This is the most boring Courier article I have written. But it is important information for our Cathedral congregations so please read on.
New Ordinance and Regulations
Last year the Standing Committee of the Synod passed a new Ordinance governing St Andrew’s Cathedral. (See I warned you it was going to be both boring and important.)
Attached to that Ordinance is a set of Regulations that our ruling body, the Chapter, can alter with a simple majority. Basically the difference between the Ordinance and the Regulations is: the Ordinance establishes the basic framework of the Cathedral; the Regulations establish how it is run from day to day.
This Thursday night at the monthly Chapter meeting it is proposed that we finish the new Regulations. This last step addresses the issue of the relationship of the congregations/ministries within the Cathedral.
The Aim
The aim is to encourage the diversities of ministries within the Cathedral by giving them a degree of independent responsibility, while encouraging their commitment to each other and the Cathedral as a whole.
It is a difficult balance. On the one hand we wish to increase our partners’ commitment to their own congregation. On the other hand we want to increase our partners’ commitment to the wider fellowship and ministry of the Cathedral.
The Chapter has drafted regulations that recognises that most of us belong to a particular congregation rather than the Cathedral. Yet at the same time our particular congregation is a “Cathedral congregation” and so is part of something much bigger than just our own gathering.
The Executive Committees
Under these Regulations each congregation/ministry will elect an Executive Committee to administer its affairs.
Each ministry is different. So the new Regulations do not lay down many details about the Executives. The Regulations do not specify how the elections are to take place or the limits of the Executives’ responsibilities. Each will function slightly differently to the others because the ministries are so diverse.
But there are basic responsibilities for each executive. For example, each will have financial control and responsibility for their congregation and be responsible to the Chapter for its own annual reporting, and audited accounts.
The Cathedral Council
Under these proposed Regulations there will also be a new body called The Cathedral Council.
It will be made up of the pastoral staff and representatives of each of the congregations. It will be responsible for our joint activities e.g. Cathedral conferences, conventions or special celebrations like Christmas Eve. It will also represent our concerns to Chapter.
There will still be an annual meeting of all the congregations to elect our representatives to Chapter to receive the audited accounts of the Cathedral and address the other issues of the Cathedral as a whole.
Copies of the new Regulations will be made available to any interested person after Chapter has agreed to their final wording.
This matter is not of great interest to most of us, but is of the nature of important housekeeping. These are the details that enable us to fellowship freely together. We can be very thankful to God for the gifts of our Administrator Kay Terrey and of several Chapter members who have spent many hours working very diligently to create a framework for this fellowship to flourish.
