Big Crowd at First Forum Rural Deanery Meeting

There was a big turn out of parish representatives at the first meeting of rural deaneries planned as part of the Forum consultation process. Held at Taney Parish Centre on Tuesday 8 May 2001 representatives of parishes within Monkstown, Taney, Killiney and St Ann's rural deaneries together with their clergy took part.

Following a warm welcome and opening prayers said by Canon Desmond Sinnamon, Rector of Taney, Archdeacon Gordon Linney, outlined the background to the Forum meetings. He said that a new strategy was needed to ensure that diocesan resources were put to optimum use.

"There have been complaints that there isn't sufficient time at Diocesan Synods to discuss issues of importance though we've had some excellent preliminary debates on social issues." Out of this the idea for a special Forum with "a wide consultation process" had developed. He said, " The rural deanery meetings are vital building bricks. We're not trying to impose something from the top rather we want ideas coming from the grassroots. We hope that the debate will lead to a new strategy for the church to do its work better."

The Forum facilitator, David Meredith, outlined how the process would work at the meeting. "We have divided participants into 14 groups meeting in different parts of the parish centre. Tea and coffee will be provided. There are no group leaders. You are asked to introduce yourselves. Then having said your piece you are asked to listen to each other." Each group was asked to discuss the ideas brought by the different participants from their parishes and to decide which were the three most important diocesan priorities.

"These", he said "are to be noted on a large piece of paper. At the end of the evening one of the group will present them to the whole meeting. Each group's 3 issues will be hung up on the wall and each participant will stick green stars on the three issues he or she considers the most important." He said that the material from each rural deanery meeting would be collated by the planning group and the top three issues discussed at the Forum in November.

Amongst the wide range of issues brought up by the groups were the following: the need for radical changes in leadership and structures, greater participation of laity in ministry, more religious and theological education, a full-time children's worker to resource Sunday School teachers, greater care of refugees and asylums seekers and multi-cultural outreach, greater emphasis on community, more sharing of resources between parishes, more two-way communication and a diocesan website, care of senior citizens, and a diocesan plan for city centre churches.