DIOCESAN SYNOD ADDRESS 2004 

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RESOURCING THE LOCAL

I TURN NOW TO THE LOCAL: TO THE LIFE OF THE PARISH AND ITS MINISTRY AND MISSION . I AM CONSTANTLY ENCOURAGED BY THE DEPTH OF PASTORAL CARE THAT IS PROVIDED BY OUR CLERGY 24/7, NEVER MIND THE REGULAR ROUND OF SUNDAY SERVICES AND COMMUNITY LITURGIES. SUCH IS SET WITHIN THE EVER INCREASING BURDEN OF PAROCHIAL ADMINISTRATION SYMBOLISED BY THE REGULAR PILE OF FORMS AND QUESTIONNAIRES WHCH LAND ON THE DESK, NOT FORGETTING THE DAILY DEMANDS OF ‘E AND SNAIL MAIL'. FURTHER, THE REQUIREMENTS OF ASSESSMENT AND INSURANCE, ABOUT WHICH ALL OF US ARE ONLY TOO FAMILIAR, ADD TO THE WEIGHT OF RESPONSIBILITY.

OF EQUAL, IF NOT GREATER CONCERN AT PARISH LEVEL, ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE HERITAGE LEGISLATION AND RELEVANT CONSERVATION REGULATIONS FOR OUR WITNESS, ABOUT WHICH I WISH TO MAKE THREE BRIEF COMMENTS. FIRST, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MEMBERS OF OUR PARISHES FOR THE EFFORT THAT IS MADE TO KEEP OUR CHURCHES LOOKING SO WELL, OFTEN IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.

SECONDLY, I JOIN SUCH GRATITUDE WITH GENUINE APPRECIATION OF THE SUPPORT FROM OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY WHICH IS IN MANY CASES, REMARKABLE.

THIRDLY, IT IS UNDOUBTEDLY RIGHT AND PROPER THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL COUNCILS, THROUGH THEIR HERITAGE OFFICERS, APPLY THE NECESSARY REGULATIONS TO THE ISLAND 'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE FOR THE COMMON GOOD. EQUALLY, THE CHURCH OF IRELAND , WHICH HAS BEEN THE NATIONAL CUSTODIAN AND STEWARD OF MUCH OF THE BEST OF OUR ECCELSIATICAL HERITAGE, ‘FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE' , ACCEPTS ITS OBLIGATIONS IN THIS SPHERE. INCIDENTALLY, I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT OUR EXERCISE OF SUCH STEWARDSHIP HAS BEEN IN THE MAIN , ESPECIALLY IN THE RECENT PAST, ‘FOR BETTER, RATHER THAN FOR WORSE' AND OFTEN IN VERY STRAITENED LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

HOWEVER, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO POINT OUT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES WITHOUT GIVING US CONSISTENT AND REGULAR FUNDING TO ACHIVE ITS LAUDABLE AIM OF PRESERVING AND SAFEGUARDING SUCH HERITAGE. I CAN THINK OF SEVERAL EXAMPLES IN THIS SEE, WHICH IS OF COURSE PARTICULARLY WELL ENDOWED WITH BUILDINGS AND INDEED STAINED GLASS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE, NOT LEAST ITS SIX CATHEDRALS . TAKE LISMORE CATHEDRAL FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH WITH A SMALL NUMBER OF PARISHIONERS IS FACING THE HUGE CHALLENGE OF RESTORATION WITHOUT ANY GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT TO DATE .

IN THESE AND SIMILAR CONTEXTS, CLERGY AND PARISHIONERS ARE FACED WITH DAUNTING STRUGGLES TO SO COMPLY, BUT WITHOUT THE CONCERTED NATIONAL POLICY AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE IN EUROPE . FURTHER, ENERGY AND FINANCES WHICH COULD BE BETTER APPLIED TO MINISTRY AND MISSION ARE BEING DIVERTED TO MATTERS OF MAINTENANCE AND ARE, AS A RESULT, SAPPING DRY PAROCHIAL MORALE.

WE ARE OF COURSE GRATEFUL FOR CENTRAL ASSISTANCE; NOT LEAST FOR THE GOVERNEMENT'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL PROJECT IN WATERFORD . BUT TO BE BLUNT, IT IS OFTEN MORE ‘ THE CRUMBS WHICH FALL FROM THE MASTER'S TABLE ', RATHER THAN THE FULL LOAF WE SO BADLY NEED, WHICH WE RECEIVE. PRETTY PICTURES OF OUR OUTSTANDING BUILDINGS FOR THE BENFIT OF TOURIST BROCHURES NEED TO BE ‘BUTTRESSED' BY A NATIONAL POLICY OF ENGAGEMENT AND FISCAL PARTNERSHIPWITH THE DAILY REALITY OF THE STRUGGLE OF UPKEEP AT THE PARISH LEVEL. NO ONE PRESENT WANTS TO TURN THEIR PAROCHIAL BACK ON, OR TO WALK AWAY FROM, SUCH A CONSECRATED HERITAGE. BUT IF SUCH A PARTNERSHIP IS NOT FORTHCOMING, THE DAY IS NOT TOO FAR AWAY, WHEN IN SOME INSTANCES, IT WILL BECOME A SAD BUT NECESSARY REALITY.

ON A POSITIVE NOTE, I WISH TO THANK THE SECRETARIES AND MEMBERS OF OUR VARIOUS DIOCESAN GLEBE COMMITTEES, OUR RURAL DEANS AND OUR CASHEL PROPERTY COMMITTEE FOR ALL THEY DO TO ASSIST PARISHES IN THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO PROPERTY ISSUES.

STAYING WITH THE LOCAL, I WISH TO FOCUS UPON PARISH DEVELOPMENT. LAST YEAR, YOU WILL RECALL THAT I SENT A QUESTIONNAIRE TO EACH SELECT VESTRY BASED UPON THE VISION 20/20 REPORT. SUBSEQUENTLY, I MET WITH PARISH REPRESENTATIVES AT LARGE GATHERINGS OF EACH RURAL DEANERY TO RECEIVE THEIR ANSWERS PERSONALLY. I THEN COLLATED THESE REPLIES AND GATHERED THE MEMBERS OF BOTH COUNCILS TOGETHER IN KILKENNY AND SHARED MY RESPONSE TO WHAT I HAD HEARD. LATER, THESE WERE PUBLISHED IN THE DIOCESAN MAGAZINE, WHICH GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH UNDER MR HERBIE SHARMANS EDITORSHI, ABLY ASSISTED BY DENISE HUGHES IN ANOTHER CAPACITY OF DIOCESAN INFORMATION OFFICER.

IT WAS A WORTH WHILE EXERCISE AND REINFORCED MY HUNCH THAT WITH COOPERATION AND GOODWILL, THE RURAL DEANERY IS THE UNIT FOR MINISTRY AND MISSION THROUGHOUT THE SEE. IN SHORT, ALL BENEFITTING FROM ONE ANOTHER‘S COLLECTIVE GIFTS. HASTEN ON HERE PLEASE`RURAL DEANS, CLERGY AND PEOPLE. COULD NOT CONFIRMATION CLASSES; BIBLE STUDY AND PRAYER GROUPS MEET IN SUCH A CONTEXT, WHERE NUMBERS ARE LOW. INDEED, WHAT ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL DEANERY CONFIRMATION SERVICES LINKED INTO SIMILAR YOUTH SERVICES?

WHAT I GLEANED FROM THE REPLIES WAS PREDICTABLE ENOUGH : NO REDUCTION OF SELECT VESTRIES OR CHURCHES; THE ABSENCE OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH; SUPPORT FOR A CHILDREN'S MINISTRY OFFICER AND CENTRAL ADMINISTRATOR. IT WAS WELL SUMMED UP IN ONE COMMENT – ‘BRICKS ARE A BURDEN AND PEOPLE ARE AN ASSET'. NOW THAT THE WORK OF THE 20/20 VISION COMMITTEE HAS ENDED WITH THE COMPLETION OF THIS VISITATION, I WISH ONCE AGAIN TO CONGRATULATE CANON GARY DOWD AND THE MEMBERS OF HIS 20/20 VISION COMMITTEE FOR GETTING US MOVING AND THINKING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THE QUESTION FOR ME ARISING OUT OF THIS VISITATION WAS ‘WHERE DO WE TAKE IT FROM HERE?'

FORTUNATELY, HELP WAS AT HAND ACROSS THE WATER IN THE PERSON OF THE ARCHDEACON OF WALSALL, BOB JACKSON, ONE OF THE FOREMOST AUTHORITIES ON PARISH GROWTH AND DIOCESAN DEVELOPMENT WORKING IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AT PRESENT AND AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS, INCLUDING THE SEMINAL ‘HOPE IN THE CHURCH'. HIS STATISTICAL EXPERTISE WOULD ALSO BE OF ASSISTANCE IN HELPING US CLARIFY ‘FACT FROM FICTION' IN TERMS OF NUMERICAL RETURNS. I INVITED HIM TO ASSIST OUR THINKING AT THIS ONGOING STAGE AND HE KINDLY AGREED, PROVIDING THE CLERGY WITH A QUESTIONNAIRE UPON WHICH HE REPORTED TO ANOTHER CONJOINT MEETING OF COUNCILS RECENTLY HELD IN KILKENNY.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO SAY TWO THINGS BEFORE I INTRODUCE THE MAIN POINTS OF HIS FINDINGS, WHICH SHOULD BE BORNE IN MIND. FIRST, IT IS TRUE TO SAY THAT YES, HE HAS HAD NO EXPERIENCE OF AND LITTLE EXPOSURE TO, THE PARISH LIFE OF THE CHURCH OF IRELAND . SECONDLY, THE IRISH DIOCESES, THOUGH FAR LARGER GEOGRAPHICALLY THAN SEVERAL ENGLISH OR WELSH DIOCESES, ARE NUMERICALLY FAR SMALLER IN TERMS OF CLERGY AND PEOPLE NUMBERS, EVEN BISHOPS! HOWEVER, THESE VALID POINTS SHOULD NOT UNDERMINE THE VERACITY OF HIS COMMENTS WHICH, ARISING OUT OF DEEP AND WIDE EXPERIENCE, ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY UNDENIABLE IMAGES AND TRENDS THROUGHOUT THE SEE, WHICH ARE THE FOLLOWING:

•  THERE IS NUMERICAL DECLINE IN MEMBERSHIP OF 3% OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD BETWEEN 1999-2003

•  THE APPEARANCE OF OUR CHURCH LIFE IS VERY DATED IN COMPARISON WITH THAT OF ENGLAND . IT IS BEST EXPRESSED BY A ‘CORNER SHOP MENTALITY', WHICH ASSUMES AND PRESUMES FAITHFUL REGULARS IN STATIC FORM, TO BE DISTINGUISHED FROM A ‘SUPERMARKET, CONSUMER LED MENTALITY', WHICH IS OUTWARD LOOKING AND MISSION ORIENTATED TO THE LOCALITY, EXPECTING FLUIDITY IN BELONGING.

•  YOUNG PEOPLE ARE VISIBLY ABSENT FROM OUR CHURCHES AND STATISTICS, ALTHOUGH THE BALTINGLASS YOUTH SERVICE WHICH IS TO BE COMMENDED, BUCKS THIS TREND.

HE IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING SIGNS OF HOPE FOR US TO BUILD ON –

1.THE NATIONAL CENSUS RETURNS WHICH INDICATE MORE ANGLICANS THAN DO OUR DIOCESAN RETURNS 2. INTEREST FROM MEMBERS OF OTHER CHURCHES IN THE ‘ANGLICAN SHAPE' OF BEING CHRISTIAN.

3. INVOLVEMENT IN ECUMENICAL YOUTH ACTIVITES, LIKE ‘REGENERATE' WHICH CAN ATTRACT THE SEEKER.

IF WE ARE TO GROW AND TO DEVELOP AT THE PARISH AND DIOCESAN LEVELS, WE MUST PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING –

•  BECOME MORE MISSIONARY MINDED IN THE LOCALITY. THAT MEANS LOOKING OUTWARD IN SERVICE AND SEEKING NOT ONLY THE UNCHURCHED, BUT THE NON-CHURCHED. THIS HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR HOW WE UNDERSTAND OUR SELVES AND OUR OWN SELF-CONFIDENCE.

•  BECOME FAR MORE WELCOMING. MY FRIENDS, I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THIS IN THE DIOCESAN MAGAZINE RECENTLY. THIS IS VITAL, ESPECIALLY BEFORE AND AFTER SERVICES. I HAVE HEARD HORROR STORIES RECENTLY OF A VISITING FAMILY ARRIVING TO AND DEPARTING FROM A CHURCH IN THE SEE WITHOUT ANYONE HAVING A WORD WITH THEM. ANOTHER RELATES TO AN INDIVIDUAL BEING ASKED TO LEAVE A PEW WHERE OTHERS REGULARLY SIT. THIS IS 2004. I URGE SELECT VESTRIES TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE AS A MATTER OF PRIORITY AND TO PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO GREETING, AS WELL AS MERELY HANDING OUT BOOKS, TO PARISHIONER AND VISITOR ALIKE.

•  BECOME MORE FAMILY AND ALL AGE WORSHIP FRIENDLY. THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL OF PARISH GROWTH AND THE RESOURCES OF THE NEW BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER ARE VERY USEFUL HERE, ESPECIALLY THE SERVICE OF THE WORD. THANKFULLY, WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROCEED WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF THE CHILDREN'S MINISTRY OFFICER, WORKING IN TANDEM WITH PHILIP, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

•  THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING ATTRACTIVE BIBLE AND PRAYER GROUP MATERIALS AND USING DIFFERENT CONTEXTS FOR SUCH GATHERINGS.

NEGLECT NOT PRAYER IN ALL OF THIS, PLEASE.

THESE THEN ARE THE MAIN FINDINGS AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE POSITIVE EMPHASIS IN THE ARCHDEACON'S REPORT. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A FURTHER COMPONENT PART WHICH WOULD ASSIST US IN SUCH DEVELOPMENT AND WHICH BOB JACKSON HAS ENCOURAGED ME TO BRING BEFORE YOU. I DO SO HESITATINGLY, BUT IN A POSITIVE SPIRIT.

IT IS THE NECESSITY OF EMPLOYING SOMEONE TO RESOURCE THIS AND TO ASSIST US MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN. IN SHORT, I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED THE RESOURCE OF A PARISH DEVELOPMENT OFFICER. IF WE DO NOT HAVE THE ENERGY, EXPERIENCE, SKILL AND KNOW-HOW OF SUCH A RESOURCE PERSON FOR A PERIOD OF SAY FIVE YEARS, THEN I FEAR WE WILL END UP, FOR WANT OF A BETTER DESCRIPTION, SIMPLY PUSHING THE SAME PAPER WITH THE SAME ASPIRATIONS AMONGST THE SAME WELL INTENTIONED PEOPLE AROUND THE SAME TABLE, ‘AD NAUSEAM'.

A DIOCESAN DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR CHILDREN'S OFFICER AND YOUTH OFFICER, COULD MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE OVER A 5 YEAR PERIOD, WHERE IT REALLY MATTERS – RESOURCING THE PARISHES OF OUR GROUPS AND UNIONS. SUCH AN APPOINTEE WOULD HELP US TO FACE THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CONTEMPORARY MISSION , BOTH AT CENTRAL AND LOCAL LEVELS, ASSISTING US IN THE PROCESS TO REALISE OUR POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH IN THE GOSPEL AND BROADER SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY.

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