Committees/Structures

• to take urgent action as necessary between meetings of Synod or its committees;
• to make arrangements for meetings of Synod, developing detailed agendas;
• to manage the process for Synod appointments, both paid and unpaid;
• to manage office arrangements and administration work - including establishment numbers within budget - for the Moderator and the Training Team, and for liaison between Synod and the local churches;
• to manage staff relations within employment legislation, including setting office staff salaries;
• to monitor performance against the Administration Fund Budget;
• in every case asking what the ecumenical implications are.

The Synod Officers is comprised of three role-holders, the Synod Moderator, the Synod Clerk and the Synod Treasurer with the Chair, United Reformed Church (Eastern Province) Trust in attendance. You can find out more about them here.

• to meet after each Synod meeting, and for an extended period once per year;
• to develop proposals for Synod strategy, for approval by Synod;
• monitor that responsibility for actions that support Synod-approved policy or that respond to General Assembly assignments, is allocated comprehensively and appropriately;
• in every case asking what the ecumenical implications are.

Membership: Synod Moderator, Synod Clerk, Synod Treasurer, Convenor, Mission and Discipleship Committee, Convenor, Pastoral Committee

In attendance: Chair of the Trust

Charity Number: 248796 - Company Number: 101685

The Charity is Limited by Guarantee and is registered at Companies House within the legal jurisdiction of England and Wales.

The Trust companies act as Corporate Trustees for property and investments on behalf of the Synod and those local churches who have appointed one of the four Trust Companies so to act.

Previously known as The Essex Incorporated Congregational Union.

Registered Office: Eastern Synod Office United Reformed Church 36 Duxford Road, Whittlesford, Cambridge, CB22 4ND.

The Chair of the Trust is Mr Andrew East.

There are six other members, also in attendance are the Synod Moderator, Synod Clerk, Finance officer, Property officer, Resources Assistant (Secretary)and the Safeguarding admin and Minute-taker.

• there will be four meetings a year.
• to create task groups, with well-defined parameters, to deal with specific issues, as required.
• to sustain, develop and deploy the financial and property resources of the Synod in accordance with the Synod's Finance and Property Policies and under the general oversight of the Trust Directors, in a way which best furthers the advancement of Christian worship and witness in this and future generations (bearing in mind the ecumenical context and implications of URC actions);
• to manage pursuant to any delegated authority from the Synod Trust Company the financial affairs of the Synod, setting budgets and reporting thereon for the approval of the Synod Trust.
• to give or withhold approval on behalf of the Synod under the terms of URC Acts (that is, for all acquisitions, disposals, leases, rentals and major alterations to property);
• to advise the Trust Directors about financial and investment issues, contributions in Inter-Synod Resource Sharing, setting budgets and producing financial statements;
• to ensure that accurate current information about available grants and loans, the criteria applying to each type and the relevant application process is accessible to constituent churches;
• to make decisions about applications from local churches for Synod grants and loans within the constraints laid down in the Finance Policy and subject to budgetary provision;
• to oversee the system for setting and monitoring constituent churches' contributions to the Assembly Ministry and Mission Fund;
• to oversee the proper implementation of the Synod Manse Policy and Manse Fund Scheme;
• to consider Listed Buildings Advisory Committee recommendations (reconstituting as the Property Committee when doing so.)

Membership:

• Convener (and Synod Treasurer)
• Secretary: Resources Assistant
• Synod Moderator
• Synod Clerk
• Up to 6 other members

In Attendance: Finance Officer, Property Officer

• advises Resources Committee, when acting as Property Committee;
• reviews listed buildings applications from local churches;
• makes recommendations in line with the URC Procedure for Listed Buildings.

Membership:

• Convener - Mr Simon Plater
• Secretary - Mr Keir Hounsome
• Three other members.

The FairShare System is used by the Eastern Synod to calculate the amount requested from churches to support the ministry and mission of the denomination via the M&M Fund administrated by Church House in London.

Synod staff collect the necessary information from church treasurers and then calculate the suggested gift from each church. The Resources Assistant reports to the Resources Committee who oversee the process.

The Resources Assistant is the first point of call for any questions or concerns regarding the Ministry and Mission Fund: mandm@urceastern.org.uk

• to resource local churches for mission, helping the Synod to engage in God's mission in the world around through outreach and development, always asking what the ecumenical implications are
• to review Mission Grant applications (to authorise if under £10k in a single year, or make recommendations to Resources);
• advocates the use of Synod resources for mission purposes;
• to co-ordinate and enable initiatives that support growth, evangelism and social engagement;
• co-ordinates and reviews the work with and contribution of children and young people within the Synod;
• to encourage church planting and local church development;
• to review reports from the Mission Team on development issues.

Membership:

• Convener: Vacant
• Secretary: Mrs Margaret Smith
• Synod Moderator
• Synod Clerk
• Synod Treasurer
• Church Growth & Evangelism Advocate: Revd Chris Kemshall
• Children's and Youth Work Advocate: Mrs Margaret Smith
• Revd Gillian Thomson
• Mr Joe Robbins
• Staff in Attendance: Mission Practitioner (Training), Mission Practitioner (Youth), Mission Practitioner (Children), Finance officer

Each of these is a link between the Synod and the wider work of the General Assembly. They endeavour to relate national and global issues to the local and provide links for local issues to be shared within the Synod and General Assembly.

They are all encouraged to present matters of concern to the Synod, arrange events, organise campaigns, and give links to websites which can provide further information.

Each routinely report to the Mission and Discipleship Committee, may be invited to attend and report directly to the Committee and/or Synod meeting.

In the absence of a named person the Clerk and/or Office Administrator shall act as the link to post relevant material on the website and raise with the appropriate Committee.

Membership:

Children's and Youth Work Advocate - Mrs Margaret Smith

Green Advocate – Mr Jeremy Flack

Health & Healing Advocate – Revd Karen Knight

Rural Life & Ministry Advocate – Vacant

Spirituality Advocate – Revd Karen Knight

Synod Youth Representative – Mr Casper Martin

Commitment for Life Advocate - Vacant

Global Partnership Co-ordinator – Mr Robert Dart

Inter Faith Advocate - Vacant

Link Person for Safeguarding - Mrs Margaret Smith

Racial Justice and Multicultural Co-ordinator - Revd Andrew Mudharara

How is your congregation engaged with the remit of Faith in Action? Are you doing something that could deserve a Faith in Action award?

If you have an activity / project that is a great example please send either a 5 minute video or 500 words description and pictures to: training@urceastern.org.uk

• There will be five meetings a year.
• Sustain and develop an overall vision for the way the ministry of the church serves the cause of the gospel in the Synod, and in particular always asking what the ecumenical implications are:
  • to co-ordinate the work of those responsible for specific aspects of ministry in the Synod, including lay preaching, other lay leadership, training and care of retired ministers, their spouses or widows/widowers;
  • to approve on behalf of Synod of candidates and ordinands for the Ministry of Word and Sacraments and of candidates for CRCW ministry;
  • to advertise Enquirers’ Conferences;
  • to make strategic decisions in consultation with pastorates, and give advice on constitutional and/or resource aspects of local situations, including commendation of Special Ministries, LEPs and Ecumenical Areas and deployment aspects of new church developments;
  • to encourage a strong Synod relationship to the whole ecumenical scene;
  • to handle related matters that are passed for comment or action by an Mission Partnership/Area of Ecumenical Cooperation, Synod or General Assembly;
  • to consider CRCW project applications;
  • to provide Stepwise support;
  • approve applications for sabbaticals for ministers and CRCWs.
  • to decide ministerial deployment within the target agreed with Assembly and to manage the ministerial vacancy process, including giving (or where pastorally necessary withholding) concurrence to a call.
  • to exercise oversight and care of local churches by: (a) establishing Mission Partnerships and Areas of Ecumenical Cooperation; and (b) giving concurrence to proposed church groupings
  • overseeing of the implications of safeguarding and good practice with children, young people and vulnerable adults.
  • to act on behalf of Synod to concur with local church decisions regarding closure and support the process working in conjunction with the Trust.

Core Membership:

• Convener - Revd Anne Sardeson

• Secretary - Mrs Penny Flynn

• Synod Moderator
• Synod Clerk
• Synod Ecumenical Officer - Revd Dr Janet Tollington
• Advocate for Lay Preachers - Mrs Jean Summers
• County representatives
  • Cambridge - Revd Phil Nevard
  • Norfolk - Mrs Audrey Elliott
  • Suffolk - Revd David Rees
  • Essex (2) - 2 Vacancies
  • HEBMP - Vacant
• Co-opted - Mrs Claire Coster

   

  In Attendance:

• Mission Practitioner (Training)

• Mission Practitioner (Youth)

• Mission Practitioner (Children)

• Synod Safeguarding Officer

• Rev’d Alex Jacob – Synod Transitional Minister

• Rev’d Janet Sutton – Synod Ecumenical post