Governing Body meeting – September 5-6

The distribution of more than £137m to churches across Wales will be discussed at a key meeting of Church in Wales members next month.

The money is being released from historic reserves over the next decade to help churches grow and serve their communities more effectively. Investment will be made in development of new ministries and initiatives, as well as in strengthening existing work.

The Growth Fund was announced by the Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, a year ago. He described it as the “most serious and significant” investment the Church had made since it was formed more than 100 years ago.

An update on its allocation and distribution, as well as strategic priorities, will be given to members of the Church’s Governing Body at its two-day meeting at the International Convention Centre Wales at Newport, on September 5-6. Members will also have the chance to discuss the plans in groups and feed their thoughts and ideas back to the meeting. The final allocations will be decided at a later date.

The Governing Body is made up of 144 elected clergy and lay people from across Wales, representing all the Church’s six dioceses, and includes all the bishops. Other items on this meeting’s agenda include:

• A keynote address by the Archbishop of Wales as President of the Governing Body;
• A Bill to reform the system of electing the Archbishop of Wales and new bishops by making changes to the Electoral Colleges;
• A motion to affirm the Church’s commitment to other Christian denominations around the world;
• A report from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, given by its new vice-chancellor, Professor Elwen Evans KC;
• An address, during the opening prayers, by Sheran Harper, worldwide president of the Mothers’ Union.

The meeting will also be live-streamed via a link on the Church in Wales website and YouTube channel