Diocesan Synod met on Saturday 15 March at St Andrew’s Paddock Wood.
It was a busy session including items on safeguarding, ‘good news’ from the Archdeaconry of Tonbridge, and a chance to meet the new, nationally funded, Net Zero Programme Manager.
A key part of the meeting was the announcement of the Diocese’s successful bid to the national church’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMIIB).
The national church’s £11 million investment is warmly welcomed and will provide additional funding to support work around the vision and strategy.
Follow up to Synod’s vote of ‘no confidence’
At December’s meeting of Diocesan Synod, a motion was passed supporting a vote of no-confidence in the Archbishops’ Council’s handling of safeguarding.
Bishop Jonathan was able to update Synod as to the Archbishops’ Council’s response to the motion, and their request for more dialogue with the Synod to better understand the concerns that they had raised.
Dates were now being organised for a meeting and Bishop Jonathan said he was looking forward to fruitful, constructive and honest conversation with the Archbishops’ Council.
Following a question from the floor, Bishop Jonathan confirmed that the Charity Commission had written to all diocesan bishops, asking them – in consultation with their trustees – for a response about their views on the future of safeguarding, and in particular, on whether there were any practical or legal impediments to ensuring the Church of England was a safe and healthy place to be.
One Diocesan Synod member was encouraged to hear of the positive engagements being had with the Archbishop’s Council, as they felt more kindness and Christian humility needed to form part of the wider discussions taking place across the Church on this matter.
Bishop Jonathan agreed that we all share a responsibility for safeguarding and that the tenor of conversations going forward was hugely important.
Vision and strategy
Following the announcement of the bid during the Bishop’s Presidential Address, Matthew Girt, Diocesan Secretary, explained that the national funding covered five years of the nine-year plan, with the Diocese being invited to go back in 3 years for further funding.
He explained that even before the confirmation of the bid success had been received, work to mobilise the vision plan had begun.
This included a process of recruitment for a full-time Head of Programmes, and communication with parishes involved in some of the identified mission projects.
The leads for the four workstreams were also being prepared to begin their work, and a leader for the Wellbeing Programme was being recruited.
Racial Justice
Bishop Simon Burton-Jones, the Bishop of Tonbridge, was pleased to be able to let Synod know that the Diocese had been awarded national funding for a Racial Justice Officer.
The role of Racial Justice Officer would be to move forward work to address the under representation UKME GMH people in congregations, in formal governance at parish, deanery and diocesan levels.
They would also work alongside colleagues to:
- support increases in the number of vocations toward ordained and lay ministries from people of a UKME GMH background
- acting as an advocate for racial justice and diversity within the Diocese
- working alongside the existing Bishop’s Adviser
- offering consultancy and advice to the Bishop’s Leadership Team and enabling exemplification of best practices
The hope is to be able to advertise this role after Easter.
Sharing good news
The Venerable Nick Cornell, the Archdeacon of Tonbridge, introduced a now regular section at Diocesan Synod, to highlight some of the ‘good news’ coming out of the archdeaconries.
Recognising that one of the Diocese’s key objectives is to ‘grow younger’, he welcomed the Rev Canon Rachel Knapp, Chaplain at the Bennett Memorial secondary school, to share something of the incredible impact that Youth Alpha is having at the school.
Nick said the positive outcomes Rachel would share mirrored evidence of an increased openness among young people to faith and spirituality.
He referenced reports that suggest a rise in the sale of bibles and religious titles among Generation Z, as young people are asking 'the big questions' about life.
Rachel explained how the young people at Bennett Memorial are driving the spirituality in the school. Indeed, it was the Head Student who had approached her to say they would like to do Youth Alpha at the school.
The Head Student gathered together a group of 20 sixth-formers to form the team. That team received some online training after school and appropriate safeguarding training.
The Youth Alpha programme was run after school so students attending were doing so in their own time. The first session had 102 students attending ranging from Year 7 to Year 13. The next session had 100 coming along.
Rachel said it had been exciting to see the energy and enthusiasm of these student leaders to share their faith.
The course runs until exams start, and so there is sense of wanting to encourage local churches to pick up some of this enthusiasm and nurture these young people’s ongoing discipleship.
In closing. she said, “Be encouraged and pray for our young people that this spark will turn into a big flame.”
Net Zero
Catriona Jamieson, the new Net Zero Programme Manager was welcomed to Synod to talk about the new team and how they can support parishes with reducing their energy footprint.
Catriona is one of three new nationally funded roles working across the Dioceses of Canterbury and Rochester, to support parishes and other organisations within the dioceses, to plan and implement measures to reduce their carbon emissions. Read more
In her role as Net Zero Project Manager, Catriona will coordinate the work across the whole of Kent, Medway, and the London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley.
Kayleigh Ward will be based in Rochester Diocese as a Net Zero Adviser.
Catriona said that although the team was just a few weeks into their roles, they had thrown themselves into learning as much as they could, and were grateful for the warm welcome received so far.
Over the next few months, their focus would be on getting to know parishes, finding out what was needed, learning from what was already happening, and offering support where possible with information about grants and advice on how to get started.
A net zero action plan for Rochester Diocese would be drawn up, which would reflect the objectives of the national Net Zero Carbon Route map. The aim is to bring the plan to the next Diocesan Synod meeting in July for approval.
The team would also be working with churches and parishes to complete the Energy Footprint Tool, and proactively contacting the higher emitting churches - who then qualify for a free energy audit - to discuss action plans and related grants.
There will be more communication with parishes soon, and Catriona took the opportunity to highlight a set of drop-ins the team is running for churches that would appreciate some support filling in the Energy Footprint Tool.
Safeguarding
The Venerable Allie Kerr, Archdeacon of Bromley and Bexley and Bishop’s Lead for Safeguarding, presented to Synod on some of the work already underway to look at the vision objective to 'grow safe and healthy cultures'.
She explained that a working group is coming together to create an action plan which it is expected would be brought to Diocesan Synod in November.
Allie also took the opportunity to let Synod know about a Bishop’s Study Day in April – for all clergy and lay leaders – looking at safe and healthy culture, and the recent introduction of the Safeguarding Hub.
Offered at no cost to parishes, the Safeguarding Hub is designed to help with safer recruitment and people management.
Other business
In other business, a motion put forward from Gillingham Deanery Synod on vexatious complaints, and presented by the Rev Pat Lenton de Dickin, was adopted.
The motion confirmed that: “This Synod adopts (after local adaptation) a ‘Persistent, unreasonable and/or vexatious complaints policy’ that complements, and enables the application of, the Diocese’s existing Anti-Bullying and Harassment policy.”
A presentation was also given by two of the Diocese’s General Synod reps - The Rev Tim Edwards and Ms Jane Rosam - about the February General Synod.
Through their reports, they gave an overview of the debate and vote on the future of safeguarding independence in the Church of England, as well as the debates on racial justice, the Crown Nominations Committee, Living in Love and Faith, and an overview of the range of legislative business.
Through their presentations, they were able to give Diocesan Synod members a realistic sense of the atmosphere of the most recent General Synod, and the work that is involved in being a General Synod rep.