THERE was a record variety of questions submitted — ten in all — leading the chair to suggest: “Perhaps democracy has arrived within the Church in Wales!”
Caroline White (Bangor) reminded the Governing Body that the five-year trial period of a liturgy to have fun single-sex unions was now halfway through. “Does the Church in Wales hold any data, whether numerical or anecdotal, to point how this liturgy has been received and used?”
Sir Martin Donnelly (Swansea & Brecon) noted the identical. He asked what information the bench had about its use, and whether discussions were going down on the longer-term liturgical framework for a sustainable pastoral approach to same-sex partnerships or marriages.
Responding to each, the Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron, confirmed that the bishops had made it clear in 2021 that this was only a transitional measure, and that the review of the rites would must follow. The current bench was not undertaking any formal review of debate as to the subsequent steps, and so there had been no gathering of any formal statistics yet.
“Our understanding is that a small but regular stream of same-sex couples have availed themselves of the best,” he said. “We take into consideration two dozen within the two-and-a-half years, but there might be many more. They have given very positive accounts of the blessing itself, and the heat of support from family friends, clergy, and congregations.” It may be the case, the Bishop said, that several same-sex couples were waiting until a wedding service became available to them.
Sir Martin requested that the problem is likely to be thought to be core business for the GB on this theme, “in order that we will all reflect on and consider and have wider debate before we come to specific discussion on whatever we would like to do”.
Susan Rivers and Gwendoline Treherne (Llandaff) desired to know what progress, if any, had been made by the Church in Wales in addressing the Welsh government’s Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence strategy.
The Archbishop, in reply, commended particularly the work of the Mothers’ Union in raising awareness of the problems, and the great practices that it had adopted. The Safeguarding Committee was already addressing this, and the necessity for brand new guidance. One approach was a recent bespoke training module authorised for abuse-related casework.
Mrs Rivers noted that gender-based violence and domestic abuse continued. “One in 4 women in our church congregations will experience it of their lifetime, but only two in seven feel the Church is there to support them,” she said. Llandaff had produced a Welsh version of the guidance.
The Revd Dr Kevin Ellis (Bangor) submitted his query in each English and Welsh. “Does the Church in Wales keep any records of what number of lively clergy are in a position to take services fluently and preach in Welsh?” What support was given to those coming from other provinces to learn Welsh, and was there a timescale for that? What funding was provided for ministers to receive Welsh-language training, and what was expected to occur if someone required a service in Welsh, and the team in a ministry and mission area was unable to offer it? How often had one other minister needed to be brought in to enable Welsh for use?
The Bishop of St Davids, the Rt Revd Dorrien Davies, responded in Welsh. He concluded: “The Welsh language and bilingualism is a vital a part of our teaching and the way we reach out to people pastorally.” He encouraged everyone, especially those preparing for ordination, to learn the language, enabling them to bring the comfort of the gospel to those that desired to hear it in their very own language
Mr Ellis reiterated encouragement to all to have the opportunity to minister in each languages.
The Revd James Henley (Monmouth) observed that lots of the ministry and mission areas now employed paid staff, for administration, as musicians, or as lay church employees. To receive the needed HR and legal advice to fulfil their responsibilities as employers, several areas had needed to pay private consultancy firms for the service.
He desired to know the way the Representative Body (RB) might have the opportunity to support them on this. Might it’s possible to offer a normal HR manual to ministry areas, comprising the needed basic policies and procedures, alongside an advice service?
Professor Medwin Hughes, who chairs the RB, said: “This goes to the center of how we resource the Church and acknowledge the pressures on the clergy.” The traditional structure was not designed to support mission and ministry areas, he said. “We need to look at these needs and design a model to support the clergy. It needs a collective will and the flexibility to be flexible: some things might be done at provincial level, others locally. We might be higher together. We should.”
But clergy would soon have the opportunity to have access to a dedicated officer when circumstances required it: a small starting, because the HR team was just 4 people, but excellent news. It was charged with conducting strategies across the province. “It would require extensive work and consultation, and it won’t occur overnight, but we’re taking steps to deliver long-term solutions, acknowledging the pressure on clergy in mission and ministry areas. An HR manual needed compiling while this work was going down: “We hope that might be disseminated before the subsequent meeting in September.”
Christopher Dearden (Bangor) reflected that the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) had now in effect pulled out of Wales, having made its Wales regional officer redundant last yr. Local branches had almost completely vanished, leaving the RSCM seemingly “an England-focused organisation unable to reflect the language, culture, and liturgy of Anglican worship in Wales. How can the Church in Wales increase our support for music-making amongst congregations, choirs, worship bands, and schools?” he asked.
In reply, the Bishop of Swansea & Brecon, the Rt Revd John Lomas, described the RSCM as “a resource I actually have held dear for a few years”. He confirmed that every one regional officers had been made redundant the previous yr, not only in Wales. The RSCM remained a beneficial resource, and had increased its online training programmes.
He noted that the bench had agreed to breathe recent life into church music, and urged support and encouragement for church choirs, and affiliation to the RSCM. Churches with limited musical and financial resources would profit essentially the most from affiliation.
Mr Dearden said that nearly all of the candidates for confirmation at Bangor Cathedral were choristers. “Music could be very much a part of the Welsh life,” he said, acknowledging this to be a difficult time for music generally — witness the withdrawal of funding to the Welsh National Opera. “And music needs work, particularly in outreach in schools,” he said. “It is more necessary than ever for people to make music in praise of God.”
Ian Hibble (Llandaff) asked what proposals had been developed by the Standing Committee to “provide robust methods of diocesan self-evaluation and provincial collaboration regarding the event, impact, and outcomes of ministry/mission areas”. Also, how had the Learning Communities established by the Archbishop of Wales aided reflection on ministry/mission areas?
A self-evaluation tool would must have core and consistency to be of value to the Church, the Archbishop responded. There were different variations in government arrangements within the diocese. “The initial focus will likely be how mission and ministry areas are functioning — how our attendance figures are being managed and sustained,” he suggested. “That’s a piece in progress now, to exit to the areas in the summertime.” He urged all ministry areas to finish the survey, as this could provide the main points needed.
Mr Hibble said that he had found experiences of ministry areas to be quite varied: some were a great model, others had poor governance and leadership. “We should work higher together, but learning quickly from where we’re making mistakes, and making changes accordingly.”
The Revd Dr Jonathon Wright (Swansea & Brecon) had noticed the announcement over the past yr of quite a few points to the Representative Body, including on the director level. How had these appointments affected the RB’s headcount? How would these appointments support the lifetime of local churches; and, if that’s the case, how would this be measured?
Professor Hughes said that this was a key query referring to relationship between the centre and the dioceses. The RB had 116 staff in total, within the areas of operations, mission strategy, legal safeguarding, and data protection, and St Padarn’s. Of the 2 directors, one was a recent post, and the opposite was a job-title change. “The only rule of the Representative Body is to listen fastidiously to the Governing Body and the needs of the diocese,” he said.
Moira Randall (co-opted) thought all would agree that investment in mission and ministry to children and young people was vital to their Church’s future, but, on condition that congregations throughout the province were “ageing”, what resources was the Church investing in supporting their needs, particularly those that found attendance at regular service difficult or not possible? Was the Church in Wales accompanying and championing the Anna chaplains whom she was aware were lively on this particular area of mission and ministry in parts of the province?
The Bishop of Monmouth, the Rt Revd Cherry Vann, said that the churches were aware of people that was once regular attenders, but could now not attend or fully participate. “Some can have been stalwarts of the congregation — they continue to be a part of the body of Christ,” she said.
“At a time once we might be tempted to give attention to children and young people to an extent that older people feel sidelined or forgotten, it’s incumbent on all of us to take a look at this.” Visiting had been a very important ministry, exercised for a few years by pastoral visitors: “Church members might be commissioned to do that role. We have endorsed this, and encourage people to accomplish that. They offer a vital ministry.” That had been demonstrated when the Church in Wales invested in it through St Padarn’s: 48 people applied for 20 places, and there could be 20 again in June this yr. “It’s a hopeful picture to construct on in the long run.”
Ian Loynd (Monmouth) recognised the importance of the Church’s net-zero commitment, but asked whether, given its limited resources, the Governing Body had considered that the impact of the actions required by dioceses, ministry areas, and churches distracted from the first priority of growing the church?
The Archbishop spoke of the necessity for the Church to to set an example of net-zero practice, “to present us the best to talk out on those issues”. Social justice was of particular significance to young people, he said. Mr Loynd conceded that “all of us have a component to play,” but regretted that the resources for bringing about radical change were non-existent, locally; there was a necessity for it to be financially managed provincially.
