Copthorne Village website

Structure of this report

1.  Introduction & Process

Establishment of the Deanery Review Group (DRG)
1)    In 1998 3 of the 4 Team Ministries in Crawley had Team Rector posts vacant, and some were not finding it easy to make a new appointment
2)    1999 Bp Lindsay, in the context of the Horsham Area Pastoral Committee, suggested the EG Deanery prepare a Pastoral Review: 1st Review Group constituted, and 1st report prepared, but withdrawn just before presentation to Synod in 2002 as 1 key parish did not support it
3)    Autumn 2003 a second Deanery Review Group was re-constituted

Terms of reference of the DRG, set by the East Grinstead Deanery Synod
1)    To equip the Deanery to be more effective in its mission.
2)    To do this within the challenging context of the financial situation.
3)    To advise the Deanery and the Diocese on the effective deployment of clergy and laity for the future within the Deanery

Principles behind the Review process
1)    Open process of mutual sharing
2)    Lay and Clergy involvement at each stage
3)    Part research, part health check, part encouragement, part burden-sharing
4)    Primarily for use within the Deanery, but where appropriate, providing guidance to the Bishops and Archdeacon

Process followed by the DRG
1)    Autumn 2003 - the Deanery Review Group, under Joint Chairs (John Latham & Alastair Cutting) drew up a ‘Discussion Topics Document’ (See Appendix 5)
2)    Topics covered include: Mission, Ministry & Money; and our Life Together
3)    Primary Aim of the Discussion Topics Document: to listen to each parish’s response, and collate their feedback
4)    February 2004 - Discussion Topics Document distributed to Clergy of the East Grinstead Deanery and Wardens of parishes where there were vacancies
5)    A group of lay and clergy ‘Facilitators’ was drawn together and briefed, to assist parishes in their discussions, and provide a sounding board from outside their own usual boundaries (See Appendix 2)
6)    By Easter 2004 - each parish’s Standing Committee, or P.C.C., was asked to invite the Facilitators to a discussion on the topics
7)    A collation of some of the factual evidence, the ‘Draft Report’, was drawn up by Joint Chairs
8)    June 28 2004 Deanery Synod - Draft (Interim) Report presented (See Appendix 6); Bishops & Archdeacon kept informed
9)    Parishes were requested at June Synod to prepare proposals for the Review Report
10)    Feedback from Facilitators on some of the less factual findings to the Review Group on 7 September 2004
11)    By end September 2004 - Time for feedback on the Draft Report / formation of Proposals from parishes for the Final report
12)    11 October 2004 - Review Group Facilitators meets to finalise Report, and to draw up Proposals
13)    By late October Final Report (this document) distributed to Synod members;
14)    18 November 2004 - East Grinstead Deanery Synod - Final Report & Proposals presented; a debate on the Proposal planned. Copies to Bishops and Archdeacon in the light of the Synod presentation

Purpose of this report
Through a thorough, mutual, investigation of where we see God’s mission going on in the East Grinstead Deanery, and being aware of the financial and other constraints on parishes and Diocese alike, to be committed to an active, collaborative support of one another, through sharing the responsibility of jointly promoting the changes that the member parishes of the Deanery most feel need action.