This week Synod met, and one of the items on the agenda was the Diakonia Remixed Report. I was eager to find out what would be decided and so I ended up streaming Synod online! The advisory committee for the Diakonia Remixed report presented on the last day - which meant I ended up listening to a whole week of Synod, hearing a lot more of it than I had been anticipating! People who dropped by my office were confused when they took a listen, and most gave me a funny look when I let them know that it was a denominational meeting.
If you want to listen to the Diakonia Remixed Synod discussion you'll find it under Thursday PM 2 session and it starts at 45:20.
There was a significant discussion about the report. Ultimately what the study committee had recommended was not what the advisory committee wanted to bring forward to Synod. Working together, the study committee decided to allow the advisory committee's report to be discussed on the Synod floor, rather than the original Diakonia Remixed Report.
If you would like to read a synopsis of the discussion's end result, it is posted here on the denominational website.
Part of the new recommendation involved a delayed implementation of the church order changes so that the roles of both elders and deacons could be explored. A new task force to study the office of elders and deacons was set. The list of candidates, as well as their mandate, can be found here. You can also watch the discussion about the task force and the names that were selected by viewing the Friday Closing Session 1 starting at 1:14:58.
What are your thoughts about what was proposed by Diakonia Remixed? How do you feel about the changes made by the advisory committee (which the study committee graciously supported)? What do you hope will come forward from the new task force?
Comments
Melissa,
I want to say thank you to the study committee for all the work that you have done. Besides bringing forward a winsome and well grounded report, the committee was also transparent in their process and sought the input of people across the denomination as they put together their report.
My druthers, I guess, would have been to have the report itself discussed on the floor of synod. In the past on this issue there have been reversals from year to year, with one Synod leaning in one direction and the next in the opposite. My only concern is that this again might take place in the next few years. I hope that won't be the case. I think that caution has had it's day when it comes to this topic, and that it's time to move forward.
"Concern of innovation" would have been the main reason for creating a new study committee. But I didn't think that the Diakonia Remixed report stood substantially apart from our (1972?) report on the nature of the offices, but was rather a faithful application of it. Thanks for your work.
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