HIGHAM DEANERY SYNOD: REPORT FOR 2008 ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETINGS
The Deanery Synod has met three times since the 2007 church APCMs. The main points from each meeting are given below, together with some other information on deanery activities.
The Synod met in the peaceful rural surroundings of St Peter’s Church, Newton Bromswold on Thursday 21st June 2007. It had a helpful discussion on the draft Deanery Mission Plan, which takes account of a range of issues, such as forthcoming pastoral reorganizations, new housing developments and ways for churches to engage with their communities. The Synod also agreed to an application to be made from the Diocesan Mission Fund towards the costs of developing a network church working through some of the secondary schools of the Deanery.
The Synod then met in the Bridge office at Whitefriars, Rushden, on the evening of Tuesday 16th October. It formally adopted the Deanery Mission Plan and heard reports from General Synod, the Diocesan Synod and the East Northants Faith Group. The main item was led by Canon Julie Hutchinson (of Stanwick), Diocesan Director of Ordinands and Vocations Adviser. Using the title “Releasing Ministry” (the Diocesan theme for 2008), she looked at ways in which a wide range of Christians are being called for a wide range of ministries – not only ordination. As part of this, she interviewed Micky Bell of St Mary’s, Rushden (Parish Evangelist in Training), Rev Pauline Tate (recently ordained as a non-stipendiary curate for the Addingtons and Woodford) and her husband, Phillip, a Reader since 1991. This was followed by a helpful questions and answers session.
The Synod also met on the evening of Wednesday 30th January 2008 at Hargrave Village Hall. The main item was church schools, with Dr Stephen Partridge, the Diocesan Director of Education, giving a very inspiring talk on the possibilities for creating more primary or secondary church schools in or near Higham Deanery. Recent changes mean that there are various new ways in which this could happen, such as by the creation of one or more Academies. Relevant issues to consider include: should there be a church secondary school somewhere nearer than Bishop Stopford, in somewhere such as Wellingborough? Or is there a scope for having a church primary or secondary school in Rushden? Individual PCC s have been encouraged to discuss possible ideas and to pass them on for consideration as part of the Deanery Mission Plan.
The overarching aim for the next few months is to make progress on the work set out in the Deanery Mission Plan. As well as further consideration of church schools, this will include looking at the churches’ work on new housing estates. To help us do that, the speaker at the next Synod meeting (at Ringstead Village Hall on Thursday 19th June) will be Bob Purser, Diocesan Officer for Churches in New Communities. A united service for the Deanery is also likely to take place, probably on a Sunday evening later in the Spring.
Before then, new Deanery Synod representatives will be elected at this year’s annual parochial meetings and will be on Synods from this year until 2011 – thus forming the electorate for the next Diocesan Synod elections and the General Synod elections in 2010.
The Higham Deanery website, at www.highamdeanery.org, continues to develop. Several parishes have recently submitted their own details to increase the material that is available, and this is due to be supplemented by other information, such as the Deanery Mission Plan.
Finally, a meeting for PCC Treasurers from across the Deanery was held on 1st November, and the next one is scheduled for the evening of Thursday 17th April.
Canon Grant Brockhouse, Rural Dean
Andrew Presland, Lay Chair