Acts and Resolutions
PRELIMINARY
BUSINESS
Bishop Thabo appointed Adv R W N Brooks to be the
Chairman of the Committee of Synod.
Election of clerical secretaries Archdeacon
R G T Morgan, Ms Phila Simanga
Election of
lay secretaries Ms S Njokweni, Prof G G Antrobus
Appointment
of media liaison Canon Lulama Ntshingwa, Archdeacon M
Madywabe
Appointment of Prolocutor of Synod Revd Canon B Domeris
Election of
Minutes Scrutineers Archdeacon C Leslie, Prof M Whisson, Mrs K Somhlahlo
Election of Minute secretaries Mr
Tony Schnell, Ms Nobuntu Mageza
The Chancellor confirmed that a
quorum was present.
The Bishop declared the 63rd
session of the Synod of the Diocese of Grahamstown to be duly and canonically
constituted, on Saturday 3rd March 2007 at 11:00.
RATIFICATION:
The Ratification was signed and
the Resolution of the 63rd Session of the Synod of the Diocese of
Grahamstown was promulgated in St Alban’s Church,
MOTION TO MULTIPLY THE DIOCESE OF
GRAHAMSTOWN
That this Synod:
1. Acknowledges:
a. The report
of the Imbizo, 9 - 11 February 2007
b. The need to
grow the Anglican presence and witness, especially Emmanuel Missionary Area
c.
The support and encouragement of Bishops Thabo and
Paddy for this initiative
2. Gives thanks
to:
a. The Gift
Commission for its hard work under the leadership of Canon Noreen Burton.
b. The Chapter,
Synod of 2005, Diocesan Council and Diocesan Executive members who have given
their support of this process.
3. Affirms:
a. The
principle of the multiplication of the Diocese of Grahamstown
b. The
principle of the establishment of a Missionary Diocese as demarcated on the
attached maps.
c.
The report and recommendations of the Imbizo of 2007.
Therefore
resolves:
To
respectfully request the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Grahamstown to take
all the necessary steps for the multiplication of the Diocese of Grahamstown
and the formation of the Missionary Diocese as soon as possible.
The motion
was carried unanimously.
QUESTIONS:
1. Are we
multiplying if Diocese of Free State says "No"?
The Bishop
replied: Greetings of Diocese of Free State read in response to 8. 1. 1.
2. When will it
be established?
The Bishop
replied: The resolutions will be taken to the Synod of Bishops in May 2007 for
ratification and then we will declare the area and ask Synod of Bishops to
Elect a Missionary bishop.
3. What happens
with guilds’ operations in the proposed Missionary Diocese?
The Bishop
replied: They will have to be split into their respective canonical
jurisdictions.
4. Why does the
Northern boundary run through the towns of Jonkersfontein,
Trompsburg,
The Bishop
replied: It is the call of God to plant ministry in this area.
5. Have towns
like Colesberg, Oviston, Venterstad been invited into the new Diocese?
The Bishop
replied: Yes they were invited, but
6. Who elects
the Missionary Bishop?
The Bishop replied: Canon 6 specifies who
elects (Synod of Bishops)
7. Are we committing
our parishes to R1000.00 per month / per Sunday?
The Bishop replied: Yes.
8. Has it been
considered that the creation of a Missionary Diocese is a platform for
eliciting funds from
The Bishop replied: Yes.
9. Looking at
the future of the proposed Diocese, outline what would prevent the doom of a
new Diocese as is the case of
The Bishop
replied: I
acknowledge your concerns, but we are in a different context and this “business
we are in, needs an act of
faith”. Thanks for concern and warning. We have done sums and we have decided
on the missionary route for this reason to avert the scenario you mentioned.
10. As required
by Resolution 22 of ACC 1 (Anglican Consultative Committee) 1971, what
consideration has been given to in forming a college of bishops if the Diocese
is too large, rather than the creation of a new Diocese?
The Bishop
replied: The process in our Province required a synodical
nod before consideration by Synod of Bishops, and that’s what we are doing now.
11. As required
by Resolution 28 of Acc 5, 1981, what consultations with the Province and the
Anglican Consultative Council have been held?
The Bishop
replied: We do not need to, as explained in 1 above.
12. What is the
reason for including the very
The Bishop
replied: We have not determined the centre yet, but your comment is valid.
REPORT ON
THE IMBIZO 9TH -11TH FEBRUARY 2007
1. This Imbizo of the lay and clergy representatives of the
parishes of the Diocese of Grahamstown Northern Region and the Diocese of Free
State Southern Region, which was convened by the Diocesan Bishops, met in
Queenstown on 9, 10 and l 1 February 2007.
2. This Imbizo resolves that a Missionary Diocese, covering the
parishes within the geographic area demarcated on the attached map, should be
established.
3. This Imbizo accordingly respectfully requests the Synod
of the Diocese of Grahamstown and the Synod of the Diocese of Free State to
a. Affirm the
principle of multiplication of the Diocese of Grahamstown and the Diocese of
Free State.
b. Endorse the
establishment of the Missionary Diocese.
c. Respectfully
request The Diocesan Bishop to seek the approval of the Synod of Bishops of the
Anglican Church of Southern Africa for the establishment of the Missionary
Diocese.
d. Mandate the Bishops
of the two Dioceses to take the necessary steps for this purpose.
4. This Imbizo further respectfully requests the Bishops to
convene a further consultation by no later than February 2008 to assess
progress and to consider the further steps that may be necessary to take the
process of establishing the Missionary Diocese forward.
Proposed : Archdeacon Chris Kokoali
Seconded : Canons of Grahamstown and
SYNOD NOTICE
OF APPRECIATION: BY THE REVD CANON S PETERSON
First of all, we offer our thanks
and appreciation to Bishop Thabo, for his presence among us in this diocese, along
with Lungi and Nyakallo and Paballo, for their presence among us and for the
love and support which they give to him;
to Bishop
Thabo for his clear but gentle leading of this synod and for his vision which
brought forth the proposal which we have addressed and passed today
to our special
visitors to this synod:
Canon Mcebisi
Xundu, president of the Eastern Cape Province Council
of Churches, who was with us earlier today at our opening worship;
to Dean Don Narraway, Dean of the
to our
diocesan staff, Zoleka, Esmé,
and Feziwe for the hard work of preparing for synod.
to Canon James
Hoyle, Diocesan Administrator, for his preparations for synod and his dogging
of many of us to get our paperwork in; and also to Mrs Louise Hoyle, for her
assistance earlier this week in the preparation and collating of the synod
papers.
to Ms Nobuntu Mageza, Bishop Thabo’s new secretary, who started work two days ago. We
thank her for her presence here in what must have seemed to be a real “baptism
by fire”
to Canon Peter
Mtuze for his translations which enabled all to take
part fully in our deliberations
to the Burton
Commission - chaired by Canon Noreen Burton, and its other members, the Revd
Ruth Brandt of our Diocese and Dean Don Narraway and
Canon Michael Keep, from the Diocese of the
to Advocate
Richard Brooks, our Chancellor, and Chairman of the committee of Synod, for his
contributions today and the many contributions behind the scenes,
to the
Secretaries:
Synod Minute Secretaries Mr Tony
Schnell and Ms Nobuntu Mageza;
Clerical Secretaries, Ven Reg Morgan and Ms Simanga Phila; and Lay Secretaries Prof Geoff Antrobus and Ms Siphokazi Njokweni
to the Minutes
scrutineers, the Ven Colin
Leslie, Mrs K Somhlahlo, and Prof Michael Whisson for a job yet to be done,
to Susan
Abraham of
to those giving special
presentations: Canon Noreen Burton, Canon Jesse Sage, the Revd Ruth Brandt,
assisted by the Revd Noelene Arends;
and Mr Zolile Ntali,
assisted by the Revd Themba Mdedelwa
to Canon Bill
Domeris and his team from St Alban’s for a wonderful opening service and for
all those who took part in the service
to the Choir and servers from St
John and St Chad for the wonderful music in the service to St Alban’s for the
wonderful facilities and for our lunch today to the women of St Michael’s
Nahoon for the teas
to the hosts
and parishes of
to Canon Louis
and last, but
by no means least, for all the delegates for making this synod a place of
worship, work, community and even laughter.