UNITING CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA SYNOD OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND THE ACT SYNOD STANDING COMMITTEE

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1 UNITING CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA SYNOD OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND THE ACT SYNOD STANDING COMMITTEE MINUTES for the meeting of the Synod Standing Committee held at Uniting Church, 222 Pitt Street Sydney on 1 st December, DECISIONS Decisions recorded in these Minutes were reached by consensus unless otherwise indicated TIMES OF am pm SESSION pm pm SESSIONS pm pm AGENDA Welcome/Opening Worship/Acknowledgement of Country The Moderator Rev. Simon Hansford opened the meeting at 9.59am. 136/17SC (i) adopt the Order of Business as printed subject to changes suggested by the General Secretary and alterations made by the Synod Standing Committee APOLOGIES Mrs Sharon Flynn, Mrs Jacki Watts, Mrs Queenie Speeding and Dianne Torrens MEMBER ATTENDANCE SESSIONS Rev. Jane Fry Rev. Simon Hansford Mr David Barrow Rev. Paul Cosier Ms Olivia Freeman Mrs Sue Graves Rev. Danielle Hemsworth-Smith Mr Ian Lawrence Rev. Nicole Fleming Mrs Susan Phalen Mrs Queenie Speeding Mr Michael Anderson Mrs Heather Watson Mrs Meredith Yabsley Rev. Graham Perry Mrs Dianne Torrens 1

2 NON MEMBER ATTENDANCE Rev. John Thornton Rev. Tara Curlewis Mr Jonathon Rea Mr Peter Andrews Mr Peter Worland Mr John Kitchener Mr Warren Bird Mrs Tina Tannous MINUTES 137/17SC (i) confirm the Minutes of the previous Synod Standing Committee meeting held Saturday 28 th October CONSENT AGENDA 138/17SC determine that matters listed in the agenda be adopted. DRAFT VALUES & BEHAVIOURS COVENANT 139/17SC Reference - Working Paper 4 (i) Approve and adopt the Draft SSC Values and Behaviours Covenant GENERAL SECRETARY 140/17SC Reference - Working Paper 5 (i) Note the Report

3 SYNOD BOARD EFFECTIVENESS REVIEW 141/17SC Reference - Working Paper 6 (i) receives the report and the accompanying Stone Report on the Board Effectiveness of the UR and UME Boards (ii) authorises the General Secretary to take the necessary steps to establish a transitional program to address the issues (both of direction and of detail) raised within the Stone Report with the requirement that a proposed new structure of Synod operations be presented by June 2018 (iii) requests the active co-operation of all Synod Boards and Executive Directors in the development of the revised structure (iv) requires a progress report at each SSC meeting UNITING 142/17SC Reference - Working Paper 7 (i) endorse the creation of a Nominations Committee for the position of Executive Director that will report to the Synod Standing Committee comprising of 2 Board members, General Secretary, Chair of GNRC or their nominees. GNRC Reference - Working Paper 8 143/17SC That Synod Standing Committee (i) receive the report (ii) appoints a sub-committee of members to review amended By-Laws on each occasion amendments are brought for approval (iii) notes the implications of the Presidential Appeal regarding the term of the Moderator and that further discussion will be required by the April 2018 SSC meeting (iv) endorses the concept of developing a form of succession planning for the General Secretary (and comparable roles) and requests GNRC to initiate negotiations with ACOMP (v) endorses the proposal to introduce a structured approach to governance training for younger members of the Synod and requests GNRC to facilitate that program (vi) co-opts Graeme Tolson to the Standing Committee and requests GNRC to bring a further name to the February 2018 SSC meeting (vii) notes that possible nominations for President Elect will be brought to the February 2018 SSC meeting

4 SROC 144/17SC Reference - Working Paper 9 (i) receive the report (ii) note the completion of the first annual review of SROC, undertaken in compliance with Clause 9.1 of its Charter (iii) note that the annual review required of SROC in its Charter (Clause 9.1) to be changed to bi-annual, with the next review to be submitted to SSC no later than December 2019 (iv) request that the General Secretary, SROC and GNRC collaborate to review SROC s Charter and recommend improvements to SROC s role to include a. oversight of Congregational & Parish Missions, b. recommendations on a formal protocol for reporting non-compliance to legislative, regulatory and contractual obligations to SROC in a timely manner to apply to all Synod Boards, Agencies and Councils c. recommend improvements to SROC s role to include oversight of separately incorporated entities within the Synod, as well as recommendations on a formal protocol for reporting by such separately incorporated entities on non-compliance to legislative, regulatory and contractual obligations to SROC in a timely manner d. SROC is to review such non-compliance and report with recommendations to the next practical SSC meeting UNITING MISSION & EDUCATION (UME) UPDATE 145/17SC Reference - Working Paper 15 (i) accept the UME Update as a Consent Agenda Item ASSOCIATE SECRETARY 146/17SC Reference - Working Paper 10

5 MODERATOR 147/17SC Reference - Working Paper 11 (ii) endorse the creation of a working group to put together a pastoral plan on how we lead and support our Synod and community in conversation, consideration and resolution pertaining to the Same Sex Marriage legislation passing through the Parliament. SYNOD BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE Reference - Working Paper 8a 148/17SC UNITING MISSION & EDUCATION (UME) UPDATE 149/17SC Reference - Working Paper 15 ADMISSION OF MINISTERS Rev. Jang Won Seo 150/17SC (i) note that the Rev. Jang Won Seo has completed the following study requirements as established by the United Theological College on behalf of the Synod Admission of Ministers committee: - Living Our Values - Polity 2 - Ethical Ministry - Cross Cultural Orientation - Australian History - Sexuality and Leadership zip file

6 - THL 319 Uniting Church Studies - THL 230 Cross Cultural Ministry in Australia - Further, noting that Rev. Seo understands that following recognition, he will need to further complete two units of Study - The Pentateuch - Sacraments or Liturgy. (ii) note that the Canberra Region Presbytery supports this application (iii) approve that Rev. Jang Won Seo be admitted as a Minister of the Uniting Church in Australia. UPDATE ON EARLY LEARNING LMS TRANSITION 151/17SC (i) note the report. PATHWAYS PROJECT 152/17SC : (i) receives the report of the Project Team and notes Project progress; (ii) notes the proposed timetable for consultations (March-September 2018); and (iii) notes the emerging issues and refers them to the Senior Leadership Team to bring a recommendation to the next meeting of the SSC as to how they might be advanced. BOARD MEMBERSHIP UME Board Membership - Iain Brown 152/17SC : (i) Co-opt Iain Brown for a further 3 years (Synod, April 2019) OBITUARIES Rev. Alan Wilson died on 1st November 2017 Fay Loom, wife of Rev. Ron Loom died on 8th November 2017

7 CLOSE: The Moderator Rev. Simon Hansford closed the meeting at 3.50pm NEXT MEETING: Synod Standing Committee Meeting, Friday 16 th February Chairperson 16 February 2018 Date