Mid Derbyshire Methodist Circuit Agenda for the Circuit Meeting to be held on Thursday 9 th June 2016, 7.30pm at Waingroves Methodist Church, Waingroves Road, Waingroves, Ripley, DE5 9TB Agenda Item 1. Welcome 2. Opening Worship 3. Constitution, attendance, apologies and Letters of Greeting 4. Minutes of the last meeting (9 th March 2016) a. Approval of minutes b. Matters arising 5. Circuit operations (written reports / decisions): a. Annual Charity Commission Report for 2014/15 (draft circulated with this agenda) Names of trustees and advisers will be added to the report before it is submitted. b. Circuit Officers (SI, p1) c. Staffing i. Authorisation to Serve as a Methodist Minister Rev. Marian Taylor (SI, p1) ii. Ministry at Wellspring Church, Wirksworth update iii. Re-invitation process for Rev. Phil Taylor for September 2017 (SI, p2) iv. Appointment of a successor for Rev. Dick Styles from September 2017 (SI, p2) d. Finances i. Report from the Meeting for Church Treasurers on 25 th April ii. Any other Circuit financial information e. Property i. Winster Update ii. Mansfield Road Property Schemes (SI, p2) iii. Wellspring Church, Wirksworth Sharing Agreement for Baptist Properties (SI, p3) iv. Any other Circuit property matters 6. Circuit Policy Implementation (a conversation) 7. Safeguarding 8. Local Church matters Any matters, preferably notified in advance, which the churches wish to bring 9. Any other business please let the Superintendent know about any items before the meeting. 10. Dates of forthcoming Circuit Meetings all at 7.30pm: a. 2016: Monday 12 th September (Mansfield Road Methodist Church) and Tuesday 29 th November b. 2017: Wednesday 8 th March, Thursday 8 th June and Monday 11 th September 11. Dates of forthcoming Circuit Events: up-to-date information will be shared the meeting 12. Close The Grace Where agenda items are marked with (SI, px), this relates to the page number(s) in the Supporting Information.
Supporting Information for the Mid Derbyshire Methodist Circuit Meeting to be held on Thursday 9 th June 2016, 7.30pm at Waingroves Methodist Church, Waingroves Road, Waingroves, Ripley, DE5 9TB Agenda item 5b. Circuit Officers For some time now, the Circuit Leadership Team has been looking to the future by thinking about who might join the team of Circuit Stewards in anticipation of members of the existing team of Circuit Stewards stepping down. In addition, it is felt that there is a need for an additional Circuit Steward who will relate to the Belper Community Mission Area and perhaps to the Ripley Community Mission Area. A job description for Circuit Stewards was drafted out some time ago and conversations have been had with a number of people about becoming Circuit Stewards. As a result of these conversations, the Circuit Leadership Team has still not found anybody willing and able to become a Circuit Steward who will relate to the Belper Community Mission Area and perhaps to the Ripley Community Mission Area. However, Dave Shirtcliffe is willing to become a Circuit Steward and, as he lives in Ilkestion and is part of Ilkeston Methodist Church, it is suggested that Dave joins the team of Circuit Stewards effect from 1 st September 2016, with a focus in the Ilkeston Community Mission Area. It is also suggested that, if appointed, Dave should be invited to attend any meetings that he is able to attend before September, in order to begin to familiarise with the role. The Circuit Meeting needs to decide whether to appoint Dave Shirtcliffe as a Circuit Steward with effect from 1 st September 2016. Agenda item 5c. Staffing i. Authorisation to Serve as a Methodist Minister Rev. Marian Taylor For Information Marian Taylor was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England on 7 th July 1991 and as a priest on 7 th July 1996. Marian stopped working as a vicar in October 2009 and her ministry has been exercised through her work in schools as a Special Needs Teaching Assistant. Over several months, Marian has felt prompted by God, speaking through other people, to begin to explore returning to ordained ministry in the life of the Church. Through her training, experience and marriage to Philip, a Methodist presbyter, Marian has substantial understanding of Methodist ministry; Marian has spoken to Rev. Loraine Mellor (District Chair) Rev. Robert Foster (Superintendent) and Bishop Alistair Redfern (Derby Diocese), all of whom have supported Marian in exploring whether God is calling her to offer her gifts and experience within the Methodist Church. Marian has already begun to be involved in the life of Belper Methodist Church and Ambergate Methodist Church as this journey of discovery begins, so it seems appropriate, at this time, for Marian to apply to be Authorised to Serve as a Methodist Minister. The application for Marian to be Authorised to Serve as a Methodist Minister had to be agreed either by the Circuit leadership Team or the Circuit Meeting, so the Circuit Leadership Team agreed to it in order that the application would not be delayed. A letter was subsequently received from the President of Conference, dated 29th April 2016, formally granting Marian the status of a Person Authorised to Serve the British Methodist Conference as a Presbyter in the Mid Derbyshire circuit (22/14). Marian is therefore now both a non-stipendiary member of the Circuit staff team and a member of the Circuit Meeting. - 1 -
iii. Re-invitation process for Rev. Phil Taylor for September 2017 For Information Phil s current period of invitation to ministry in the Mid Derbyshire Circuit runs to August 2017. Phil and Marian attended a District meeting to find out about the stationing process, as this tends to change slightly every year. Andrew Whysall (Circuit Staffing Group convenor) and Rev. Robert Foster (Superintendent Minister) also attended. Phil and Marian now need to consider the future, as Phil needs to decide whether or not to ask the Circuit Invitation Committee (which was appointed at our March meeting) to explore the possibility of a re-invitation to the Circuit for a further period of between one and five years. If Phil would like an extension, then the Circuit Invitation Committee will embark upon the process of consulting the churches in the Belper Mission Area (of which Phil is the minister) about Phil s ministry in order to be able to bring a recommendation to the Circuit Meting in September. If such a consultation takes place, it will follow the Code of Practice for all involved in the Invitation and Stationing Process 2017 and it will be explained to the church stewards exactly how things must be done. It is very important for the process to be carried out as requested. Should Phil not wish to ask for an extension of his time in the Mid Derbyshire Circuit, then the process outlined for Dick s appointment below will need to be followed. iv. Appointment of a successor for Rev. Dick Styles from September 2017 For Information Rev. Dick Styles is due to retire at the end of August 2017, so the Circuit Invitation Committee needs to follow the Code of Practice for all involved in the Invitation and Stationing Process 2017 in considering the shape of the new appointment. The committee met on 25 th May to begin to look at the appointment with a view to drawing up a profile for the role from September 2017. In drawing up the profile, the Circuit Invitation Committee will need to bear in mind the development of church life and mission during Dick s appointment and the Circuit Policy agreed at the December 2015 Circuit Meeting, as well as considering the manse that will be offered. Agenda item 5e. Property ii. Mansfield Road Property Schemes Mansfield Road needs the Circuit Meeting s approval of three property schemes that it intends to undertake, all to be funded from monies held by TMCP on behalf of the church: - 2-1) To repair the roof to an existing externally accessed outbuilding that is attached to the external wall of the church, renewing rotten roof timber and sealing and weatherproofing the join between the roof and the external wall of the church. Estimated cost 2,000. 2) To bring the schoolroom kitchen up to an acceptable standard by replacing a rotten kitchen window, bringing the kitchen up to current hygiene standards, replacing shelving, redecorating and improving wiring. Estimated cost 3,900. 3) Addressing all of the outstanding repair and maintenance issues identified in the last quinquennial survey through work to brickwork, electrics, painting and woodwork. Estimated cost 7,200. The reason for doing the work is that, in order to share the love of Christ with the community, the church feels that it needs to provide outreach activities that will appeal to people in the locality and that a building that appears run down and unloved will not help in attracting people into the premises. There is already a playgroup meeting in church and this is something that it is hoped to be able to build upon when the premises are in a suitable condition. In addition, it is hoped that supporting the work of St Andrews Langley Mill food bank and providing a "super kitchen" to meet the needs of the local community would demonstrate the love and life of Christ in Christian action.
The Circuit Meeting, bearing in mind that Mansfield Road Methodist Church feels that work will aid it in its future mission, needs to decide whether it is in favour of the work being done. ii. Wellspring Church, Wirksworth Sharing Agreement for Baptist Properties In a letter to Rev. Robert Foster on 29 th April 2016, David Phillips of TMCP Legal wrote: I attach herewith an e-mail dated 10 March 2016 and draft Sharing Agreement received from Jenny Smith of Anthony Collins, the Solicitor who is acting for East Midlands Baptist Trust Company and Wirksworth & Bonsall Baptist Church. You will see the reasons given by Jenny Smith as to why the Baptists wish to enter into such a Sharing Agreement. It is for the Methodist Church Council to decide whether or not they are willing to do so. The Methodist Church Council will need to consider whether or not there is any prospect of either property being required for occupation by a minister or lay worker of either Church, and whether or not they are suitable for such use. If not, then the only reason for proceeding with a Sharing Agreement would be to deal with rental income etc. The question then has to be asked as to whether a Sharing Agreement under the 1969 Act is actually needed to enable that to happen, or whether a simpler form of Agreement or Memorandum between EMBTC and the LEP Trustees would suffice. If the Methodist Church Council takes the view that a Sharing Agreement is the way forward, then the usual consents required (Circuit, CEO, and District) for the making of a Sharing Agreement would need to be obtained. If a Sharing Agreement is to proceed then, on behalf of the Connexional Team and acting in accordance with SO 931(3), I suggest that the LEP Trustees should be joined in as a party, and Clause 4.4 amended so that no body of Methodist Managing Trustees becomes liable for any costs or other matters under the Agreement, all of which should become the responsibility of the LEP Trustees. If the Methodist Church Council decides to take forward a Sharing Agreement then please let me know, and I will provide further guidance on the process for so doing. Jenny Smith s email of 10 th March 2016 said: The basis upon which the properties, or the income from the properties, will be used is set out in clause 7. In particular, you will see that our instructions are that the parties wish to have arrangements in place which will:- i. enable the Two Churches/LEP to use either or both of the properties for ministers or lay workers; and ii. set out how any rental income will be applied this is intended to facilitate good governance, administration and accounting/book-keeping. At a meeting on 19 th May, the Methodist Church Council, which still has to be constituted to consider matters such as this, met to consider the draft Sharing Agreement. The Church Council felt that there is some future prospect of at least one of the properties being required for occupation by a minister or lay - 3 -
worker of either Church, as it is understood that it is possible for a Methodist minister working in a Local Ecumenical Partnership to live in a manse which does not meet the Connexional standards in terms of the number of bedrooms, etc. The Sharing Agreement is also needed to deal with rental income etc. The Church Council voted on the following proposal and was unanimously in favour: Wirksworth Methodist Church Council is willing to proceed with the draft Sharing Agreement on Wirksworth Baptist Church Properties as previously circulated. The Circuit Meeting, bearing in mind that Wellspring Church feels that this Sharing Agreement will aid it in its future mission, needs to decide whether it is also in favour of the Sharing Agreement being put in place. - 4 -