Moving Forward in Mission

Moving Forward in Mission Spring 2008 Conferences

Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committees A Structural Overview Alan Guthrie-Jones Church Commissioners

In the Beginning… • “It shall be the duty of any person or body carrying out functions under this Measure or the Pastoral Measure 1983 to have due regard to the furtherance of mission of the Church of England”. • Part 1, Section 1, Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007

What Mission Means • The DPMM defines mission as “the whole mission of the Church of England, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical”.

The Structure of the Mission and Pastoral Committee Members are: • the Bishop (if he wants..and he can be the Chair); • the Archdeacons; • people elected by Diocesan Synod, • clergy and laity numbers being the same (as near as possible); • you can have Sub-Committees too (but you can’t delegate everything). Members need not be members of the full Committee.

The Clock is ticking! You saw the timeline earlier but remember: • Power to have a Mission and Pastoral Committee became law on 1 February 2008; • Most of its new functions come into effect on 11 June 2008 with the exception of… • Being consulted on Bishops’ Mission Orders (31 March 2008); • You have until 1 August 2009 to appoint your new Committee.

Running out of time? • Q: “My diocese is hopeless..we just can’t decide how to construct our new Committee and it’s now June 2009. What shall we do? My friends at the Diocesan Secretaries’ Conference just laugh at me” • A: “Fear not..get your Synod to agree to appoint the old Pastoral Committee pro tem….but then do the job properly and sort this out soonest”.

We’ve got our new M & PC. What’s next? The new Committee has to have regard to “worship, mission and community as central to the life of the Church of England”.

Is there any more? Yes! The Committee shall also have regard to: • The financial implications for the diocese and the Church of England as a whole; • The need to allocate appropriate spheres of work and ensure that appropriate conditions of service are enjoyed by those holding office in the diocese; • Providing reasonable remuneration to those engaged in the cure of souls; • The traditions, needs and characteristics of individual parishes; and • Appropriate Diocesan Synod policies.

Is that it? No. It is also the Committee’s duty to: • Make or assist in making better provisions for the cure of souls in the diocese as a whole and, as the Committee thinks appropriate, in particular parts of the diocese or in particular parishes;

Surely that’s it? Not quite! Other duties include: • Reviewing pastoral supervision in the diocese as a whole or in individual parishes; • Preparing relevant strategies for Synodical and Episcopal approval; • Maintaining an overview of church building matters (whilst not treading on DAC toes)

Please let that be it! Nearly there...you also have a duty to: • Take on a modified form of the former use-seeking responsibilities of the DRCUC (“closed churches”); • Making recommendations on pastoral reorganisation; and • Be consulted by the Bishop on Bishop’s Mission Orders.

Moving Forward in Mission Spring 2008 Conferences

Moving Forward in Mission