General Motions passed – first session of 54th Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania

GENERAL MOTIONS PASSED AT SYNOD

1.Appointment of Trustees

It was MOVED (Ven Bill Stewart/Mr Malcolm McGinn) THAT Synod elect the following people to be members of the Trustees of the Diocese, for a term of 5 years from 23 May 2019:

  1. Mrs Anne Brown
  2. Rt Rev Dr Chris Jones
  3. Mr Lee Tyers
  4. Mr Shaun Sargent

CARRIED

2. Appointment of Trustees

It was MOVED (Ven Bill Stewart/Mr Malcolm McGinn) THAT Synod elect Mr Craig Terry and Mr David Llewellyn as members of the Trustees of the Diocese for terms of 5 years from the date of this resolution.

CARRIED

3. Review of Schedule 3, Ministry and Tribunal Ordinance

It was MOVED (Revd Joel Kettleton/Revd Chris Bowditch) THAT Diocesan Council initiate a review of Schedule 3 of the Ministry and Tribunal Ordinance and take all necessary steps to make amendments to that Schedule arising from that review. The review is to cover:

  1. The range of stipend categories, and levels of stipend applicable to each category;
  2. The level of, mechanism for calculation of, and eligibility for a travelling and/or housing allowance;
  3. The level of the superannuation guarantee contribution according to stipend category;
  4. The nature of the costs for which there is an entitlement to a contribution, and the level of that contribution;
  5. The method of calculating clergy working hours; and
  6. Any other matters referred by Diocesan Council.
  7. Legislative changes and support structures to effectively implement any changes.

CARRIED

4. Amendment to Schedule 1, Ministry and Tribunal Ordinance

It was MOVED (Mr James Oakley/Mr Luke Campton) THAT Synod resolve to amend Schedule 1 of the Ministry and Tribunal Ordinance, pursuant to section 4(b) of that Ordinance, by deleting clause 8 of that Schedule and replacing it with the following clause:

  1. Any party affected by the Bishop’s decision may appeal to an Appeals Board by advising the Panel Chair in writing within 28 days of the Bishop’s decision.

CARRIED

5. Anglican Communion

It was MOVED (Revd Chris Bowditch/Revd John McQuillan) THAT this Synod endorses the following motion passed by the General Synod of Australia in September 2017:

The General Synod –

  1. notes with regret that the Scottish Episcopal Church has amended their Canon on Marriage to change the definition that marriage is between a man and a woman by adding a new section that allows clergy to solemnise marriage between same-sex couples as well as couples of the opposite sex;
  2. notes with regret that this step is contrary to the doctrine of our Church and the teaching of Christ that, in marriage, “a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Matt 19:6), and
  3. expresses our support for those Anglicans who have left or will need to leave the Scottish Episcopal Church because of its redefinition of marriage and those who struggle and remain; and
  4. prays that the Scottish Episcopal Church will return to the doctrine of Christ in this matter and that impaired relationships will be restored.

And that this Synod also notes with regret the decision in 2018 of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia to change its canons to allow for the blessing of same-sex unions, and expresses our support for those Anglicans who have left or will need to leave that church, and those who struggle and remain; and prays that the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia will return to the doctrine of Christ in this matter, and that impaired relationships will be restored.

And that this Synod laments that the decisions of these Anglican provinces has impaired our communion with them.

CARRIED

6. Communion with new Anglican Provinces

Revd Chris Bowditch sought the leave of Synod to MOVE an amended version of the published motion.

Leave was granted.

It was MOVED (Revd Chris Bowditch/Ms Noelene Wilson) THAT this Synod declares its desire to be in Communion with:

  • The Anglican Church in North America,
  • The Anglican Church in Brazil,
  • REACH South Africa, and
  • The Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa New Zealand,

so long as that Communion is consistent with the Fundamental Declarations contained in the 1961 Constitution.

That this Synod expresses our full fellowship, love and support to these provinces. And that Synod asks the Bishop to communicate this to the Episcopal leaders of these provinces and Dioceses, and to the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia.

CARRIED

7. Reconciliation Action Plan

It was MOVED (Revd John Middleton/Revd Dr Lesley Borowitzka) THAT this Synod, in response to “The Uluru Statement from the Heart” (2017) which invited non-indigenous Australians to “walk with us (Aboriginals) in a movement of the Australian people for a better future”:

  • recognises the Tasmanian Aborigines as the traditional and ongoing custodians of these islands;
  • laments the violence and greed which dispossessed them of their land and destroyed their communities and culture; and the Churches complicity in this devastation;
  • and seeks to walk with Tasmanian indigenous communities in reconciliation at all levels of the Tasmanian Anglican Church.

We will do this through:

  • Seeking guidance and assistance from the Aboriginal community to develop concrete paths towards reconciliation across the Diocese;
  • facilitating Anglicans to become better informed about the history and impact of European settlement in Tasmania; and
  • encouraging and celebrating local initiatives and examples of reconciliation.

With a report by the Bishop to the next session of Synod to report progress.

CARRIED

 

 

 

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