ELECTION TO DIOCESAN SYNOD 2007-2009

Elections for the triennium 2007-2009 take place this summer.  The Diocesan Synod is the main policy making body of the diocese and the forum for the discussion of issues important in diocesan life.  It meets annually, nowadays in a Central Europe location, over four days each May.  All members are also members of the Diocesan Board of Finance which is responsible for the custody and management of diocesan finances. 

All lay persons who are:

(i) actual communicant members of the Church of England or of a Church in communion with that Church;

(ii) aged eighteen years and upwards;

(iii) on the Electoral Roll of any chaplaincy in the diocese;

may be candidates. 

Electors are laity who have been elected as Archdeaconry Representatives by their chaplaincies.  It is vital that the diocesan database has an up to date record of electors: please ensure that this office receives a note of any changes there may have been to your archdeaconry or deanery representative since election in 2005.  

For the election of members of the House of Clergy, any clergy holding a Bishop’s Licence may stand: electors are all licensed clergy at a fixed point in time.

Full information will be dispatched under separate cover to the electors in the spring.  Further information about duties and responsibilities can be obtained from the Diocesan Office.

Please do consider standing for Synod: it is vital to Synodical Government that the thoughts of members from every chaplaincy are shared.  The numbers to be elected in each archdeaconry / deanery are as follows:

The Dean, Archdeacons and members of General Synod are ex officio members of Diocesan Synod.

The timetable and other procedural details can be downloaded here.

This year, the Diocesan Synod will be in Rome and closing Eucharist of the triennium held in All Saints Church.  Topics to be discussed include Minority Ethnic Concerns, reports on Youth Ministry and Ministerial Review, Anglican Communion and Windsor Report issues, ‘listening to the voice of gay people’ and a presentation on living the rule of St Benedict in today’s world by Dom Peter Kingsley from the Monastery of Vallechiara.