Synodical Government Measure 1969

Commencement of Church Representation RulesE

4(1)The repeal of the Rules for the Representation of the Laity by this Measure shall not affect any person’s membership of the House of Laity or of any other body, or the tenure of any office, or the contents of any church electoral roll, until such membership is terminated, or such office is vacated, or such roll is revised or replaced, under the Church Representation Rules.E

(2)The references in rule 12(1)(e) of the said Rules to lay members of any deanery synod, diocesan synod or the General Synod shall, until the said synods are respectively constituted, be construed as references to lay members of any ruridecanal conference, diocesan conference or the Church Assembly, and references in rule 19(2) and (3) and Rule 24(3) to the General Synod shall, until it is constituted, be construed as references to the Church Assembly.

(3)Any determination, resolution, appointment, ruling, consent or other thing made, given or done for the purposes of any provision of the Rules for the Representation of the Laity shall, if in effect immediately before the commencement of this Measure, continue to have effect, so far as applicable, for the purposes of any corresponding provision of the Church Representation Rules, and may be revoked or varied as if made under the last-mentioned Rules.

5(1)The first elections of parochial representatives of the laity to deanery synods under the Church Representation Rules shall take place at the annual meetings of parishes in the year 1970, and the first choosing of members of deanery synods under any such resolution as is mentioned in Part III of the said Rules shall be completed not later than thirtieth April in that year, and the powers of diocesan synods under the said Part III shall, for the purposes of the first elections and choosing as aforesaid, be exercised by diocesan conferences.E

(2)The first elections by the members of deanery synods of members of diocesan synods under Part IV of the Church Representation Rules shall take place in the year 1970; and the diocesan synods shall forthwith after those elections be constituted in accordance with the said Part IV, and the powers of diocesan synods under that Part shall, for the purposes of those first elections, be exercised by diocesan conferences.

(3)The election of members of the House of Laity due to take place in the year 1970 under the Rules for the Representation of the Laity shall be held during the periods in that year fixed under rule 25(1) of those Rules, and rule 25(4) thereof shall apply to that election instead of rule 33(4) of the Church Representation Rules, but in other respects the election and matters connected therewith shall be held and carried out in accordance with the Church Representation Rules, subject to the modification that the powers exercisable by the General Synod shall be exercisable by the Church Assembly (as constituted at the passing of this Measure); and the House of Laity then elected and constituted shall, on the appointed day, be the House of Laity of the General Synod.

(4)Any certificate or information required by the Church Representation Rules to be given to or by the secretaries of deanery synods, diocesan synods or the General Synod shall, before the said synods are constituted, be given to or by the secretaries of ruridecanal conferences, diocesan conferences or the Church Assembly, as the case may be, and the certificate required to be given under rule 25(5) shall certify the number of beneficed or licensed clergy of the chapter of clergy of the ruridecanal conference, which shall be treated as if it were the house of clergy of the deanery synod; and any certificates received by the secretaries of the said conferences shall, where necessary, be given or sent to the secretaries of the said synods when they are constituted.

(5)The powers of diocesan synods under rule 23 and rule 28 of the said rules to make rules of procedure for deanery synods and diocesan synods respectively shall be exercisable by diocesan conferences before the constitution of diocesan synods, without prejudice to any rules so made being amended or replaced by diocesan synods when constituted.