B17
Deanery pastoral committees are not statutory bodies so far as synodical government is concerned. They are directly accountable to the Deanery Synod and should report to that body. Nevertheless, in this diocese they are considered to
have an important role and diocesan provision gives them advisory functions in a number of areas, as follows:-
1. Pastoral Reorganisation and the Deanery Review
a) Each deanery pastoral committee has the task of drawing up and keeping updated a Deanery Review, which explores and analyses the local community, develops and monitors the forms of ministry appropriate to contemporary society, challenges the parishes to raise up ministry and shares planning with other denominations.
b) The Deanery Review will be developed to take account of the overall strategy of the diocese in the above areas and the guidelines provided by the Deployment Formula.
c) The deanery pastoral committee will liaise closely with the statutory Diocesan Pastoral and Mission Committee in matters of pastoral reorganisation affecting the deanery, in addition to the statutory functions exercised by the Rural Dean and Lay Chairman as "interested parties" for the purposes of consultations on reorganisation.
2. Parish Shares
Deanery pastoral committees are in many deaneries (though not all) the body which is responsible for Parish Shares matters including recommendations for supplementary grants and for writing-off shortfalls, reviewing share factors and
encouraging mutual support between the parishes of the deanery.
3. New Initiatives
Deanery Pastoral Committees are encouraged to be active in initiating and supporting initiatives in areas such as new styles of ministry including Team Ministries and the Local Ministry Scheme, social responsibility, mission, ecumenical
activity, new development areas and the sharing of ideas between parishes.
Composition of deanery pastoral committees
The membership of each deanery pastoral committee will vary and will depend on the size and composition of each deanery. Each Deanery Synod should make its own decision about the committee's composition, but it is recommended that:
a) the Rural Dean and Lay Chairman should be ex officio members
b) where all parishes are represented, their representatives are people who are informed about current issues and policy
c) where a dpc does not have a representative of every parish, parishes under discussion should be invited to send informal representatives
d) the system for election of a chairman should be decided by the Synod; the Chairman does not necessarily have to be the Rural Dean or Lay Chairman.
