The Synod Secretariat: Looking ahead to 2011

How will the Synod Secretariat help to fulfil the strategic directions which the 2006 Synod adopted for the life of the Synod until 2011?

The Synod Secretariat consists of the General Secretary’s Office and Uniting Creative. Below are the action goals the Secretariat has adopted for each of the Synod strategic directions:

1. To develop a vibrant faith in Christ and God’s mission by encouraging, enabling and resourcing discipleship

General Secretary’s Office

• Encourage and develop the Uniting Church as a community which embraces diversity.
• Remind the church of its ethos and identity as a church in relation to indigenous people.
• Remind the church of its ethos and identity as a multi-cultural church.
• Provide pastoral support and counsel to ministers as may be appropriate.
• Implement the Synod’s strategic directions and maintain the ongoing planning function for the Synod.

Uniting Creative

• As stated in Insights’ editorial policy, the magazine’s aims include encouraging Christian discipleship and mission through the sharing of stories and articulating the Christian faith and developing understanding of that faith in contemporary life.
• Insights’ editorial team remains committed to these aims — deliberately planning content that will support and enhance the development of vibrant faith and discipleship.
• Uniting Creative also remains committed to helping Synod boards and agencies to reach people by print and on the internet — providing resources that encourage discipleship and faith development.

2. To explore and respond to the searching for spiritual experience that is a profound impulse in the lives of many people in the Australian community

General Secretary’s Office

• Ensure the input of some creative ideas somewhere in every Synod and Standing Committee meeting as part of the nurture of members.
• Provide leadership through the selection of Bible study leaders at both Synod and Standing Committee.
• Resource and support the policy directions of the Synod.
• Work with the Moderator to maintain active ecumenical relationships within New South Wales.

Uniting Creative

• Every edition of Insights magazine carries a “reflection” in which people articulate the diverse ways their lives relate to their spiritual experiences.
• Insights also carries articles written about and by people involved in spiritual “pilgrimages” such as Living Well, Eremos and Desert Journeys.
• Film and book reviews, among other features, relate understandings of the spiritual quest often with voices from the margins or outside the traditional church.

3. To engage with integrity in actions of reconciliation, justice and peace for Christ’s sake

General Secretary’s Office

• Oversight the handling of complaints made against ministers and the handling of complaints of sexual misconduct made against lay staff in accordance with Guidelines and Regulations of the Church.
• Develop and facilitate training for Healing of Congregations following crisis, in particular, complaints of misconduct; work towards reconciliation, restoration and justice through complaints processes.
• Maintain communication with a wide variety of persons, organisations and groups, respecting the confidentiality of the varying issues that are presented for consideration and determination.

Uniting Creative

• As the Synod’s media office, Uniting Creative helps the Synod to speak and act within the wider community in the pursuit of social justice and social welfare, and enable congregations to do this in their local communities.
• Through Insights and on the Synod of New South Wales and the ACT website, Unit staff eagerly report stories that reflect the church’s efforts in this respect.
• The Unit supports local church groups involved in reconciliation, justice and peace. For example: each year we assist with media relations work for the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial Service.

4. To take initiatives and to work with presbyteries, new and existing congregations and faith communities in the hope of transforming communities

General Secretary’s Office

• Provide sensitive pastoral oversight and co-ordination in all processes related to the placement of deacons, lay pastors, ministers of the word and youth workers.
• Identify and encourage ministry leaders who have the gifts and abilities to build, grow and change congregations.
• Work with the Moderator to aid the Synod in development of its vision and manage public relations with the media, government and the community.
• Maintain effective communication between Synod and other councils of the church.

Uniting Creative

• Uniting Creative helps equip local congregations, faith communities or presbyteries to deal with local media when the Moderator visits. The Moderator’s Vision statement sees “transforming communities” as a key goal and message. We believe helping local people in this way — and the positive media attention it generates — can play a part in the transformation process
• Uniting Creative has also developed websites and undertaken media relations work for local faith communities like The Mustard Seed in Ultimo.
• The Unit has established various email lists and e-publications (like the monthly Community Connections) which enable more people in presbyteries, faith communities and congregations to feel connected and hopefully inspired to take action to transform communities.

5. To strengthen the integrity of the Uniting Church’s ministry

General Secretary’s Office

• Attend to the proper conduct of the business of the Synod and Standing Committee, advise the Moderator and members of the Synod on business procedures and follow up issues, referrals and outcomes.
• Coordinate the work of the Synod through the Synod boards and as chair of the Executive Directors’ meeting.
• Model and conduct processes at Synod meetings which create a safe environment for all members.
• Encourage and resource presbyteries and congregations to be safe places for all people.
• Provide education on the Code of Ethics and sexual misconduct awareness.
• Conduct assessment of appropriateness of individuals for ministry leadership.
• Identify and train appropriate people as resource to implement and support discipline processes.
• Offer support and training to presbyteries and congregations about placement processes.

Uniting Creative

• One of Uniting Creative’s stated professional goals (Insights Editorial Policy) is to report news and other stories about the church’s ministry with honesty and accuracy; according to the highest journalistic standards.
• As the Media Office for the Synod, Uniting Creative is also committed to presenting to the wider community an honest and creative image of the Uniting Church. It does this by providing to media outlets reliable news and information about the church, its people, councils and agencies.
• Working alongside the Moderator and other designated media spokespersons for the church, and by adhering to public relations principles that strive for the greatest possible transparency, the Unit continues to strengthen the integrity of the church’s ministry.

6. To ensure sustainable funding and resources to enable mission

General Secretary’s Office

• Oversight the administration of matters relating to Ministers Remuneration and Support Funds.
• Exercise due diligence in respect of the financial operations of the Secretariat and Synod administration.
• Assist the Ministers Support Fund Committee to ensure that funding resources are used effectively and wisely, keeping in mind the inheritance it has received and the committee’s responsibility for the future.
• Seek innovative ways of maximising the effect of the Secretariat’s limited resources

Uniting Creative

• Uniting Creative will continue to play a pivotal role in communications activities relating to ensuring sustainable funding and resources to enable mission.
• For example:Uniting Creative staff will continue to work with the Synod Mission Promotions Committee to drive the Living is Giving program (a key program to encourage congregational giving) and to strategise about future funding.
• Uniting Creative staff remain committed to working alongside Board of Mission staff to drive new fundraising programs like Build a Future (an annual campaign to raise funds for buildings for new and growing congregations).
• Uniting Creative will continue to help produce The Mustard Seed publication for Uniting Financial Services (UFS) which promotes products that UFS offer to increase funds invested. This, in turn, helps to ensure that Uniting Financial Services can continue to provide funds to support the Synod’s mission.

Insights Editorial Policy

1. Aims of Insights

Insights is a Christian magazine providing information and views about, and of interest to, members and adherents of the NSW Synod of the Uniting Church in Australia.

Insights aims include:

1.1 awakening and reflecting the corporate witness of the church;

1.2 encouraging Christian discipleship and mission through the sharing of stories;

1.3 articulating the Christian faith and developing understanding of that faith in contemporary life;

1.4 giving public expression to the church’s involvement in religious, cultural and social issues;

1.5 offering a constructive appraisal of life within the church and the wider community;

l.6 providing a vehicle for information about the plans, programs and activities of the church;

1.7 providing a forum for the expression of and exchange of opinion and a voice for the poor, the oppressed and the marginalised.

2. Professional Ethics

In pursuing its aims, Insights is committed to the highest ethical and professional standards. Its Editor and staff shall:

2.1. report and interpret news with scrupulous honesty, striving to present all relevant facts and not suppressing or distorting relevant available facts by wrong or improper emphasis;

2.2 place no unnecessary emphasis on gender, race, sexual preference, religious belief, marital status or physical or mental disability;

2.3 respect confidences received in the course of their work in all circumstances;

2.4 use fair and honest means to obtain news, pictures, films, tapes and documents;

2.5 identify themselves and the magazine before obtaining an interview for publication;

2.6 respect private grief and personal privacy; and

2.7 do their utmost to correct any published information found to be harmfully inaccurate.

2.8 allow no personal interests to influence professional duties;

2.9 allow no consideration, gift or advantage offered to influence any professional duties;

2.10 allow no advertising or commercial considerations to influence their journalism.

3. Editorial Independence

Since the reputation and integrity of Insights depends to a degree on the perception of its editorial independence:

3.1 Subject to agreed budgets, full editorial control is vested in the Editor. The Editor alone shall determine editorial content and deploy and direct editorial staff.

3.2 Editorial decisions will be based mainly on this editorial policy, the validity of the work and its importance to readers. The editor shall be free to publish critical but responsible views about all aspects of the church without fear of retribution, including dismissal, even if these views might at times conflict with the goals of the Synod.

3.3 The Editor retains the right to edit all material submitted for publication, with the exception of Synod policy and official statements.

3.4 The Editor shall make appropriate space available for the Moderator in the pages of Insights.

3.5 The Communications Committee is responsible for the oversight of the functions of the Communications Unit* and offers support, guidance and advice to the Editor but does not arbitrate on editorial content.

3.6 The right to appoint or dismiss the Editor of Insights resides with the General Secretary after consultation with the Communications Committee. The General Secretary shall not dismiss the Editor for reasons which arise directly from disagreement over editorial policy.

3.7 Church officers, though free to contribute and offer comment, shall not interfere in the evaluation, selection or editing of individual articles, either directly or by creating an environment in which editorial decisions are strongly influenced.

4. Advertising Policy

Advertising policy is the subject of a separate statement approved by the Council of Synod in 1991**. The Editor shall determine advertising content based on advertising policy.

Adopted by the Synod Standing Committee, November 2007

*Known as Uniting Creative since November 2009.

**And affirmed in 2003.

Insights Advertising Policy

Insights will not accept any advertising that relates to alcoholic beverages, cigarettes or tobacco or items or events sponsored by the manufacturers or suppliers of these products.

Advertising pertaining to services, products, companies or organisations which are ethically unacceptable to the Uniting Church (as ratified by the Synod or national Assembly) will not be accepted.

The Publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation.

All advertisements must comply with the Trade Practices Act 1974 (amended) and must not be misleading, false or deceptive.

The Publisher will not be liable for any damage or loss caused by late publication, error or failure of advertisement to appear.

Original advertising appearing in Insights is copyright, the exclusive property of Insights, and cannot be reproduced in whole or in part, without the express permission of the publisher.

No views expressed in advertisements appearing in Insights are endorsed by the editor, publishers or the Uniting Church in Australia.

No responsibility is accepted by the editor, publishers or the Uniting Church in Australia for the accuracy of any information contained in any advertisement.