York General Synod - Sun9Jul2006

Sunday

Archbishop Rowan preached the sermon at York Minister based on the text about Jesus sending the disciples out with nothing, no food, no money, not even a change of clothing. This was to demonstrate that we need to have nothing but the power of God in our lives.

In the afternoon Synod received reports on Clergy Pensions and the Church Commissioners. Information was given in February that pension contributions from parishes would need to increase in the light of factors common to most other pension providers. The Pensions Task Group presented Synod with three options to consider. Their favoured option was that parish contributions, which would increase anyway in Jan 2007 from 33% to 39% of stipend (£7,307 pa per clergy person), should be retained at this level, that the required years of service be increased from 37 to 40 and pension rises limited to RPI and not stipend rates. Further work is to be done and Synod will hear again in 2007. The First Church Estates Commissioner, Mr Andreas Whittam Smith, presented their report for 2005. Synod was pleased with the wise stewardship of the resources of the Church Commissioners but asked for ways to be found for greater consultation regarding investments when the reputation of the church might be involved.

Synod supported a motion on Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Southwark Diocese asking the Mission and Public Affairs Council to find ways of encouraging the church to take specific action to back the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to reduce emissions from the 1990 level by 60% by 2050.