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THE METHODIST CHURCH BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT
DISTRICT POLICY COMMITTEE
Minutes of District Policy Committee held on Wednesday 13th July 2005
at Somers Park Avenue Methodist Church, Malvern in the Malvern and Ledbury Circuit.
Present: Revd Bill Anderson (Chair) Mark Aldridge (Secretary), 8 members of the District Policy Committee and two attendees.
1 Opening Devotions were led by Revd Bill Anderson.
2 Apologies
2.1 Apologies were received from 9 members.
2.2 The Chair reported the death of Paul Donnison’s mother on Saturday 9th July 2005. The Secretary was asked to send a letter of condolence. ACTION: Mark Aldridge
3 Minutes Subject to the correction of the date in minute 4.7 should be 28th March and not 28th April, the minutes of the meeting held on 16th March 2005 were approved and signed.
4 Matters Arising
4.1 Trustees Responsibilities No progress to report.
4.2 District Web Site
4.2.1 Reported that an initial meeting had been held attended by Rev Anthony McCelland, Dave Pinwell, Mark Aldridge and John Nodding. Anthony McCelland was to work on the database access facilities (eg Churches, officers etc). Mark Aldridge and John Nodding were to be trained in the use of the software to be used to update the notices and associated static web pages. ACTION: Mark Aldridge/John Nodding
4.2.2 Noted that additional people will be trained to update web pages.
4.2.3 Reported that the web site address would be www.bhammeth.org.uk and that it would be possible to have a number of email addresses of the form name@bhammeth.org.uk
4.3 Memorial to conference relating to SO 922 Reported that this memorial, that had been approved by Synod, had been rejected by Conference. The results of other memorials would be reported to Synod. ACTION: John Nodding
4.4 Year of Prayer
4.4.1 Tabled a District Year of Prayer rota covering 26th August to 9th September, a document “Ideas for 24/7 Prayer” prepared by Rev Julie Hulme and a copy of the Pray without Ceasing resources order form. These documents had been circulated to all Circuits.
4.4.2 Noted that the Hereford and Ross Circuit would also be covering Wednesday 31st August, 8am to 8am.
4.4.3 Noted that all 22 Circuits are taking part but that there was one 12 hour period still to cover - from Saturday 27th August at 8pm until Sunday 28th August at 8am.
4.4.4 Agreed that the Secretary should write to Rev Paul Donnison expressing grateful thanks for the excellent results of his work in organizing the rota for the District fortnight of prayer.
ACTION: Mark Aldridge
4.5 Church in Rural Life Officer
4.5.1 Reported that the Connexional Grants Committee had granted £8000 a year for three years. A formal application for a Deacon to fill this post was submitted to the Deaconal Order. Deacon Lynne Sylvester-Tonge had been stationed in this post. This post would be launched at Synod in September 2005.
4.5.2 Noted that the District was committed to providing a management/support group for this post. ACTION: Chair
4.5.3 Noted that the Chair would be meeting with Lynne over the summer to discuss this new work. ACTION: Chair
4.6 The People of God in Herefordshire
4.6.1 Reported that progress would continue once the new Superintendents of the Leominster and Hereford and Ross Circuits were settled in their new posts.
4.6.2 Noted that a plan needed to be in place before the 2006/7 stationing round.
4.7 United College of Ascension
4.7.1 Reported that it had been formally agreed that the college would close on 31st July 2006 and would become part of the Queens Foundation called the “Selly Oak Centre for Mission Studies”. There were plans to extend the Queen’s library and teaching accommodation.
4.8 Visit of President and vice President 2005/6
4.8.1 Noted that the dates of the visit were 24 to 29th November 2005
4.8.2 Reported that the Black Country Churches Engaged event would be held at Blackheath on 26th November 2005.
5. District Review
5.1 Reported that questions had been sent out to Circuits for consideration in the autumn.
5.2 Noted that similar questions would be sent to District groups and committees.
5.3 Noted that all responses would be reviewed by a small group in December/January that would result in a paper that could be considered by Circuit meetings in February/March 2006 with the outcomes then taken to District Policy Committee in March and Synod in April 2006. ACTION: Chair
6. Financial Matters
6.1 Review of Assessment Formula Reported that that Peter Mills would summarise the replies received and call a meeting of the group. ACTION:Peter Mills
6.2 District Office Computer
6.2.1 Reported that the District Office Computer was in urgent need to replacement and that the Executive had applied to the Grants Committee for a grant of £1000 for a replacement and broadband installation.
6.2.2 Noted that there was a view within the Grants Committee that this was not a suitable use of the District Advance Fund.
6.2.3 Noted that from 2006/7 budget, the Executive would be recommending an annual provision for District Office Equipment replacement.
6.2.4 Agreed that an interest free loan of £1000 be made from the District Advance Fund to be repaid in three annual instalments starting in 2005/6 if there were contingency funds available otherwise in 2006/7.
6.3 Expenses for attendance at Circuit Stewards Meetings
6.3.1 Agreed that the travel expenses of Circuit Stewards for the District Circuit Stewards Meeting should be paid by the District from September 2006 and that a suitable amount should be included in the 2006/7 budget.
6.3.2 Noted that there should be ONE claim per circuit and that arrangements had been agreed with the Convenor of the Circuit Stewards Meeting for administering this scheme.
ACTION: Mark Aldridge/Heather Trenaman
6.3.3 Agreed that Circuit Stewards should be encouraged to share travel and limit the number of cars to one from each circuit where this was possible. ACTION: Heather Trenaman
7. Vacancies
7.1 Deputy Chair
7.1.1 Noted that Rev John Hellyer had indicated that he wished to relinquish this post in August 2005. The Chair spoke of his appreciation of John as Deputy Chair.
7.1.2 The Chair reported that after some reflection and consultation, he had come to the conclusion to that a Deputy Chair was needed for the following reasons:-
The Chair may at any time be unable to perform his duties
The Chair values having people to work with and someone to talk with especially on stationing matters
The Chair cannot be in two places at once and people recognise the title of Deputy Chair
The need for a better gender balance in the District Officers
7.1.3 Agreed to recommend to Synod that Rev Anne Smith be the Deputy Chair from September 2005. ACTION: Mark Aldridge
7.1.4 Noted that this would generate a vacancy of one representative of the Superintendents on the District Policy Committee. Agreed that the autumn Superintendents meeting should be asked to review their representation on the District Policy Committee.
ACTION: Chair
7.2 Complaint’s Officer
Reported that the District was still looking for a female complaints officer to replace Rev Ros Murphy. Chair would be consulting David Cule, the convenor of the Complaints Panel.
ACTION: Chair
7.3 Other Vacancies
Reported that many of the District Resource Person type posts were vacant but that the need for such posts was part of the District Review.
8 Fresh Expressions
8.1 Attention was drawn to this joint project between the Church of England and the Methodist Church to seek to establish many different fresh expressions of church life in the next decade to carry the gospel to every part of society. (see www.freshexpressions.org.uk) Rev Peter Pillenger had recently been appointed as the Methodist on the team.
8.2 Noted that the District Evangelism Enabler had been asked to make a presentation at the next District Policy Committee meeting on how Fresh Expressions could be encouraged in the District. ACTION: Jan Nendick
9. Lay Employment
9.1 Received the Lay Employment Secretary’s report to July 2005.
9.2 Reported that the Chair and Secretary had a useful meeting with David Mills that had resulted in a better understanding of the role of the District Lay Employment Secretary and documentation of the duties of the post.
David Mills had agreed to continue until a replacement was found to initially work alongside him and that the Chair and Secretary had made a commitment to find a replacement during the next twelve months. ACTION: Chair/Mark Aldridge
9.3 The Secretary was asked to produce a job description and skills requirement for circulation.
ACTION: Mark Aldridge
10 Ecumenical Committee No report
11 Grants Committee
11.1 Birmingham University
11.1.1 Reported that the Birmingham South-West Circuit made an application for funding to support the Methodist Chaplain at Birmingham University for the period 2005 to 2009. The Connexion has responded to this application with a grant for 2005/6 of £10,000 compared with the £16,000 in the application together with the statement “A one year grant is offered at this point pending further discussion between the Circuit, District and Rev Robert Jones on future policy for this and other Chaplaincies”.
11.1.2 Agreed that a grant £6000 should be made from the District Advance Fund to cover the shortfall in 2005/6. ACTION: Ray Lunt
11.1.3 Noted that the Chair had recently met with the other Methodist District Chairs and leaders of the Baptist and URC churches in the West Midlands to talk about Higher Education Chaplaincy and that a report of this meeting was in preparation.
11.2 Aston University
Reported that Rev David Dean, the Free Church Chaplain at Aston University had resigned with effect from 31st July 2005. With the support of Rev Robert Jones, the Methodist Church's co-ordinator of Higher Education Chaplaincy, the DPCE had agreed to make a statement, on behalf of the Methodist Church, that the Birmingham District have no plans to provide a Methodist presbyter with stipend support for the Free Church Chaplaincy post at Aston University and would wish to support an application by the Aston University Free Church Chaplaincy Management Committee for United Reform Church Special Category Ministry support for this post. ACTION: Mark Aldridge
11.3 Higher Education Chaplaincy Review Group
Reported that the first meeting of the HE Chaplaincy Review group had been arranged for Wednesday 20th July and that a meeting had been arranged with Rev Robert Jones, Methodist Church's co-ordinator of Higher Education Chaplaincy, on 3rd August.
ACTION: Mark Aldridge/Ray Lunt
11.4 Grants Committee Received that minutes of the Grants Committee meeting of 13th April 2005.
11.5 Deadline for Grant Applications. Noted that the deadline for grant applications had been brought forward from 31st December to 30th November.
12. Property Committee Noted the excellent work that had been done by Chris Osborne whilst Rev Ian Yates had been on sabbatical.
13. Circulation of DPC Minutes
In response to a request from a number of Superintendents, agreed that the minutes of the District Policy Committee should be circulated to all Superintendents and to each Senior Circuit Steward. ACTION: Mark Aldridge
14 Birmingham Elmdon Circuit Agreed that the closure of Stechford Methodist Church be recommended to Synod. ACTION: Mark Aldridge
15 Leamington Spa Circuit
15.1 Received, in accordance with SO 545 (4)(b), a document relating to the extension of the part time appointment of Rev Rachel Burgess.
15.2 Agreed to endorse the extension proposal that included an exciting use of resources for Training and Development.
15.3 Noted that the balance of work between the two main items of the job description would need to be carefully monitored.
15.4 Noted that some other circuits had identified lay people who could assist in the Training and Development role and the Leamington Spa Circuit were encouraged to identify lay people who could be designated to work alongside Rachel in this role.
15.5 Agreed that the Circuit be asked to report back in 12 months time so that this proposal might be given as a model to other circuits. ACTION: Mark Aldridge
16 Chair’s visit to India Noted that the Chair would be visiting India from 23rd July to 9th August 2005. He would represent British Methodist Church at a Mission Conference, theme "Uniting in Christ's Mission", being held at Greater Noida, Utter Pradesh.
He will be travelling with Rev Robert Russell and his wife Claire from the Methodist Church in Ireland.
17 Alison Facey and Chris Esdale
17.1 Noted that the District had some obligation to provide support for Alison and Chris.
17.2 Reported that a number of members in the Birmingham Sutton Park Circuit were in email contact with Alison and Chris. The email address would be made available.
ACTION: John Ingyon
18 Colin Rice would be retiring from the District Policy Committee in August 2005. Colin was warmly thanked for his valuable and perceptive contributions.
19 Next Meeting Wednesday 9th November 2005. Location to be arranged.
ACTION: Mark Aldridge
20 Dates of meetings for 2005/6
All meetings are at 7pm (with a cup of tea/coffee from 6:30pm)
Thursday 19th January 2006
Wednesday 22nd March 2006
Wednesday 12th July 2006
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