Dear Friends,
Over the next two weeks the Sydney Anglican Synod will meet to discuss vision, governance, structures and theology. What is this synod, I hear you ask! Let me tell you.
Synod is like the parliament for our church – it is thus a large body of people representing all the churches in our diocese. Synod meets for 5 days each October to think, pray and work together on how we can most safely and effectively be doing ministry. Every Sydney Anglican Church is entitled to send their Senior Minister and one or two members. Our church is represented by David Busutel (Church at Ten) and Chris Main (St Andrew’s).
The meetings run from 3-9.30pm and are quite formal with a Chairman, motions, objections and everything you would expect from a parliament. The only difference is that there are usually 600 people involved.
This year there are several items that are of particular significance.
First, we will be considering an increase in a levy on parish offertory to fund the building of new church buildings. You don’t need to go too far to realise that lots of Anglican Church buildings are tired and a bit decrepit. In some places, the buildings are in such bad condition that the only real way of creating good infrastructure for the future is to knock them down and start again. But this is expensive. We already give 2% of our offertory for purchasing new land in developing suburbs (like Oran Park and Leppington). The proposal is to give another 2% for rebuilding church buildings in strategic locations.
Second, we will be considering our response to the social issues of gambling and refugees. Synod has already moved motions in these areas but keeping these matters at the forefront of our attention and action is important. In regard to gambling, Synod will be asked to note the way gambling brings destruction to the person who gambles, their family, friends and their employer and express its concern at the continued inaction by governments on gambling reform. We will then call on the Prime Minister, and the Minister for Communications, to work with state ministers to implement additional controls on poker machines and advertising for sports betting on TV, radio, the internet, and mobile apps.
There are always a few laughs and some awkward moments and I think one of those will be when we come to discuss the motion about preaching length. One member is moving a motion requesting Synod to urge ministers to preach for no more than 20 minutes. I’ll be watching very carefully how our representatives vote on that one!
If you are keen to read more you can find everything at www.sds.asn.au. Please pray for us as we represent our church.
In Christ
Nigel