Synod

Synod 2012

Seeking justice and peace in Israel/Palestine

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Resolutions of Synod

From the minutes of Synod

MEASURES

AGENDUM 1: IMPLEMENTATION OF SYNOD RESOLUTIONS

Proposer: The Revd Sipambo Ludidi

Seconder: The Revd Nelson Nongauza

That this Synod

1. Noting that the time between last Session of the Synod in 2009 and the 2012 Session was faced with many administrative challenges and an interregnum in the Diocesan Office;

2. Being aware of a motion that was tabled and accepted by the 2009 Synod;

3. And consciously aware that the resolutions agreed upon were not implementable;

Therefore resolves

a) To respectfully request the Bishop to set up a Committee, as per resolution 1 of Agendum 19 of Synod 2009 immediately after the 2012 Synod;

b) To give the Convener of the Committee his terms of reference;

c) And to monitor the time frame agreed and approved by the 2009 Synod.

The Registrar proposed an amendment:
a) Resolves respectfully to request the Bishop to set up a Committee, in accordance with resolution 1 of Agendum 19 of Synod 2009 immediately after the 2012 Synod

This amendment was accepted by the proposer and seconder, and became part of the substantive motion.

Revd Mike McCoy proposed a further amendment:
Therefore resolves respectfully to request the Bishop

a) to set up a Committee, in accordance with resolution 1 of Agendum 19 of Synod 2009 immediately after the 2012 Synod

b) To give the Convener of the Committee the terms of reference

c) And to monitor the time frame agreed and approved by the 2009 Synod.

This amendment was accepted by the proposer and seconder, and became part of the substantive motion.


AGENDUM 2: THE APPOINTMENT OF AN INCUMBENT TO A PARISH

Proposer: Revd. Dr. E Daniels

Seconder: Revd. R. Johnson


THE PRINCIPLE

1. The social milieu for which the present system was devised has changed.

2. The Laity desire more democratic processes in the Church.

3. The Church cannot be seen to be less transparent than the secular society in the forms of administration and government.

4. In recent times the present system has been found lacking, in that Parishes have rejected the Bishop’s nominee causing pain to the proposed candidate, the Bishop and the Parish concerned.

5. After some persuasion a Parish may agree to accept the nominated candidate with reservation. The result was that instead of a good marriage between the clergy person and the Parish, a co-habitation of tolerance was the outcome.

6. On one level the Church has already begun a transparent and democratic process in the election of a Bishop to a Diocese. It is advisable that the same process filters down to the appointment of an incumbent to a vacant Parish.

7. The transparent process of appointment will be an incentive to the clergy to build up a good reputation.

8. This measure shall not be retroactive.


THE PROPOSAL

BE IT ENACTED THAT

(A) Delete Paragraph 1 of Chapter VI of the Acts of the Diocese

(B) Insert a new paragraph

1 a. The appointment of clergy to Parishes rests with the Bishop.

b. All appointments to vacant parishes within the Diocese shall be made after consultation with the Bishop’s Consultative Council (BCC)

c. When a vacancy occurs the Diocese is informed and asked to pray.


d. Clergy in the Diocese may indicate to the Bishop their interest in the vacant parish.


e. When a vacancy occurs, the Bishop shall call for an up-to-date Parish Profile from the Parish concerned.

Thereafter the following steps shall be taken:
f. The Bishop shall meet with the Churchwardens of the Parish for a full confidential discussion of possible candidates suggested either by the Bishop or the Churchwardens, the latter having the consent of the candidate they propose.

g. The Bishop shall consult with the BCC.

h. The Bishop shall invite a suitable candidate to consider nomination for the vacancy and to submit up-to-date curriculum vitae. If that candidate accepts, the Bishop may inform the Churchwardens of both pastoral charges.

i. If he/she is from another Diocese, the names of two referees shall be
supplied. One of the referees shall be the Bishop of the candidate.

j. The Bishop shall present ...

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LAUNCH OF THE NEW DIOCESAN VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT

Bishop Bethlehem launched the new Vision and Mission Statement:

...

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THE CHARGE OF BISHOP BETHLEHEM NOPECE

TO THE TWENTY SECOND SESSION OF SYNOD

In the name of God, Creator, Redeemer and Giver of Life! Amen.

PROLOGUE.

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say: ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’, and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast’. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah” (Mtt. 16:1-4; 12:36-45 cf. Lk.19:41-44).

We are gathered here at the Twenty Second session of Synod in the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, having been summoned to do so. We are very grateful for this call to Synod that we are given, and give all praise to the Almighty who reigns above in majesty supreme, the Father who creates, the Son who redeems and transforms to bring to a new beginning, and the Holy Spirit who sustains all that God has made and redeems!

We assemble at a point in time in our history when the value of human life seems to depreciate, good godly governance and all our departments and systems on the verge of collapse, both in communities and in the political arena. The fight for succession within political parties greatly hampers service delivery, which should be improving the lot of the poor and the disadvantaged. The Church is seemingly not vocal enough to the frustration of the multitude whose voice cannot be heard. The example of this rot can be sighted in departments of Education, Health and Welfare, to mention but a few, and particularly in the Eastern Cape. This by far does not mean nothing good is happening -  like open doors and invitations to engage from the government. This is highly appreciated. However, ‘talks about talks’ without progressive plans of action and their implementation, with ill-discipline civil servants making all these efforts fruitless, resulting in millions of Rands of financial resources being wasted in fraudulent acts and delayed disciplinary actions.

It is a time when the graph of moral life is pointing to rock bottom once again, as it did in ages past of the Middle and Dark Ages up to the Reformation. Modernist Reasoning is gaining the upper hand, being critical of the Natural Law of Cause and Effect, as ordained in the Creation Narratives of the Yahwist, and the Priestly accounts of the beginning as set out by God. The New Age thinking of self salvation, self-sufficiency and self reliance seeks to out-date the plan of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ ‘who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven … was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, died and was buried, and on the third day he rose from the dead ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God to intercede for us ... and will come again to be our judge’ (Nicene Creed, APB  p 109). This is the basic faith the liberal mind seeks to strip of its power and impact on regulating human life. It is a faith passed on to us by our forebears to be preserved for generations to come for better loving and considerate life, ubuntu, for all people. The signs are such that faith is disappearing on earth. This may sound pessimistic, but it is a fact that gradually human behaviour recorded in history stands to judge us.

It becomes clear to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear that unless those who have the light of the gospel begin to be vigorous in their mission and evangelistic campaigns to the world, our salvation cannot be seen and be effective in the lives of many. It is true that ‘it is not so much what we do, but what we are that allows ...

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Synergy

Synergy is an occasional paper of the daily happenings at the twenty second session of Diocesan Synod 23-26 May 2012.

Click to view or download:

• 24th May 2012 (pdf - 400kb)


• 25th May 2012 (pdf - 400kb)
  
  
• 26th May 2012 (pdf - 400kb)

Back to Synod Page

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Synod 2009

The Bishop's Charge

Given at the Twenty-First Session of Diocesan Synod May 2009

In the name of God: Creator, Redeemer and Giver of Life.  Amen.

Preamble: Writing for the April 1939 Journal of Missions, determined to raise funds for a new place of worship in New Brighton Housing Scheme just opened but the Municipality, the Diocesan Secretary of Grahamstown had this to say: "It is the duty of the whole Church to be interested in missions, but in reality it is a small band who actually are; and it is impossible for them to keep their interest unless they know what is going on. The idea of this monthly circular is that it shall reach those people who are interested, and give them knowledge and opportunities for prayer and work. It will be sent to secretaries and to any of the clergy who might like it". (H.M. Matthews, Diocesan Secretary). It is interesting to note that the work of Mission need to generate interest even among clergy who ought to be missionary in their outlook.

We welcome other Christian sisters and brothers of the Body of Christ in the ...

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Please click here for a report back on Synod 2006