St James’ Hemingford Grey

Deanery Synod 2014

Application and Nomination Form

Some questions answered:

What is ‘Deanery Synod’?

The word “synod” comes from a Greek word meaning “assembly” or “meeting”. St Matthew’s and

St James is in the Diocese of Ely. A Diocese is the area under the supervision of a bishop. Ely Diocese is in turn divided into 15deaneries, or groups of parishes. St James is part of Huntingdon deanery.

Every Deanery is required to have a Synod;the Rural Dean and an elected Lay Chair, who work closely with the Archdeacon, chair this. The Deanery Synod consists of all clergy licensed to a benefice/parish within the Deanery, plus elected lay members.

What does a Deanery Synod do?

The Deanery Synod makes decisions at a deanery level. It acts as an intermediary between the parochial church councils of each parish and the synod of the diocese as a whole. Its priorities include Mission Action Planning and the allocation of the ‘share’ from the deanery to the parishes.

Deaneries also have the power to bring proposals and motions to Diocesan Synod for debate. Deanery Synod lay members also elect the deanery’s lay representatives to the Diocesan Synod and the Diocese’s members of the House of Laity in the General Synod of the Church of England.

How are Deanery Synod lay members elected?

Each parish is allocated a number of places on the Deanery Synod based on the size of their electoral roll; St Jameshas three. Deanery Synod members are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting to serve a three-year term.

What do Deanery Synod lay members do?

Deanery Synod members are invited to attend three Deanery Synod meetings per year. These are held at various locations in the Deanery, and are generally 7.30pm-9.30pm. The agenda and papers about matters to be discussed are circulated to members in advance. Some decisions are put to the vote.

Deanery Synod members are also automatically members of their parish’s Parochial Church Council (PCC), and so attend those meetings as well. (See separate document on Duties of PCC Members for more details).

The small print.

1.The responsibilities of PCC members are laid down in the Synodical Government Measure 1969. It is expected under normal circumstances that PCC meetings will have the first claim on your time before any secular meeting or social function. More detailed information is available in various church publications but you may find it best to talk with a present member of the PCC.

  1. Those elected to the PCC become ‘Charity Trustees’ in law. Anyone disqualified under section 72 of the Charities Act 1993 because of bankruptcy or conviction for an offence of dishonesty or deception is not eligible for election

Application

To be completed by the Nominee

Name (please print)

I agree to be nominated to serve on St James Church’s Parochial Church Council, and the Deanery Synod. I am on the Electoral Roll of St James Church.

This is for new synod that starts June 2014

Signed

Date

Please return to the Parish Office

Nomination to Huntingdon Deanery Synod

House of Laity

We wish to nominate for election:

Name (please print)

Proposed by:

Name (please print)

Signature

Seconded by:

Name (please print)

Signature

For a nomination to be valid the Proposer, Seconder and Nominee must all be on the current Electoral Roll of St James’ Hemingford Grey.