due to sickness, so Bishop Gavin stepped in to assist Bishop Dave Bull in a Q&A. Asked where he finds hope, Bishop Dave highlighted the “small-scale things that I see Jesus constantly doing”, in spite of what can seem a challenging bigger picture, and also shared the joy of his 16-year-old son’s friends’ fascination in his new job. Asked how we can be praying for him going forward, Bishop Dave replied:
“That I would stay close to Jesus and be able to follow him each day, being able to know what that means.”
Treasure in clay jars
Bishop Steven’s presidential address drew on the wisdom of 2 Corinthians, where Paul reflects on the powerful metaphor of how we are to imagine ourselves in relation to the glory of God and the gospel:
“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.”
Bishop Steven also shared his vision for the Church of England at this time; a vision of Kintsugi, the Japanese craft of ‘mending broken glazed pottery with gold, crafting something new and even more beautiful from what is broken’. Bishop Steven’s address can be read in full on his blog.
General Synod overview
Julie Dziegiel presented an overview of proceedings from February’s General Synod, the national assembly of the Church of England. A lively Synod, covering a wide spectrum from national Church safeguarding, the Clergy Conduct Measure to vocations for working class people and sports and wellbeing ministry.
An active conversation
Peter Hay CBE, independent chair of the diocese’s safeguarding panel, highlighted the outstanding work of some parishes in their work with parishioners with criminal records and recommended the three lines of defence model for safeguarding.
“Safeguarding should be more than a poster on the wall, it should be an active conversation.”
This was Peter’s last Synod for the diocese, and the chair thanked him for his seven years’ work.
Head of Safeguarding Louise Whitehead shared a video from survivors of abuse on the long-term impacts it can have, and the meeting moved to group discussions on two questions:
How is safeguarding working locally in your parish/benefice?
How do we best move forward at diocesan, deanery and parish levels in the light of the wider current context?
Questions from the floor included how to navigate differing perspectives and beliefs, and Louise commended the work of the diocesan Survivors Group.
“The group doesn’t always agree but we disagree well.”
The Survivors Group and Chaplaincy aim to help the diocese to engage with and increase survivor participation in our safeguarding work.
“They really want to help us get it right… We are learning from their experience. We are committed to doing better.”
Another member questioned how to respond to bullying within clergy and leadership settings. Bishop Steven confirmed the importance of the issue, and assured the Synod that while we do have some processes already, we are developing more to ensure a more robust procedure is in place, and reminded everybody of the responsibility of being alert to that behaviour.
A commitment to children and young people
Diocesan Secretary Mark Humphriss moved the discussion to children’s and young people’s ministry. Earlier in the week the diocese was informed that a bid for national funding had not been granted in this round of awards. Mark assured those present that though the news was very disappointing and completely unexpected, the decision was not based on the quality or content of the bid, but on the availability of national Church funding. The need for the children’s and youth strategy as a very high missional priority is still very much there. Further decisions will be made later in the year by Bishop’s Council as and when more information is available.
Andrew Anderson-Gear, Director of Mission and Ministry for the diocese, gave an update on the deanery plans for prioritising CYP work, asking everyone to commit to praying as we go forward.
Andrew explained the need for deanery plans to be ‘do-able, to start small but be intentional’. Rather than a complete strategy, the focus for the plans is to identify the next step – and then the step after that – a message Andrew said had been received ‘positively and is in turn releasing energy and enabling possibilities.’
Andrew reflected back on the core of the diocesan strategy:
- Prayer at the centre
- Churches working together
- Affirming and investing in our volunteer and paid CYP minsters
The speech marked Andrew’s final contribution to Diocesan Synod as he prepares for retirement.
“I end this season of my ministry actually full of hope and excitement because as a diocese we have not just a clear vision… but with the Synod’s unanimous endorsement last year, we’ve actually all committed together to see and make possible this vision that we hope will lead to that doubling of young people rooted in Christ.”
Bishop Steven thanked Andrew for his gift of ‘30 years of consistent ministry’.
“Many of your wise words will live on in the diocese, particularly: ‘The local church is not a problem to be solved.’”
Finance update
Sir Hector Sants, Chair of the Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance, shared a response from Bishop’s Council to an amendment from the November meeting, calling for more information.
Hector spoke to a paper comprising further details, concluding that Bishop’s Council - which has the responsibility for determining stipend increases – unanimously resolved at its February meeting that it cannot support budgeting for a higher level of stipend increase than is already forecast at this time. The matter is to be kept closely under review and the national Church is in any event considering at present the level and consistency of the clergy stipend across dioceses.
Another key part of the November amendment was to encourage increased giving and fundraising. Hector highlighted the work of Diocesan Generous Giving Adviser Joshua Townson, who is available to visit deaneries and parishes, and the resources for parishes on the diocesan website.
Reflection
Millius Palayiwa, from St Nicholas Church, Old Marston, reflected back on the day’s proceedings and prayed for Synod, before all present shared lunch together in fellowship.
The next meeting of Diocesan Synod takes place on Saturday 14 June in High Wycombe.
Throughout the March Synod, there were repeated calls to return to and root in prayer as we move forward. You might like to use the prayer below, which comes from our children’s and youth strategy.
Pray for children’s and young people’s ministry
Diocesan prayer
Lord you make all things new
Renew by your grace our ministry with children, young people and families at this time.
Help us as your church to listen to children well; to safeguard all who are vulnerable;
to sow the good seed of the gospel and to draw many to follow Jesus in the whole of their lives.
Raise up new ministers to serve the children and young people of our parishes
And help us as your church to learn from children in wonder, love and praise
Through your Son Jesus Christ, who lived as a child in Nazareth.
Amen.