Synod adopts plan to reduce number of representatives

The Church of Ireland Synod adopted a report yesterday which could see representation at the synod radically reduced in future. Following a lively debate the proposals from a standing committee working group were adopted by 203 votes to 150.

It could mean the number attending the synod would be reduced from a potential 648 this week to 375. Clergy representation would also drop, from 216 to 125.

Proposing the report Canon Philip Patterson of the working group said the synod "has remained unchanged in size and representative composition for its entire 130 years of existence. During that time Ireland and the Church of Ireland have undergone massive changes and restructuring. It is long overdue that this synod should be adjusted to reflect the reality of the church today."

Current representation at the synod reflected the deployment of clergy in 1870, he said. It was proposed that, in a slimmed-down synod, each diocese would be represented by 20 per cent of its clergy and a 2:1 ratio of lay people. No diocese would have fewer than three clerical representatives.

This arrangement would be reviewed every three years. Elections of representatives would be by proportional representation.

Seconding the report, Mr Denzil Auchmuty told the synod that over the past three years "almost a third of members didn't attend the synod." Analysis of the 1999 synod proceedings showed that, excluding bishops, only 19 per cent of the average attendance took part in debate.

He felt the current size of the synod was a deterrent to people getting up to speak.

Mr David Pyle was "not awfully comfortable with the proposals" and was concerned about the proposed distribution of representation.

"Why should there be democracy in the Church of Ireland? Democracy does not go with Christianity. The apostles were not elected," he said.

He pointed out that the southern province would lose two out of three current representatives under the proposals.

Dr Ian Ellis disputed the implication that only those who took part in debate participated at synod. Participation was also about meeting people, listening, voting, praying, he said.

"How do you create better participation by creating a vastly smaller synod?" he asked.

The Rev Trevor Dalton felt he needed to register "a deep instinct that implementation of the recommendations was not good. It could give control of the Church of Ireland to very few people."

Against the argument that a smaller synod might be more efficient he pointed out: "The Ark was built by amateurs. The Titanic was built by professionals."

Archdeacon Gordon Linney spoke about the effectiveness of smaller synods in England and Wales. He also warned against the tone of the debate.

"Whatever you do today I hope you do not kill this [review] process," he said.

Mr Graham Smith said the current synod had served the church well and was "very concerned at the [prospect of] the governance of the Church of Ireland being in fewer and fewer hands."

The Rev Ted Woods spoke of the deep psychological importance of representation at the synod of people in sparsely-populated areas. He suggested that there be a minimum of six clergy representing any diocese.

Dr Alan Acheson said that "to concede two-thirds of representation to the North is wrong, when so many great cathedral cities like Cork, Galway, Limerick, Kilkenny would be under-represented."

Bishop Paul Colton of Cork, who chaired the working group which prepared the report, said it had come into being because of the frequently expressed frustrations at previous synods.

He said he "would like the synod to, once and for all, express its mind" on the issue. "Don't string us out. Don't send us off to do more thinking. We have no more thinking to do. We believe this is the beginning of a process . . . Please help us by being clearcut."