Magazine: July 2011 - Father Mark Ball
Pastoral Letter:
"Let love guide your life, for then the whole church will stay together in perfect harmony. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Remember what Christ taught and let his words enrich your lives and make you wise."
Colossians 3.14 - 16a
(from the Diocesan Order for the Licencing and Commissioning of Area Deans)
On Trinity Sunday, Peter Cornish, Rector of Sturry, and I, were licensed and commissioned together as joint Area Deans of Canterbury Deanery.
Every Parish in the Church of England belongs to a Deanery - a cluster of parishes within a geographically defined area.
Our own Deanery is made up of the Parishes of: City Centre, St Dunstan, Blean, St Stephen, Sturry and Westbere, All Saints, St Martin and St Paul, St Mary Bredin, Thannington, and Harbledown. That’s ten parishes and fifteen church buildings, with their congregations, Churchwardens, ministry teams, assistant clergy, and nine Incumbents.
The Deanery then also includes the non-Parochial Anglican institutions and ministers within its geographical area: The Cathedral and its Chapter, the Universities’, Schools’, Hospitals’, Hospice’s, Barrack’s, and Prison’s Chaplains, and all retired clergy living here.
The Deanery’s purpose is to act as legal framework, pastoral network, and strategic forum, for this diverse range of Anglican ministry and mission.
The legal aspects of the Deanery are focused in the work of Deanery Synod, which forms one of the five tiers of governance within the Church of England: PCC, Deanery Synod, Diocesan Synod, General Synod, and Queen and Parliament.
Each Parish has a number of lay Deanery Synod Representatives (the number varies according to the Parish’s Electoral Roll), who together make up the House of Laity. The licenced clergy of the Deanery form the Synod’s House of Clergy.
More often than not the Synod acts as a forum for fellowship, discussion, and debate. Occasionally business is dictated by Diocesan or General Synod, and sometimes that business may require Synod to vote.
Synod has a Standing Committee to manage its business, and a Mission and Ministry Committee to develop, review and implement a co-ordinated, viable and sustainable strategy for our common life and witness (the Deanery Plan).
Synod elects a Secretary and Treasurer. The House of Laity elect their Lay Chair. And following consultation, the Bishop appoints the Area Dean, who is Chair of the House of Clergy. In this Diocese the Area Dean is usually appointed and licenced for three years, with the possibility of a further three-year renewal.
Part of the Area Dean’s role, then, is to co-Chair Deanery Synod and its Committees.
The pastoral aspect of the Area Dean’s role is to share in the Bishop’s and Archdeacon’s oversight of the local clergy and parishes. This is done through the chairing of the various clergy and collaborative ministry chapters, through working with Churchwardens in Parish Visitations and supporting them during Parish Vacancies, and through responding to particular pastoral situations as and when they arise.
The strategic role of the Area Dean incorporates all the above, but also includes representing the Deanery at Diocesan-level discussions, and communicating Diocesan vision and policy within the Deanery.
As I see it, then, at least from the perspective of these early days, my role as Joint Area Dean will be to share with Peter and the wider Deanery Leadership Team, in these key areas of legal compliance, pastoral care and strategic development.
My own personal hope is to be able to foster an increasing awareness of our belonging together as Anglicans, an increasing openness to each other in our diversity, and an increasing commitment to each other in our shared mission and ministry amongst our community.
Thank you for your prayers - and, remembering what Christ has taught us, may God’s grace make us ever more loving, peaceful, thankful, and wise. Amen.