News Release: Anglican Church adopts plan with focus on local development

St. Catharines, Ont. (June 3)
Members of the Anglican Church of Canada’s General Synod have adopted a plan that focuses strongly on the development of new resources and church work at the local level.

The plan, entitled Serving the World, Strengthening the Church, would maintain most of the work the church is now doing both nationally and internationally, and also add work giving the national church a stronger role in assisting parishes at the local level.

It would be phased in as resources for its implementation become available.

The plan is called a “framework” rather than a strategic plan to emphasize flexibility in its implementation.

The plan, which would be in effect until 2010, identifies seven major priorities in the next six years:

• Strengthening and developing Anglican identity;
• The development of local communities through networks and other programs;
• More effective communication of church stories;
• Building and strengthening relationships with indigenous peoples;
• Developing and strengthening the church’s financial capacity;
• Developing partnerships to better advocate for social justice, and
• Continued support for the church’s international partners.

The General Synod is the national embodiment of the church’s 30 dioceses and generally focuses on work that is best done or that can only be done at the national level.

Synod members also approved an accompanying document called Letting Down the Nets that envisages a renewed emphasis on fostering planned giving initiatives and on assisting the local church with stewardship development.

The Anglican General Synod is the church’s highest governing and legislative body. It is made up of lay people, deacons, priests and bishops elected from each of the church’s 30 dioceses, and meets every three years. The synod has been meeting in this Southern Ontario city to conduct the church’s business for the past eight days.

The General Synod gathering concludes today with the installation as Primate of Archbishop Andrew Hutchison of Montreal. He will be formally installed as Primate at a church service at Hamilton’s Christ’s Church Cathedral this afternoon.

The General Synod elected Archbishop Hutchison Primate on Monday. He succeeds Archbishop Michael Peers who served in the senior position for 18 years and who retired last February.

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