On Sunday 6th February, our Inaugural Vestry Meeting as a new Ministry Area took place in St Augustine’s Church.
Vestry Meeting Business
Here’s a summary of what happened in the Vestry Meeting:
Introductions and Explanations:
- Fr James Henley, Ministry Area Leader, chaired the meeting and began by explaining what the formation of the new Ministry Area would mean in terms of our governance.
- The Bishop’s decree, issued in our celebration and commissioning service on Sunday 30th January, has united the four previous parishes of Cyncoed, Llanrumney, Rumney and St Mellons into one Rectorial Benefice, to be known as ‘East Cardiff Ministry Area’. As a result, we need to elect members to a new ‘Ministry Area Council’ (MAC), which will act as the Parochial Church Council for the new MA. We also need to appoint two Ministry Area Wardens.
- Our new Standing Orders, written as a result of consulting representatives from each church and approved by each of the former PCCs last year, set out the composition of the new MAC and how it will function. Copies of these were provided for any who would like to read them, and can downloaded below.
Appointments and Elections:
- Fr James announced the appointment of David Evans (from St Mellons) as the new Rector’s Ministry Area Warden.
- Rhys Collins (All Saints’ Llanedeyrn) was elected unopposed as the new People’s Ministry Area Warden.
- Two Ministry Area Council members were elected to represent each church. All were elected unopposed, please see the list of new members below.
- We were also notified that new Deanery Conference and Diocesan Conference representatives would need to be elected. We agreed to consult with our individual congregations, and appoint these later in the year.
- Fr James proposed, and all agreed unanimously, that the membership of the individual Church Committees (some of which were formerly PCCs) should remain the same, and all individual Church Wardens should remain in office, until the Annual Congregational Meetings later in the year.
- Andy Lee, Director of Graham Paul Accountants, was appointed to perform the independent examination of our 2022 Annual Accounts.
Thank yous:
- Rhys Collins was thanked for taking the minutes of the meeting.
- Members of St Augustine’s we’re thanked for hosting us and providing refreshments.
Inaugural Ministry Area Council Meeting
Immediately after the Vestry Meeting, an initial meeting of the new MAC was called. The new MAC members were asked to remain for this, and others were invited to remain as observers if they wished. Here’s what we discussed:
- All the new MAC members signed their membership declarations, as required by the Church in Wales constitution.
- Fr James described each of the specific, specialist roles that would need filling from among the MAC members: Lay Co-chair, Secretary and Deputy Secretary (if desired), Treasurer, Safeguarding Officer, Electoral Roll Officer and Charity Commission Officer.
- Matthew Turner (St Augustine’s Rumney) was nominated as the new Lay Co-Chair and elected unopposed.
- We agreed to consider possible nominations for the other roles ready for our next meeting together.
- We discussed whether there were any further people, with helpful expertise or experience, who we might want to co-opt onto the MAC. Two co-options were agreed: Ian Loynd (to represent the senior leadership of our Church Schools) and Nathan Bird (to provide input into music and worship). Nathan was appointed as a non-voting member as, because he is paid by the MA he would be ineligible to serve as a charitable trustee.
- We also discussed the possibility of having Young People’s representatives. Several ideas were suggested as to how we might approach this, which we agreed to go away and work up into a firm proposal.
- We agreed our next meeting would be on 31st March, and closed the meeting with this prayer from the Church in Wales Book of Collects:
Lord God,
you have given your Holy Spirit to the Church
that he may lead us into all truth:
bless with his grace and presence the members of this council;
keep us steadfast in faith and united in love,
that we may advance your glory
and the peace, unity and mission of your Church;
through Jesus Christ our Lord
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and always.
Amen.
Ministry Area Forum Away Day
At both meetings, it was proposed that we hold a Ministry Area Forum Away Day. The Ministry Area Forum is composed of all the members of the individual Church Committees and the Ministry Area Council.
An Away Day would enable us to take proper time to get to know one another, and to agree how we will organise our decision-making between the individual churches and the Ministry Area as a whole. It would be important to reach a consensus together as soon as possible to ensure clarity and accountability.
The MA Forum Away Day will take place on Saturday 12th March at Hebron Hall. All those invited will receive information about this via email.
Membership of The Ministry Area Council
So far, our new Ministry Area Council (MAC) now consists of:
Ex-Officio Members
- The Revd James Henley (Ministry Area Leader)
- The Revd Gareth Rayner-Williams (Priest for Social Justice and Solidarity)
- The Revd John Thorne (NSM Curate)
- David Evans (MA Warden)
- Rhys Collins (MA Warden)
Elected Members
- Sue Fergusson and Maureen Archard (All Saints’ Cyncoed)
- Matthew Collins and Suzy Collins (All Saints’ Llanedeyrn)
- Matthew Turner (also Co-Chair) and Zoe Ward (St Augustine’s Rumney)
- Becky Williams and Sally Davies (St David’s Pentwyn)
- Pat Charles and Jenny Perry (St Dyfrig’s Llanrumney)
- Phil Jones and Vicky Smith (St Edeyrn’s)
- Jen Mundy and Rosemary James (St Mellons)
Co-opted Members
- Ian Loynd
- Nathan Bird (non-voting)
Downloads
If you’d like to read through the full official minutes of both meetings and/or the new Standing Orders, you can download them here: