Shape of Parish Ministry proposals approved

The 142nd Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa was primarily focused on three proposals that resulted from the Shape of Parish Ministry Consultations (SPMC), a two-year process that has involved every parish in the diocese.

The Rev. Tim Kehoe, a member of the SPMC team, began the discussion on Oct. 21, the first day of the Synod meeting, by describing the aims of the whole consultative process. “We set out together to address two urgent questions: What are the shapes of parish ministry that God is calling us to explore? And where is God calling us to be and where, or perhaps how, are we called to invest the resources that we have been entrusted with? 

“We are all stewards of those resources,” Kehoe reminded Synod members. “And the point is not simply that our parish ministry can survive. It’s that we’re called to take risks, to be creative, so that we can be shaping, under the influence of the Spirit, new things so that we might thrive. So the result is the three SPM proposals before the Synod, which are intended to strengthen, nurture and inspire our parish ministries on the ground, across every part of the diocese.”

Proposal 1

The Rev. Tim Kehoe and Barbara Gagné opened up the discussion of the first proposal. 

During the consultations, “We heard concerns about lack of clarity about what parish models are actually on the table and how they work. We heard concerns about long-term sustainability, volunteer fatigue, rising costs, but as well about the desire to collaborate better as a diocesan church in order to consolidate our energies and resources to be more effective, efficient and better stewards.”

They presented Proposal 1 in three parts based on the three types of action they involve: clarifying, consolidating; and collaboration and interdependence.

Clarifying the structures of parish ministry 

Proposal 1A asked:

That [before Synod 2023] diocesan bodies and staff, under the direction of the bishop, develop a guide to be approved by Diocesan Council, defining and confirming the structures of parish ministry and expectations related to their implementation: such as clergy deployment, scope of ministry, governance, administration, property management and finances 

Proposal 1B asked that Synod 

a) request a guide, authorized by the bishop, for leaders of parishes to help discern when the time is right to move into a different parish structure; and 

b) urge parish leaders who have discerned that the time is right to begin active conversations with the bishop and their territorial archdeacons, in consultation with parish members, with a view to effecting the desired changes as soon as possible; and that a report on concrete actions taken be presented to Synod in 2023.

Consolidating

“The idea of parish structures is not static. We don’t all remain in the same form forever. We heard that some parishes are actively on the path of discerning where their future structure lies. And others are asking themselves is now the time to start asking those questions,” Gagné explained. “Our conversations within our diocese identified a benefit of having tools and support to embark on those periods of change. There were also opportunities identified to learn from each other and incorporate those experiences from neighbouring parishes or others involved in like ministry.” 

Proposal 1C asks that staff and relevant diocesan bodies, under the guidance of the bishop, take action to stimulate innovation and collaboration between parishes, including a forum of clergy and lay leaders in order to share experiences and offer recommendations to the bishop and to Diocesan Council.

Collaboration and Interdependence

“We heard most emphatically about financial pressures, volunteer fatigue, and capacity issues. We heard as well of the desire to work collaboratively and to work smartly, doing what we need to do and making the most of our tools and resources,” said Gagné.

“These themes led to the recommendations which follow that focus on re-examining our sources of income and budgetary allocations. The need to examine processes was also fundamental to ensuring that we move forward organized with thought and purpose.  The motions which follow highlight the request for a review of financial processes like Parish Fair Share. It is also being recommended to reduce duplicated activity, take advantage of economies of scale where possible, take advantage of those who are best positioned to take on a function or an area of responsibility. Data collected should be that which drives our decision-making processes, be accurate, be easily identified and easy to report.

Proposal 1D asked that Diocesan Council strike a task force as soon as possible, with membership approved by the bishop, to conduct a review, involving input from parish leaders, of the current method of calculating Parish Fair Share, and that any recommended changes be brought to Synod 2023 for approval.

Proposal 1E asked that Synod approve the use of dividends from undesignated and bishop’s discretionary trusts held by our Diocese in the Consolidated Trust Fund for the purpose of contributing to the overall, shared costs of parish ministry.

The last part of Proposal 1, Gagné explained, looks at “where should functional responsibility lay for a particular program. Is it best placed with Ascension House, at a regional level, [or] within parishes? Should they be optional to parishes? How do we get the most out of our money? [Possibly with] Bulk purchases, vendor agreements for common services like landscaping or snow clearing. But,” she cautioned, “we always have to be cognizant as well that one size does not fit all. We are a very diverse type of diocese. We have urban centres and rural centres, and so some of these solutions may not work for everyone, but we need to look for them.

“We also need to address the tools. Do we have the tools for a 21st Century office? Like templates, have we accessed all of the technology that will best suit us?” Gagné mentioned  diocesan-wide, web-based financial systems, as an example. And do we know who has the skills that you may be looking for? That could be found in an enhancement of the human resource information system. These are just to name a few.”

Proposal 1F asked that staff, under the direction of the bishop and in consultation with relevant diocesan bodies, be tasked to develop plans to improve services and processes, including those identified below and that the plans include associated costing, implementation, and evaluation considerations, to be approved by Diocesan Council.

Property and asset management

• Standardization of rental licenses or leases
• Establishment of vendor lists and agreements for common services such as snow removal, landscaping and tradespeople.
• Central lists of all building inventory and maintenance and inspection reports
• Subject expertise to support development projects

Finance

• Diocesan-wide web-based financial system with better reporting
• Streamlined statistical returns process that reflects decision-based data requirements
• Accounting support
• Human resources
• Subject expertise and support in all search and recruitment processes as well as engagement contracts
• Enhance the Human Resources Information System to create a database of talent

General administration

• Maintain central lists of members of the diocese and other key data
• Arrange purchase agreements with major vendors at discounted rates, so parishes don’t have to find vendors or negotiate prices
• Identify other common functions that could be centralized or regionalized.

Before the vote, Archdeacon Brian Kauk encouraged members to approve the motion. “Please, I urge members of Synod to not only to vote for this but when it comes time to make this and all the other things… that we put not just staff time from Ascension House on to this, but that we embrace that we are the diocesan bodies that will make this happen and that this is a collective effort. If we do that and we have some clarity on structures, I think that would really kick some of these models into high gear.”

The motion carried.

Proposal 2

Introducing Proposal 2, Archdeacon Rhonda Waters said during the SPM consultations, two of the themes that emerged were the “twin challenges of volunteer burnout and a great desire to grow in ministry, to serve the communities around us, to nurture the faith of our own members and to strengthen our parishes in this time of change.”  There’s no way to magically “summon new volunteers into existence to run all of the ministries that we are dreaming about,” she acknowledged.  But she said, “We can ease that sense of being alone and under equipped by drawing on the strength of our diocesan church to connect people and parishes to the resources and experiences that are actually already at our disposal.”

Proposal 2 A – Parish Advancement

The Rev. Dr. Jon Martin introduced the second motion calling for the creation of a Parish Advancement program. “Drawing on our experience in the School for Parish Development Program and adapting those materials as well as others to be relevant and accessible to our diocesan context, we can begin to build a Parish Advancement program that will help parishes assess their current and contextual realities and adapt in ways that allow them to respond to the changing needs, he said, “Our Parish Advancement program would include several modules that address key areas such building trust and community; thinking strategically; assessing needs; managing change; and effective stewardship.” 

Motion 2A asked that a working group, appointed and guided by the bishop and accountable to Diocesan Council, be tasked to develop and implement a parish advancement program for consideration by Synod 2023, including provisions for how it will be evaluated.

Proposal 2B – Leadership Training

“Our ministry depends on strong lay leadership,” said Waters. “Over and over again, we heard requests for things like handbooks, resource manuals and training sessions to support those critical roles of warden, treasurer, administrator, parish councillor, head server… This motion seeks to develop useful, up-to-date, accessible training materials so that we all have all the information we need to do the work to which we are called. 

Motion 2B asked that the preparation of up-to-date resources and regular training sessions (using technology where possible) for parish leadership roles be undertaken by staff and relevant diocesan bodies, under the direction of the executive archdeacon, prior to Synod 2023.

Proposal 2C – Resource Pods

“There are many resources out there for us to find and to use whether you are developing a children’s ministry or adult education, supporting the particularities of rural ministry or inner city ministry, addressing food security or affordable housing in our communities, nurturing pastoral care of seniors or of teenagers,” said Martin. “We also know that it can feel like you are the only one doing this work in your neck of the woods, which is a recipe for burnout. 

“Resource pods aim to change that by gathering people together to learn from and support one another and to share what they have discovered with the rest of our diocese. For resource pods to be effective, they need to have a clear framework for how they will be formed, how they will function and how they will report back.”

Proposal 2C asked that a working group, appointed by the bishop and collaborating with staff and relevant diocesan bodies be tasked with the following responsibilities and presented to Diocesan Council by March 2023:

• Establish the process by which a resource pod is to be formed
• Create a template for the terms of reference to be used, including how they will be lead, supervised and monitored.
• Create an initial set of resource pods to test and refine the concept.
• Identify or create an ongoing structure of support for the development, maintenance, evaluation, and accountability of resource pods.
• Work with the Communications Panel and staff to develop a means for sharing materials or key findings developed by resource pods with the wider diocese.

All of the motions passed with broad support.

Proposal 3

Engagement with the world, new worshipping communities and contextual mission

“How is God calling us to proclaim the good news in our time and in our places?” This is the critical question which motivates our Shape of Parish Ministry proposal 3,” Archdeacon Mark Whittall said as he started the Synod discussions of the last proposal. “It’s a question that many of you asked during the SPM consultations. How do we engage with our neigbours?

“New communities can come together to express our faith in a whole variety of ways. These can range from the Messy Church services that are intended to engage children and their families, to the launch of new congregations such Epiphany as the result of an amalgamation in 1997 or the new congregation at St. Albans launched in 2011, pub churches, dinner churches, intentional communities…. This is a mission that invites innovation, creativity and risk-taking. 

“Why create new worshipping communities? There are good reasons to believe that creating these communities is an excellent way to foster the renewal of our diocese and our parishes, and to engage with people beyond our core membership, Here’s what the research says. New worshipping communities are better at reaching new generations, new residents and new demographics. Second: new worshipping communities will bring new ideas to our existing parish communities. They will serve as our R&D department in the diocese and act as agents of cultural change. New worshipping communities can be responsive and intentional about engaging with our regions’ changing demographics and increasing ethnic diversity. We need to engage with new people in new ways.”

In response to a question about whether these new initiatives could happen in rural parishes as well as urban ones, Bishop Shane Parker explained that “Contextual mission know no particular geographic location. We live in a multicultural country and every part of our diocese is diverse in its own way. … Contextual mission involves listening to a local story, wherever that is, and seeing the situations of people who are not part of our church. It involves learning how to listen to God as we listen to and see what is happening around us.”

Proposal 3A asked that Synod declare its commitment to the strategic priority of engagement with the world through developing new worshipping communities and contextual mission, and that a working group appointed by the bishop conduct one or two pilot projects in 2022 and prepare a detailed plan of action, including a time of intentional prayer and discernment, to be presented for adoption at Synod 2023. 

Proposal 3B asked that resource pods (as defined in Proposal 2) concerning new worshipping communities and contextual mission be created in April 2023, with the purpose of gathering and sharing knowledge in these areas.

Whittall introduced the last of the three motions acknowledging that some of these new initiatives would require funding, but that the Diocese has an existing fund which is currently not being drawn on.

Proposal 3C asked that the existing “Second Century Fund” held by the Diocese in the Consolidated Trust Fund be renamed the “Future Fund” and be dedicated to the funding of new worshipping communities and contextual mission, and that a proposal for how this fund is to be used and further developed be brought to Synod 2023. 

This third proposal generated the most excitement among Synod members. One speaker who expressed concern that these new initiatives would replace beloved traditional styles of worship was reassured that both new and old could co-exist. Most others spoke in favour of the motion. The Rev. Jonathan Askwith quoted someone in the June meetings who reviewed this proposal and recommended “putting a jet pack on it.” 

Irene Barbeau encouraged everyone  not to get “hung up on process or details,’ but to be open-minded and have faith in where the Spirit leads.“

In closing, the bishop said: “I am completely committed and determined to seeing the full implementation of everything we have declared we are going to do. And I am determined to do so in a manner that is consultative, that is respectful and that is attentive both to the Holy Spirit and to one another, and importantly, to the world around us where God already dwells and where we are called to serve.” 

The motion passed with broad support. 

Primate offers encouragement

Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, was the invited guest speaker and offered four reflections over the two-day Synod.

She began her final remarks by recalling what it was like at the beginning of the pandemic. Here are some small excerpts: “We had established ways of being the church. We had ways of living in parishes…. COVID brought it to a crashing halt. And there were many at the time that COVID put us into lockdown who asked ‘Could the church survive?’… Because we were so used to gathering in-person that we couldn’t imagine anything else. And there lots of anxiety and fear…

“We had to go back to prayer…. We had to change how we did things… We had to listen to the voice of Jesus calling us to read the scriptures and discover that it says nothing in there about meeting on Sunday mornings. It says nothing about having to meet in particular buildings, at a particular place… And we had to discover afresh that we could be with God in new ways. It could be life-giving even as we mourned and grieved what we had lost….

“My sense of what you have done in these last two days is that you are at that moment …You have begun to discern this new life that is possible, that change is possible. You are willing to take a risk.

“I did still hear some of the anxiety that has been expressed. There’s still some fears. What will be lost? What might we have to let go of?…That can and may bring conflict, … but I also heard trust, deep trust in the discernment that has gone on already through prayer, through consultation, through study, through listening to one another deeply … I hope and pray that you will hang on to that consultative process and that trust will allow you to be vulnerable with one another about the things you are afraid of. We often tend to hide those things but it is in sharing them that we discover that we can support and care and grieve together.”    

— Leigh Anne Williams

Read reflections from young adult observers at Synod in January’s Crosstalk.