Synodical Committees, Boards & Councils

Supporting the work of the Diocesan and Deanery Synods are a number of smaller committees and boards.  These are described below. 

• Diagram of the Diocesan Committee Structure
• Fixed Dates 2012

 

Bishop's Council & Standing Committee

Including the Directors of the Board of Finance and the Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee.

The Bishop's Council & Standing Committee is a single committee with a number of different roles and responsibilities:

• As Bishop's Council it is responsible for advising the Bishop of Winchester on issues falling under his Episcopal jurisdiction.  As Standing Committee it is required to prepare recommendations for the Synod, transact Synodical business in between meetings and prepare Synod agendas (although much of the drafting and preparation work is undertaken by the Business Committee).
  Chairman: The Bishop of Winchester
  Secretary: The Diocesan Secretary
• As Directors of the Board of Finance the members fulfill the legal role of Directors of the WDBF, acting as the Standing Committee of the Board of Finance.
  Chairman: The Chairman of the Board of Finance
  Secretary: The Diocesan Secretary
• The latest role to be added is that of the Mission & Pastoral Committee.  This requires the committee to approve all proposals for pastoral reorganisation and take a lead on strategic pastoral and mission issues.
  Chairman: The Chairman of the Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee
  Secretary: The Director of Discipleship & Ministry

 

Having one committee responsible for this spectrum of work ensures a far greater degree of joined up thinking than would otherwise be the case.  As there is a significant amount of overlap between these different functions, the committee has three separate Chairmen to ensure there is a clear indication of which 'role' the committee is in at any one time.

Business Committee

The Business Committee is tasked with drafting and preparing agendas for the Diocesan Synod for approval by the Standing Committee.  It is chaired by the Bishop of Winchester, with the Chairs of the two Houses, the Chair of the Board of Finance and the Diocesan Secretary in support.  The Deputy Diocesan Secretary is the Secretary to the Committee.  The Business Committee reports to the Bishop's Council & Standing Committee.

Finance Sub-Committee

The Finance Sub-Committee is a direct sub-group of the Bishop's Council & Standing Committee.  It is made up entirely of members of the Bishop's Council and is tasked with carrying out detailed financial management and monitoring for the Diocese.  The Finance Sub-Committee is chaired by the Chairman of the Board of Finance, with the Deputy Diocesan Secretary as Secretary.

Property Committee (including Parsonage Board)

The Property Committee is tasked with considering all strategic issues relating to the management of the Diocesan property portfolio, from benefice houses to glebe land.  The Chairman is appointed by the Standing Committee with the Director of Property as Secretary.  It is common practice for the Chairman of the Property Committee to attend meetings of the Bishop's Council and Standing Committee in an advisory role.

Portsmouth & Winchester Joint Board of Education

The Joint Board of Education was formed in 2009 and is the first of its kind.  It is responsible for all issues relating to the Church's engagement with Church Schools across the Dioceses of Portsmouth and Winchester.  The Chair is appointed by the Bishops' Councils of the two Dioceses, with the Director of Education as Secretary.

Area Teams / Area Mission & Pastoral Committees

The Area Teams are forums for the Suffragan Bishops and Archdeacons to share information and receive feedback from across their archdeaconries.  All Rural/Area Deans and Lay Chairs attend the meetings.  In recent years the Teams have taken on the added responsibility of being the Area Mission & Pastoral Committees.  This is a more formal role whereby they consider and discuss all options for pastoral reorganisation.  A significant amount of time is dedicated to looking at draft schemes and proposals in detail, utilising the strong local knowledge held by the Deanery officers.  Deanery Finance Committee Chairmen attend the Area Team meetings twice a year.

Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches (DAC)

The DAC is not technically a Synodical Committee, although there is a requirement for two members of Diocesan Synod to be elected onto DAC.  The committee is responsible for considering, evaluating and recommending all faculty applications to the Chancellor of the Diocese.  The committee also takes a more general advisory and support role in assisting parishes in considering how best to use and care for their church buildings.  The Chair is appointed by the Bishop and Chancellor, following consultation with the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division in London.  The Head of DAC, Pastoral & Closed Churches is the Secretary to the committee.

For further information on the work of DAC and the faculty process please click here.

Vacancy in See

Every Diocese is required to have a Vacancy in See Committee elected at all times.  However, the committee will only meet if and when the Diocesan Bishop announces his intention to leave.  This last happened in Winchester in 2010 and the Vacancy in See Committee played its part in the discernment and selection process of a new bishop.  Copies of Background to the Diocese and Statement of Needs which were produced by the committee as part of this process are available here.

 

 

 

• Home
• Diocesan Life
• Synodical Governance

• Welcome
• History, Facts & Figures
• Role of the Church of England
• Map of the Diocese
• Who's Who in the Diocese
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Departments
• Winchester Cathedral
• Synodical Governance
  • General Synod
  • Diocesan Synod
  • Deanery Synods
  • Synodical Committees, Boards & Councils
  • Parochial Church Councils (PCCs)
• Chaplaincies & Special Ministeries
• Vacancies
• Diocesan Directory
• What's on
• Clergy Counselling Service
• The e-news
• Newcastle Partnership
• Recruitment