Save The Parish blocks moves at General Synod to give Bishops new powers to sell off parish property
Given all the big stories that have hit the press recently about General
Synod (the Church’s parliament), you would be forgiven for not noticing
one little vote on a clause in the very boring-sounding ‘Miscellaneous
Provisions Measure’. As is often the case, the more boring the name of a
Bill, and the more controversial the matters that surround it, the more
likely it is that something significant might lurk in the detail. This
Miscellaneous Provisions Measure was no exception.
Sitting quietly in clause 15 was a proposal to allow bishops
unilaterally to sell parish land during an interregnum. We
spotted this and managed to achieve our first major Synod win as Save
The Parish.
The Revd Tom Woolford, a STP member, proposed what he described as ‘the
soft and cuddly end’ of Save the Parish amendments! He asked to insert
provisions into the Measure, ensuring that during an interregnum either
the Priest-in-Charge would have the power of an incumbent to sell parish
land, or that a bishop could only exercise that power if invited to do
so by the PCC.
Those proposing the Measure resisted the amendment… so a full-scale
debate took place, which focused on the issue of trust, during which
Revd Marcus Walker, our STP inspiration and chairman, invited the
Archbishops to make good their promises to rebuild trust and to join STP
in supporting the amendment. Very hearteningly, they did so; and the
amendment was won.
This is a really important moment. Firstly, it is the first time that
Save The Parish has made a significant difference with respect to Synod
legislation which would otherwise have gone unnoticed; secondly, it
heralds (we hope) the first time that the further reduction of parish
power over parish assets has been halted; and thirdly it suggests that
the Archbishops may be listening to what we, and you, have been saying
by indicating some openness to hear our concerns about the erosion of
trust.
Even with the Archbishops’ visible support, the vote was a close-run
thing. It shows how important it is to have more members of General
Synod whose hearts are in the parish – and how important it will be at
the next election to have candidates standing for STP, and electors on
Deanery Synods able to vote for them. This is why the Annual Parochial
Church Meetings coming up this year are quite so important: they are
when the Deanery Synod members from each parish are elected. In turn,
Deanery Synod members are the electors of lay members of the next
General Synod. Please consider standing. We know you are busy and only
take on extra responsibilities seriously - but to be pragmatic you won’t
need to attend every meeting but would acquire the power to ‘change the
dial’ further in favour of the parish. The parishes have no
representative trade body, although your vicar can join an union. Please
help us to give the parishes a voice and allow us to increase the
momentum which we are achieving.
I am thrilled to say that recent events have shown that STP is a
genuinely 'broad Church’ in which people of very different views are
united by their love of the parish system. My colleagues in General
Synod reported that it was very noticeable that differences of opinion
did not damage in any way the collegiality of STP. Those of us who
volunteer in this cause are hugely grateful for your support, practical
and financial, and above all the blessings of so many of you. Thank you!
It makes all the work worthwhile. Please do join your Deanery Synod (as
I have).
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