14 October 2023
4.30pm
The synod has concluded with the blessing. Thank you for joining our live blog today. We’ve dealt with a lot! Quite a few legislation changes, you can read back through the blog to find those.
We’ll bring you some more reporting on Monday to tie up a few loose threads.
4.15pm
Hello! Elspeth Kernebone here, taking over the blog from Maya Pilbrow to finish up for the day.
The synod is now hearing motions of honours for retiring synod members, put by Bishop Brad Billings and seconded by Bishop Kate Prowd, and a condolence motion for those who have died since last synod, put by Bishop Genieve Blackwell, seconded by Bishop Paul Barker.
Bishop Paul Barker has also put a motion of thanks to those who have contributed to the organisation of synod.
4.00pm
Melbourne Synod has lamented the loss of life and widespread injury in Israel, Palestine and Gaza. It also condemned the use of violence against civilians in Israel, Palestine and Gaza.
The Reverend Chris Porter moved the motion which asked synod not to take sides in the conflict but to pray for peace for all involved.
The archbishop spoke about his experiences visiting the al-Ahli Arab Christian Hospital in Gaza fifteen years ago. The Christian-led hospital has been a significant partner to Anglican Overseas Aid since 1988.
The full text of the motion is as follows:
Conflict in Israel, Palestine, and Gaza is long standing, and on the 7th of October 2023, Hamas executed a large-scale attack on Israel, including the massacre and hostage taking of festival goers and other civilians. At the time of writing the Israeli death toll is estimated to be at least 300, mostly civilians. In response Israel declared war on Hamas and has executed a series of retaliations in Gaza, killing over 1500 Palestinians through air and rocket strikes; and commanded the evacuation of the 1.1 million residents of North Gaza.
We lament the loss of life and widespread injury in the violence of this ongoing conflict, and just as Jesus called on the people of God to reject violence and to turn the other cheek (Matt 5:38-40), this synod
– a) Condemns the use of violence and intimidation against civilians in Israel, Palestine and Gaza, b) calls – with Palestinian Christians – for a peaceful resolution to the Nakba, the cessation of violence, and instead the pursuit of non-violent options, and c) calls for prayers for peace in our churches this coming Sunday.
3.35pm
Synod has rejected an amendment to the Parish Governance Act 2013 to allow Archbishop in Council, in limited circumstances, to extend the terms of persons serving on parish councils.
Currently, parish council terms are limited to six years to avoid any one person serving indefinitely to the exclusion of others. This amendment sought to recognise that in some circumstances, having the flexibility to extend a person’s term past six continuous years may be in the best interests of the parish. The amendment would have seen Archbishop in Council given the power to extend terms by one or two years.
The Right Reverend Paul Barker spoke against the bill. Bishop Barker said the six year rule was aimed at good governance and for prevention of gatekeeping power blocs. He said the current term limits created situations where those who previously were never considered to serve on parish councils were given opportunities to do so.
Mover the Right Reverend Lindsay Urwin said the amendment was not to change the six year rule but rather sought to allow gracious exceptions to the six year rule norm.
The voting was close so an official count including online attendees took place. The final tally showed 74 voting for and 76 against.
2.50pm
Kooyoora’s monopoly on professional standards regulation within the Melbourne diocese will remain.
Melbourne Synod has voted to reject an amendment to the Professional Standards Uniform Act Adoption Act 2016, passing the Professional Standards Uniform Act Amendment (Scheme Corporation) Act 2023.
The 2016 act appointed Kooyoora as the independent entity in charge of providing diocesan professional standards services. It was adopted by the dioceses of Melbourne and Bendigo.
The 2016 Uniform Act references Kooyoora specifically as the Scheme Corporation, which is the entity providing professional standards services to the diocese.
By rejecting the amendment, synod voted to keep Kooyoora’s name in the definition of Scheme Corporation.
The 2021 Melbourne Synod noted the fundamental importance of collaboration across the Province of Victoria, including sharing safe ministry and professional standards resources across all dioceses in the province.
The 2017 Final Report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended that the Anglican Church of Australia adopt a uniform episcopal standards framework to hold bishops and former bishops accountable to an appropriate authority in relation to their response to complaints of child sex abuse.
Malcom Tadgell opposed the amendment, offering several reasons. This included that the Diocese of Melbourne has a uniform act with Bendigo, and this should be amended together not unilaterally. Changes to the uniform act should be made by synod not MADC, and the Commission for children and young people is reviewing child safe standards and no changes should be made until that body’s findings later this year.
He also said the diocese should not assume Kooyoora would remain viable for other services it provided for the diocese, and should not assume Kooyoora would remain viable to service other dioceses.
Coral Tudball of St George’s Ivanhoe East also opposed the motion. She said what had not been considered was that if the diocese should move from Kooyoora in the future, that might place at risk the safe keeping integrity of the confidential data it currently holds.
Read more:
- Survivor group questions independence of Hollingworth review (melbourneanglican.org.au)
- Archbishop Freier defends Melbourne diocesan response to complaints about Dr Hollingworth (melbourneanglican.org.au)
- ‘False assumptions’ behind claim of vexatious allegations to Kooyoora: Archbishop (melbourneanglican.org.au)
- ‘Review case for five-day week for clergy’: Synod motion (melbourneanglican.org.au)
2.15pm
Melbourne Synod has voted to legislate for a steering committee for children’s and young people’s ministry.
Synod voted to pass the Children’s and Young People’s Ministry Act 2023.
The committee’s purpose is to strengthen Christian ministry among children and young people across the diocese and plan for resourcing, support and advocacy of this ministry.
The functions of the committee are to develop five-yearly strategic plans to strengthen Christian ministry among children, young people and parishes, and to seek input from young people and their ministry leaders in developing these plans. It will review this plan annually and recommend appropriate staffing levels and budget to Archbishop in Council to fulfil the strategic plan.
A 2021 synod motion called for Archbishop in Council to establish a Children’s and Youth Ministry working group to review strategies for making the Word of God fully known among the next generation of young people. In 2022 a motion requested the development of legislation governing a permanent authorised standing committee for children’s and youth ministry.
As of 2021, less than a third of Melbourne churches had hit targets for appropriate youth ministry models according to Ridley College’s Youth Ministry Futures research team. The research team interviewed 186 vicars, covering more than 80 per cent of all parishes in the diocese.
The Children’s and Youth Ministry working group established in 2021 found that diocesan support for children’s and young people’s ministry was precarious, with no established requirement for the diocese to give any attention to children’s and youth ministry.
A review conducted by the working group in 2022 found children’s and youth ministry needed stronger centralised support to thrive.
The 2023 act says the committee must have between 6 and 10 members appointed by Archbishop in Council serving two-year terms. These must include at least one staff member of the Diocesan central office, one assistant bishop, one youth ministry leader licensed in the diocese and one member under the age of 28 at their appointment. The act defines children and young people as those less than 30 years old.
The bill requires the committee to meet at least four times a year and to report on its proceedings to Synod and to the Archbishop in Council every 12 months.
Read more:
2.05pm
Synod has passed the Synod Legislation Amendment (Representation) Bill 2023
This bill will make changes to existing legislation relating to synod representatives.
The amendments are generally aimed at creating consistency between parishes, supported parishes, and Authorised Anglican Congregations in the number of lay representatives they may elect.
Another amendment would allow people who do not live in the diocese to be members of synod, provided they are not already on a parish electoral roll in another diocese.
2pm
Hello! Elspeth Kernebone here, bringing you the news after lunch.
Synod has passed the Parish Governance Amendment Bill 2023, amending the 2013 act relating to the same. It changed how parish boundaries are established and would allow for transitional arrangements when parish boundaries are changed.
12.45pm
And we’re breaking for lunch! Further legislation discussions continue afterwards.
Stories from the synod floor
The Reverend Robert Koren said he was intrigued by how the diocese would respond to the emerging concept of the five-day workweek for clergy.
He said it was a reflection of his deep concern for his fellow clergy and the future of their ministry in the diocese.
12.25pm
Synod has spent some time discussing a proposed subsection change under the diocesan legislation amendment bill to a section of the Archbishop in Council Act 2018, around conflict of interest.
Audrey Statham gave an impassioned speech about the undemocratic nature of a process which would be centralised under AiC, rather than be open to synod for consideration, if the amendment passed.
The amendment was lost.
The legislation discussions continue.
11.40am
There is a very detailed discussion about the proposed amendments and terminology in the bill. It’s quite complex so, we’ll aim to clarify some of this in coming days.
11.25am
Motion seconder, the Reverend Dr John Baldock said legislation was only brought before synod after undergoing a lengthy process of discussion among people with intimate knowledge of the diocese and its legislation. He said issues about lack of communication constituted serious and real issues. He said communication issues sometimes led to confusion which resulted in real costs to the diocese. The mover brought the bill to be considered by the committee of the whole synod.
11.15am
The Reverend Craig D’Alton, Christ Church St Kilda, said the matters raised in the bill needed to be revisited. He said he opposed the bill in principle, as he said the changes proposed were not adequately explained.
Bishop Bradly Billings supported the bill, saying he believed it was an important and much needed reform to corporate governance, and would remove duplication.
Michael Shand AM KC, opposed the bill. He raised several matters in relation to his reservation.
Mr Shand said a shortcoming was that it did not address the membership of the diocesan corporation. It would be a “grave mistake” to not address that shortcoming, he said. It risked giving state courts the opportunity to interfere in internal governance.
The bill would place the whole burden of indemnity of corporation on Church funds, he added.
He said the bill needed further work and could be brought back when many of the issues he raised had been fully considered.
The Reverend Colleen Clayton spoke in favour of the motion. She said the proposed changes may not be perfect but would be made in order to improve accountability and communication.
The Reverend Timothy Arnold Moore, Archbishop in Council member, spoke in favour of the bill. He said AiC thought it was appropriate to bring a complete package about the bill to synod and that was what they were doing.
The Reverend John Forsythe, opposed the bill, saying it was not mature enough to support at this stage. At the heart of good governance was reducing risk and it was uncertain whether the bill would reduce risk or not, he said.
10.45am
Dr George has echoed the Diocesan Governance Legislation Amendment bill’s explanatory memoranda, saying the aim was to foster greater understanding, consistency in decision-making and improved efficiency between them.
She explained that the bill would make members of Archbishop in Council directors of the Melbourne Anglican Diocesan Corporation. Dr George said the bill would lessen the workload for people like her who had previously been members of Archbishop in Council as well as directors of MADC.
According to synod papers the bill will also clarify certain terminology in the Archbishop in Council Act.
She commended the bill to synod saying she believed it would significantly improve the way the diocese operated.
10.40am
The Diocesan Governance Legislation Amendment Bill 2023, a bill to amend the diocese’s governance legislation, is now on the table. Mover, Dr Jenny George is explaining her proposal to synod.
10.35am
St George’s Malvern parishioner Mrs Leonie Bird spoke about the special institutional liability list created by the Supreme Court of Victoria and the need for the diocese to achieve proper settlement outside of the legal system. She said we needed a trauma-informed rather than legalistic approach to redress.
10.30am
Trinity College academic, the Reverend Dr Chris Porter has asked leave to express thanks to the Registrar for presenting the redress scheme.
He also called for a new motion, motion 31, calling for peace and prayer in Israel and Gaza to be added to the business paper today.
10.20am
Bishop Kate Prowd is speaking to synod, saying being involved with redress was one of the most privileged and humbling aspects of her ministry. She explained her role was to be a visible presence from the diocese, to attend redress conferences, and she sometimes met one on one with complainants and could write formal letters of apologies.
She said trying to qualify or quantify the impact of abuse on any individual was not possible and spoke about the various ways survivors had suffered.
Bishop Prowd said excuses about historical offenses or ignorance of the risks to vulnerable people were not acceptable.
She said one of the reasons the ministry was significant to her was because of her own closeness to the issue, a matter that involved a family member who was abused. That relative had been able to move forwards after being listened to and receiving help.
She said the diocese needed to help the vulnerable among us find their voice and to listen to those who had been wronged. Bishop Prowd spoke of the transformative power of a genuine apology. We must say “sorry” and we must mean it, she said.
She said no money provided in settlements to survivors could undo the past.
She concluded the presentation by praying.
10:05am
Synod is receiving a presentation on the diocese’s continued efforts to implement a trauma-informed, survivor-centred approach to dealing with historical child sexual abuse that has occurred within Diocesan organisations.
Registrar Malcolm Tadgell said this presentation linked directly with last night’s Safe Ministry presentation. He said in the past year MADC reached financial settlements with 23 survivors, paying $5.2 million including legal costs.
Mr Trevor Walker is now addressing synod, speaking about his work in redress. He said redress processes required flexibility. He discussed the Kooyoora Redress Scheme, the National Redress Scheme and civil claims.
He has also mentioned the significant and often long range impacts of abuse on survivors including, physical, spiritual and emotional effects.
Mr Walker has spoken about the survivors and how redress wasn’t a one-size fits all approach to supporting them.
He said he’d observed excellence in the way the diocese had approached redress.
Mr Walker quoted a Maori saying that honours people as the most important thing in the world.
10:00am
Bishop Paul Barker has asked for leave to suspend standing orders to further consider motion 27 relating to recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglicans in Victoria.
Leave has been granted and Bishop Barker has moved that it not be considered further.
Earlier
Good morning and welcome to the fourth and final day of Melbourne Synod 2023, an in-person event at St Paul’s Cathedral.
I’m Jenan Taylor kicking off today’s liveblog, so if you’re unable to attend in person today, follow along with me and my colleagues Maya Pilbrow, Elspeth Kernebone and Maria Tan!
Today’s session starts with prayers, announcements, and answers to questions. We’ll then have Bishop Kate Prowd and Mr Trevor Walker’s Redress presentation.
After that, synod will look at legislation and a few final motions.
Key items today:
Diocesan Governance Legislation Amendment Bill 2023
Dr Jenny George is moving a bill to amend the diocese’s governance legislation.
The bill was put in response to a February review of the Anglican Centre, which recommended mirroring representation across the diocese’s three key governance bodies: Archbishop in Council, the Melbourne Anglican Diocesan Corporation and the Melbourne Anglican Trust Corporation.
The Reverend John Baldock has seconded the motion.
Read more: Presidential Address to the Melbourne Synod, 54th Synod
Children’s and Young People’s Ministry Bill 2023
Synod will consider a motion for a bill for an Act to form a steering committee for children’s and young people’s ministry.
The committee’s purpose would be to strengthen Christian ministry among children and young people across the diocese and plan for resourcing, support and advocacy of this ministry.
The Reverend Graham Stanton moved the proposal , and Bishop Genieve Blackwell has seconded it.
Read more:
- Dozens of Melbourne parishes without any teenagers: Synod (melbourneanglican.org.au)
- Children’s, youth ministry may be unsustainable without culture shift (melbourneanglican.org.au)
- ‘Review case for five-day week for clergy’: Synod motion (melbourneanglican.org.au)
Professional Standards Uniform Act Amendment (Scheme Corporation) Bill 2023
This proposal asks delegates to change legislation to allow the Diocese of Melbourne to potentially appoint an alternative provider of professional standards services.
Currently Kooyoora Limited administers the Professional Standards Uniform Act 2016 for the diocese, and its Professional Standards Office handles complaints, screening and redress matters.
The proposed bill would change the 2016 act, which the Melbourne diocese and Anglican Diocese of Bendigo have both adopted.
Read more:
- Survivor group questions independence of Hollingworth review (melbourneanglican.org.au)
- Archbishop Freier defends Melbourne diocesan response to complaints about Dr Hollingworth (melbourneanglican.org.au)
- ‘False assumptions’ behind claim of vexatious allegations to Kooyoora: Archbishop (melbourneanglican.org.au)
There’s a lot to chew on, so before we get into everything check this out:
Stories from synod floor
Recently arrived from the United States, St Stephen’s Richmond representative Don George said he was keen to discuss the fundamental values of an open, affirming, and welcoming Anglican organisation.
Mr George said in light of the upcoming election of a new archbishop, he hoped to witness the ongoing promotion of progressive ideals, aligning with Anglicans’ collective call to create inclusive and affirming faith communities at God’s table.
Revisit our coverage of the 2023 Melbourne synod sessions here:
- Five-day working week for clergy to be considered | Melbourne Synod day 3
- Evangelism, Manipur, budget motions pass | Melbourne Synod day 2
- Presidential Address to the Melbourne Synod, 54th Synod
Again, if you want to reach us with any queries, comments or corrections, email us at editor@melbourneanglican.org.au
Enjoy the session!
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