Initial summary of the October 2008 Synod

Synod

• agreed that as a consequence of the establishment of the Charitable Foundation and the Diocesan Office, it would be sensible to centralise our administration at Lincoln;
• discussed Ordination policy and agreed that a written procedure was needed, but should be parish focused and pastoral;
• struggled with the problem of making ourselves more visible, and agreed we should be more active in producing press releases and should attempt to develop the website;
• reviewed the situation in relation to the TAC approach to Rome, and appreciated that we could not usefully discuss the topic or consult parishes until there was a definite proposal from Rome which the TAC bishops were minded to accept;
• noted that the Child Protection policy would be available for consultation shortly;
• noted that our draft canon for choosing our own Bishop had not yet been considered by TAC because of the difficulty in contacting some of our bishops who were undergoing persecution;
• accepted Brian Gill's decision to retire as Vicar General after five years in post, voting him and his wife a retirement gift so that they could have a holiday, and welcomed the appointment of Canon Ian Gray to succeed him.
• agreed that procedural standing orders were desirable and should be prepared for the next Synod.

Various items of lesser importance were also considered and a full record will be available in the draft minutes.

Synod does not usually produce striking pictures. These few are offered as characteristic of Christian, sober and businesslike proceedings.

Bishop Moyer celebrating and administering the sacrament to Bishop Mercer.

Canon Westby expressing our thanks to Brian Gill, retiring Vicar General, and his wife Anne.

Synod at lunch, clearly the time of most energetic thinking and conversation.