SO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A DEANERY LAY CHAIR?

SO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A DEANERY LAY CHAIR? Some reflections provided by Cameron Watt, a former Deanery and Lincoln Diocesan Lay Chair, and updated by Nigel Bacon, the current Lincoln Diocesan Lay Chair. Diocese of Lincoln Edward King House Minster Yard Lincoln LN2 1PU Published May 2017

So, what comes first? Well, it may sound silly, but the first thing is to be elected or rather to stand to be elected. This requires a degree of courage to stand up in front of your peers and ask for their support to be in a position to lead them. Often you will have arrived at this position by being persuaded that you have the gifts and talent to take on the role. Don t dismiss this God calls us in many ways and sometimes we don t want to hear what he wants us to do! Once elected, a major challenge can be filling the role that someone else has created. Your predecessor will have left a legacy in terms of style, energy and leadership that you have to live with and mould to your vision of being a Deanery Lay Chair. A key trait of being a leader is being able to challenge and this is where you need to start just because something has always been done that way or someone always does something does not mean that you have to! You may even find yourself in the situation that there has been no one undertaking the Lay Chair role for a while and you have to make it all up for yourself very scary, but very empowering. Leadership or Management? Not such a silly question as it seems (nor is this an essay in management speak), but it defines how you see your role. Some people are born to be managers (good at organising and ensuring things get done); some are born to be leaders (good at identifying opportunities for improvement, inspiring others and transforming things for the better). Most of us are born somewhere in the middle, with a variety of skills and abilities.

The Church of England is, by its nature, a deferential and hierarchical organisation. So you will be seen with a degree of awe and wonder by others as you hold a post to which many would never aspire. In truth, most will never understand what you do. This can work to your advantage, for actually a Deanery Lay Chair holds very few real powers. Mostly you will achieve things by influencing others as you cannot order anyone to do anything! Sort out your working relationships One of the keys to the role is to understand who you interact with when (and hopefully why). Key people are (in no particular order) your Rural Dean, Deanery Secretary, and Deanery Treasurer, along with your Archdeacon, and the diocese s Bishops. It is also really useful to know the various diocesan officers at Edward King House. Do make a visit there to meet them soon after your election; David Mason (david.mason@lincoln.anglican.org), the Assistant Diocesan Secretary, can help with the arrangements. Working out who does what will make the role far easier and more efficient. Try not to do everything yourself as you will probably quickly find that activity overtakes outcomes and less leadership gets done. In all of this, keep foremost in your mind the synod members who elected you.

The formal bits A really useful booklet entitled Rules for Deanery Synods can be downloaded from the diocesan website at http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/about-us/governance-andsynod/. This includes the formal aspects of your role. In summary, you are: elected for a period of three years (unless you are filling a casual vacancy) joint chair, with the Rural Dean, of the Deanery Synod a member of the Deanery Pastoral Committee a member of the Deanery Synod Standing Committee. In addition to these, you will also be a member of the Archidiaconal Pastoral Committee attend the diocese s Deanery Lay Chairs meetings (normally 3 per year and organised by the Diocesan Synod s House of Laity Chair) have the opportunity to participate in events organised by the National Deaneries Network. The informal bits It is a good idea to meet regularly with your Rural Dean as it is important that the two of you work in partnership. From time to time you may be asked to participate on a working group or special committee, or to lead a specific initiative on behalf of your deanery. Beyond that, it is really up to you to get

involved in whatever way you feel called. Here are some ideas other deanery lay chairs have suggested. Visiting all of the benefices, parishes or PCCs as often as practicable to offer support and help (also to know what is really going on!). Helping during clergy vacancies to be a focus. Guiding benefices through the process of appointment of new clergy (or that they won t get new clergy). Meeting with the partners of the clergy to offer them support. Offering support to those going through training, and attending their licencing / induction. Dealing with the complaints and grumbles that surface (and trying to find the hidden ones before they fester). And anything else that crops up and there is no-one else to deal with it. Is that all? There are many people who will be only too pleased to help and advise you. Draw on the support of the Diocesan Synod Lay Chair, Nigel Bacon, as well as your fellow Deanery Lay Chairs. Some of the best help comes from talking and mentoring one another. Do not underestimate the experience out there, nor the warmth of friendship and fellowship. Being a Lay Chair can, on occasion, be frustrating and time consuming, and it is certainly not a job filled with praise or glory. God calls us all to serve Him, though sometimes we might wish He would call someone other than us. Always remember your family and friends and never forget your commitment is to God, rather than the structure of the church.

The role does offer the opportunity to have a really positive impact on the mission of the church in the deanery. Knowing that God is working through you to advance His Kingdom is a great reward, and makes it all worthwhile.

GUIDELINES FOR LAY CHAIRS OF DEANERY SYNODS Lay chairs are officers of the deanery synod, elected on a triennial cycle by the house of laity of the deanery synod from among its members. They are representatives of, and key spokespersons for, the laity of the deanery. With the rural dean, who is appointed by the Bishop, they lead the synodical life of the deanery and need to be aware of the issues that are foremost on the minds of the people of each parish. The functions of deanery synods re defined in the Synodical Government Measure 1969 (see Appendix for an extract). The rules setting out the procedures deanery synods must follow are defined by each diocese in accordance with the regulations in Part III of the Church Representation Rules (https://www.churchofengland.org/aboutus/structure/churchlawlegis/church-representationrules/church-representation-rules-online.aspx). The Diocese of Lincoln Rules for Deanery Synods can be viewed at http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/about-us/governance-andsynod/. The following are guidelines to assist lay chairs. They are, though, only guidelines, and it is the Diocese of Lincoln Rules for Deanery Synods that are to be considered definitive.

Statutory duties In accordance with the standing orders laid down by diocesan synod, the lay chair and rural dean jointly chair meetings of the deanery synod. In the absence of either, the other takes the chair. In practice this means that they should work together to determine how the responsibilities are shared out. It is probably best if one or other is given the responsibility for management and chairing of the whole business of a meeting rather than the chair changing during the meeting depending upon the subject matters. They should also ensure that, over a period of time, they chair synod meetings on a roughly equal number of occasions. At deanery level, laity and clergy are jointly responsible for all matters: pastoral, liturgical and financial. The particular skills of the individuals, rather than any office they hold, should determine who presents individual items. Similarly, the rural dean and lay chair jointly chair meetings of the deanery standing committee, the deanery pastoral committee and any sub-committees established by deanery synod. (Note that the deanery synod may resolve that the deanery standing committee also serves as the deanery pastoral committee). The lay chair convenes and takes the chair of any meeting of the house of laity of the deanery synod.

The lay chair acts as the independent returning officer in synodical elections held by the deanery s house of clergy, and for ensuring the associated rules and regulations are followed. (Advice in this connection is available from the Deputy Diocesan Secretary and the Registrar). When considering the suspension (or renewal of) suspension of the right of presentation to a living within the deanery, the bishop will consult, and seek the personal view of, the lay chair. The lay chair will also be consulted, and his/her personal view sought, when matters of pastoral reorganisation and the future of parish church buildings etc. are being formally considered. Other duties and responsibilities The lay chair should be invited to all services of institution of incumbents and of licensing of priests-incharge held in the deanery, representing the lay members of the parishes of the deanery, and may be asked to offer a public welcome to the incoming parish priest on behalf of the deanery during the service or at a reception afterwards. The lay chair shall attend where possible any special events and services held within the deanery as and when

invited. If unable to do so, a fellow lay person should be appointed as a deputy for the event. The lay chair may be asked to advise the diocesan Bishop in connection with the appointment of a new rural dean. As far as possible, the lay chair should participate in any periodic consultations held by diocesan officers with lay representatives of the deanery synod. The lay chair, as a member of the deanery synod standing committee, shall ensure that the deanery synod (and, where applicable, all parishes in the deanery) consider issues formally passed from General Synod or Diocesan Synod for consideration within the required time limits. The lay chair and rural dean should meet regularly together - typically every two months. Such a meeting might be expected to include prayer, exchange of information, consideration of the life of the deanery and the monitoring of prior agreed objectives. The lay chair should provide support to the rural dean in his/her role as rural dean and encouragement in his/her parochial and/or other responsibilities. The lay chair should ensure that s/he understands diocesan policies so that s/he can explain them within the deanery.

The lay chair should also understand the range of services that are available from the diocesan team, and who the key contacts are, so that s/he can advise parishes requiring support. Through the deanery standing committee, the lay chair and rural dean will help to formulate deanery policy proposals and implementation plans for approval by the deanery synod, and will: assess their effectiveness prepare deanery synod agendas prepare deanery budgets. The lay chair should endeavour to make the deanery synod a dynamic body which creatively undertakes the full range of its functions (see appendix). The lay chair and the rural dean should ensure that the parishes of the deanery are addressing the development of deanery operation and that the deanery is forward looking in its approach to the needs and mission of the deanery and its parishes. The lay chair should try to visit occasionally all parishes within the deanery for worship. S/he may, sometimes with the rural dean, visit meetings of PCCs in the deanery with the prior agreement of PCCs and incumbents to hear about local problems and successes. The lay chair should attend any meetings convened by the Bishop for lay chairs, as well as the periodic

meetings convened by the Diocesan Synod s Chair of the House of Laity. The lay chair shall encourage parishes to pay their parish share promptly and in full. The lay chair shall encourage potential lay leaders of the future to offer service in the parishes of the deanery and beyond. The lay chair shall manage the handover of the office of lay chair, so that a successor is aware of the deanery s aims, contacts, issues and past actions. Further considerations The lay chair may on occasions receive privileged information, as do rural deans, and must treat this in an appropriate manner when taking action based upon it. With the rural dean, the lay chair should consider regularly whether an occasional act of worship and an occasional social function held within the deanery would help to foster better understanding between representatives of parishes and a greater collaborative and supportive working.

Support Support and advise is available from the Diocesan Synod s Chair of the House of Laity, the Deputy Diocesan Secretary and the Assistant Diocesan Secretary. Expenses The expenses of office incurred in respect of internal deanery business should be reimbursed from deanery synod funds by the deanery treasurer. Other expenses, e.g. for attending diocesan meetings etc., should be reimbursed by the appropriate department at Diocesan Church House.

APPENDIX Extract from the Synodical Government Measure 1969 The functions of a Deanery Synod 5.- (3) The functions of a deanery synod shall be: to consider matters concerning the Church of England and to make provision for such matters in relation to their deanery, and to consider and express their opinion on any other matters of religious or public interest; to bring together the views of the parishes of the deanery on common problems, to discuss and formulate common policies on those problems, to foster a sense of community and interdependence among those parishes, and generally to promote in the deanery the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical; to make known, and as far as appropriate, put into effect, any provision made by the diocesan synod; to consider the business of the diocesan synod, and particularly any matters referred to that synod by the General Synod, and to sound parochial opinion whenever they are required or consider it appropriate to do so;

to raise such matters as the deanery synod consider appropriate with the diocesan synod: Provided that the functions referred to in paragraph (a) hereof shall not include the issue of any statement purporting to declare the doctrine of the Church on any question.