Chambers Blog

The Church of England's decision-making body, General Synod, is meeting at present (July 2008).  If the press have noticed this at all, they have commented on the emerging split over the Archbishop of Canterbury's stance on gay bishops in the Anglican Communion and on the consecration of women bishops in the Church of England.

Even the most detailed reports in the general press (such as the Independenton Saturday 5th July) have overlooked the other crucially important issues on the general Synod agenda.  These include the expected ratification of a Measure (church law) to change fundamentally the employment rights of Church of England clergy.  I commented in an earlier blog on the outline of these proposals, contained in the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) Draft Measure.  Essentially, these include national terms of service for clergy, gradual changes to clergy housing status, the introduction of guidelines for clergy appointment and the creation of Human Resources departments indioceses to facilitate these changes.  I will provide further details and analysis if/when the Measure is passed.

Ian Jones, Barrister, whose specialist areas include Ecclesiastical Law and Employment Law.  Ian Jones is also a member of Leicester Diocesan Synod.

The Church of England is set to approve wide-ranging changes to the employment law rights of its clergy. The Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) Draft Measure covers a number of issues including:

• (a) The introduction of Clergy Terms of Service;
• (b) The introduction of the statutory Ministerial Development Review;
• (c) The introduction of Capability Procedures;
• (d) The gradual cessation of Clergy Freehold in favour of the new Common Tenure;
• (e) The transfer of Parsonage Houses from being Benefice property to being held on trust by the Diocesan Parsonages Board;
• (f) The introduction of national guidelines for appointments etc;
• (g) The introduction of Human Resources officers or departments to facilitate the new provisions

The issue of the transfer of Parsonages was voted down at the February 2008 session of General Synod which is the Church of England's decision-making body. The draft measure (as amended) is due to be submitted for final approval at the July 2008 session of General Synod.

Written by Ian Jones, Barrister at New Walk Chambers, specialising in Employment Law and Ecclesiastical Law.