Diocesan Synod June 2007

The St Albans Diocesan Synod met for a half day session on June 16 2007.

Prayers were led by Mrs Ann Mason on behalf of the Bedford Deanery.

The President, the Rt Revd Christopher Herbert, Bishop of St Albans, delivered the Presidential Address.

The Bishop of St Albans then answered questions on civil partnerships. The Rt Revd Richard Inwood, Bishop if Bedford, answered a question on the status of the chaplaincy at Yarls Wood Detention Centre in Bedford.

After coffee the synod passed a motion receiving the Report for 2006 of the boards and committees of the Diocese other than the Board of Finance.

A presentation by members of the Work Place Ministry in Herts. and Beds. team followed. This ecumenical team falls under the Diocesan Board for Church and Society. The Revd Randell Moll (Team Leader), Alan Harpham (Chairman, Ecumenical Management Board), the Revd Tony Ruffell (Senior chaplain in Herts Police and Herts Fire and Rescue Services) spoke.

The Power Point Presentation that accompanied the presentation is available here.

The Synod then passed a slightly amended motion as follows:

This Synod

- acknowledges the pressures and opportunities of daily work;

- recognises the importance of Christian values within economic life;

- encourages the deaneries and parishes and other faith organizations to support Workplace Ministry in Hertford shire and Bedford shire;

- and requests that General Synod debate the following motion:

"That this Synod:

a) affirms daily work as essentially a spiritual activity;

b) recognises the importance of Christian values within economic life;

c) requests the Mission and Public Affairs Council to examine the engagement of the Church of England with the economic sector in this country and to present its findings to Synod"

The final item of business was an outline of Diocesan Finances by the Chairman of the Diocesan Board of Finance, Peter Griffiths.