The following is a report from the Pre-Synod meeting for the 161st Regular Session of Synod of the Diocese of Toronto. The meeting was held on Oct. 15, 2022.
Welcome
Bishop Riscylla Shaw, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Toronto, welcomed everyone. Bishop Shaw chaired the morning and afternoon sessions. In a land acknowledgement, she said, “We acknowledge that where we are meeting to film this is in Mississauga and Brampton south, and the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Anishinabek Nations and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The territory was the subject of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. This territory was the subject of Treaty 13A, also known as the Head of the Lake Purchase.”
Bishop Shaw opened the meeting with a prayer and then explained how Synod members could ask questions during the meeting.
Overview of Synod
Pamela Boisvert, the Secretary of Synod, gave an overview of the upcoming Synod, including the work and membership of the Agenda Committee. The theme of Synod, “Cast the Net,” comes from the Diocese’s visioning process, which is currently underway and will come to Synod 2023 with recommendations. Synod members were also asked to complete a survey about Cast the Net. At Synod, there will be an update on Cast the Net and members will be asked to discuss this question: “What would it look like for us to cast our net on the other side of the boat?” Synod will start on Nov. 17 with a Eucharist at All Saints, Kingsway at 7 p.m. The service will be in-person and live-streamed. Members are invited to attend in person if they wish. For capacity reasons, members should reserve their seats in advance. Synod will continue on Nov. 18 and conclude at noon on Nov. 19. Synod will once again be held virtually, and Ms. Boisvert took members on a tour of the Hubilo platform, where Synod will be communicated.
Pilot Governance Project
Chancellor Clare Burns provided an update on the Pilot Governance Project, which was implemented on Jan. 1, 2022 with the establishment of Synod Council. Chancellor Burns said that Synod Council has five standing committees that help carry out its work. The committees include Audit, Finance, Human Resources, Property and Risk and Governance. At its February 2022 meeting, Synod Council approved a policy that defines the decision-making authority of Synod Council together with the authority that Synod Council delegated to its committees. The policy gives a committee the ability to approve certain items, recommend them for approval or report up to Synod Council. Copies of the policy can be found on the Diocese’s website.
Chancellor Burns said that all committees are up and running. The committees have reviewed their terms of reference documents and developed annual work plans. Committee chairs are reporting regularly to Synod Council and meeting frequently with Chancellor Burns and Bishop Asbil to coordinate their work.
In June, an evaluation of the governance structure was initiated by a small group; an article about it was published in the September issue of The Anglican and on the Diocese’s website. Joy Packham, a member of the regional ministry of St. Margaret, Barrie, Trinity, Barrie and Good Shepherd, Stayner, and Robert Hart, a member of St. James Cathedral are doing this work. Through electronically distributed surveys and in-person interviews, they obtained feedback to get a sense of how people were finding the new model and if they felt the changes resulted in a more effective and efficient process for those doing business with Synod Council. The small group submitted their report to the Risk and Governance Committee in October. Its findings showed that the majority of responses were positive and showed support for the new Synod Council structure, which is considered timely and efficient, fair and transparent, and representative of the overall Diocese. A few responses indicated it is too soon to tell.
Bishop Shaw said that Synod will be asked to receive the Governance Review report as shown in Motion #4, which can be found in Section F of the Convening Circular: “It will be moved and seconded that Synod receive the Governance Review report dated September 22, 2022.”
Bishop Shaw asked if anyone had questions. There were no questions.
Missional & Outreach Moment
Synod members watched a video about Café Church on the Lakeshore, run by Christ Church St. James. As the name suggests, Café Church is about people coming together in a café and praising the Lord. Café Church is about taking the church outside the church building.
Since Synod in 2021
Bishop Shaw said that it has only been a year since Synod last met but a lot has happened. She encouraged Synod members to read Synod Council’s Report to Synod. The report provides updates on policy and major items discussed or approved by Synod Council and a summary of diocesan grants, loans and other funding. The report can be found in Section B of the Convening Circular. Synod members also watched a video by the Property Committee highlighting its work. Bishop Shaw asked if there were any questions. There were none.
Constitution and Canon Changes
Chancellor Clare Burns took Synod members through the various Constitution and Canon changes. The first change deals with the Pilot Governance Project. “One year in, the new governance model has functioned largely as anticipated,” she said. “Some minor changes will be made to how some of the committees do their work based on comments and recommendations made by the evaluation of the new structure. In order to continue, Synod will be asked to suspend Canons 2, 3, 5, 31, 36, 37, 39, 44 s.3, and 44 s.5(g) until the next Regular Session of Synod. At Synod, the motion you will be asked to consider – Motion #5A – can be found in Section E of the Convening Circular.”
Synod Council forwards the following motion – Motion #5A – with the recommendation that it be adopted: “It will be moved and seconded that Synod suspend Canons 2, 3, 5, 31, 36, 37, 39, 44 s.3, and 44 s.5(g) until the next Regular Session of Synod, as recommended for approval by Synod Council and presented in Section E of the Convening Circular with respect to the Pilot Governance Project.”
Bishop Shaw asked if there were any questions. There were none.
Chancellor Burns continued with other changes required to The Constitution and Canons not involving the Pilot Governance Project. “The Constitution, Section 32, deals with the Election of Members to General Synod, and Section 33 concerns the term of office of Members of General Synod,” she said. “The Constitution and Canons Committee has identified that there is no equivalent provision to Section 34 (of The Constitution) concerning the term of office of Members of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario (Provincial Synod) and has recommended that an equivalent provision be added to the Constitution, Section 34, to avoid any confusion over the term of office of Members of Provincial Synod.
“Advances in technology have allowed elections of Synod to be completed electronically in partnership with an arm’s-length third party service provider, ensuring a secure and seamless electronic voting platform at Synod. While the traditional method of casting a physical paper ballot should not be removed from the Constitution, the Constitution and Canons Committee has recommended that Section 22 be updated to also contemplate the current practice of electronic voting.
“The motion you will be asked to consider – Motion #5B – can be found in Section E of your Convening Circular. Synod Council forwards the following motion with the recommendation that it be adopted: “It will be moved and seconded that Synod approve the changes to The Constitution, as recommended for approval by Synod Council and presented in the Convening Circular.”
Chancellor Clare Burns continued. “Next are changes to Canon 10,” she said. “The bishop is ultimately responsible for the non-disciplinary termination of all clerical appointments in accordance with Canon 10. Proposed changes would permit the bishop to delegate this responsibility to a suffragan bishop. The motion you will be asked to consider – Motion #5C – can be found in Section E of the Convening Circular. Synod Council forwards the following motion with the recommendation that it be adopted: “It will be moved and seconded that Synod approve the changes to Canon 10, as recommended for approval by Synod Council and presented in the Convening Circular.”
Chancellor Clare Burns continued. “Under Canon 48, the Registrar is responsible for seeing that certain listed records are maintained ‘at the Offices of the Synod.’ The register and other books, records and documents of the parish are not listed in Canon 48, so they do not fall under the responsibility of the Registrar. These records should be surrendered to the diocesan Archivist for preservation in the Diocese’s Archives. Synod Council forwards the following motion – #5D – with the recommendation that it be adopted: “It will be moved and seconded that Synod approve the changes to Canon 13, as recommended for approval by Synod Council and presented in the Convening Circular.”
Chancellor Clare Burns continued. “Considering the recent changes to the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (Ontario), which raised the audit requirement income threshold to $500,000 for non-public corporations, the Diocese reviewed its threshold as laid out in Canon 14 14(4). The Finance Committee reviewed the number of parishes that would require an audit under various income thresholds ranging from $100,000 to $500,000. Since the cost of an audit is greater than that of a review engagement or a notice to reader, the Finance Committee has recommended an increase in the threshold. However, to ensure an adequate sample of parishes are audited, the Finance Committee recommended increasing the threshold to $200,000 (versus $500,000) at which point 18% of parishes would require an audit. The Finance Committee also recommended flexibility under Canon 14 14(4) to consider income fluctuations due to special circumstances such as a capital campaign or a property sale. Synod Council forwards the following motion – Motion #5E – with the recommendation that it be adopted: “It will be moved and seconded that Synod approve the changes to Canon 14, as recommended for approval by Synod Council and presented in the Convening Circular.”
Bishop Shaw asked if anyone had questions. There were none.
Voting Tutorial
Synod members watched a video on how to vote at Synod.
Financial Overview
Patricia D’Souza, the Diocese’s Controller, gave a financial overview of the Diocese. Synod will be asked to approve the following motions, which can be found in Section C of the Convening Circular:
Motion #6A
Synod Council forwards the following motion with the recommendation that it be adopted:
“It will be moved and seconded that Synod receive the Audited Financial Statements for the Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Toronto and the Cemetery Fund for the year ended Dec. 31, 2021.”
Motion #7
Synod Council forwards the following motion with the recommendation that it be adopted:
“It will be moved and seconded that the firm of Grant Thornton LLP, Chartered Accountants, be appointed to conduct the audit of the Financial Statements of the Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Toronto and, on behalf of unitholders, as Auditors for the Cemetery Fund for the year ended Dec. 31, 2022, at a fee to be approved by the Audit Committee.”
Bishop Shaw asked if there were any questions. There were none.
Priorities and Plans 2023
Executive Director Canon Robert Saffrey and Controller Patricia D’Souza presented the Priorities and Plans and the budget for 2023. The motion Synod members will be asked to consider – Motion #8 – can be found in Section D of the Convening Circular. Synod Council forwards the following motion with the recommendation that it be adopted: “It will be moved and seconded that Synod receive the document entitled Priorities and Plans for 2023 and the Financial Budget for 2023 and approve the priorities and the financial budget contained therein, and that Synod Council report back to Synod on this plan. It will be further moved that Synod approve that the Assessment Rate, as defined in Canon 4, remain at 24.7% for 2023.”
Bishop Shaw asked if there were any questions. There were none.
Notices of Motion
Chancellor Clare Burns spoke about Notices of Motion. “Some motions come to Synod from internal processes, and there is also the opportunity for members of Synod to bring motions directly to Synod,” she explained. “As of Sept. 23, 2022, we have two motions that were tabled at Synod in 2021 and we have received three new notices of motion. Let’s deal with the first motion.”
Motion #11 A – Affordable Housing
The Secretary of Synod received the following notice of motion on Nov. 26, 2021. A copy of the motion can be found in Section A of the Convening Circular. “It was moved by Frank Cormier and seconded by Marion Thompson that the Synod of the Diocese of Toronto direct Synod Council to draft:
- Revisions to the policies, Canons, and Constitution, as applicable, of the Diocese to facilitate parishes engaging in creative and innovative land uses and partnerships; and
- Diocesan policies that give preference to the use of surplus diocesan lands for the purpose of affordable housing and other community centric uses, where appropriate.
And that those draft revisions be brought forward at the next session of Synod for consideration.”
Motion #11B – Allotment
The Secretary of Synod received the following notice of motion on Nov. 26, 2021. A copy of the motion can be found in Section A of the Convening Circular. “It was moved by the Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan and seconded by Isuru Weerasekera (that) given that parish allotments can not meet the primary financial needs of the diocesan budget, this Synod requests that a detailed report be submitted to the next session of Synod from Diocesan Council outlining the ways the budget can be balanced through decreasing expenditures without increasing parish allotments.”
Motion #11C – Staff position
The Secretary of Synod received the following notice of motion on Sept. 13, 2022. A copy of the motion can be found in Section A of the Convening Circular. Synod Council forwards the following motion with the recommendation that Synod vote against the motion for two reasons. Firstly, this request represents an operational decision and not a governance decision. Secondly, the Property Committee already has the work in its portfolio and thinks this is premature. Synod Council also recommends against this motion as it has negative impact against the budget of approximately $190,000 annually:
Whereas Bishop Andrew has encouraged this Synod to continue to “Love thy Neighbour” by challenging us with the Synod’s motto: “Cast the Net…”;
And whereas the co-chair of the Property Committee has stated the process of building affordable housing “requires a lot of time and expertise, especially in legal and property matters” and the work “is done at the diocesan level, not by individual parishes, to avoid duplication of both effort and costs.”
And whereas this Synod expresses its gratitude for the volunteer work of both the Property Committee and the Working Group, it also understands the constraints of most appointees who have full-time employment and other life commitments;
And whereas the diocesan Synod, in November 2019, called for a diocesan Affordable Housing Plan which is to (1) determine the feasibility of building affordable housing on diocesan-owned lands; (2) prioritize strategic partnerships with industry experts in the fields of planning, development, and affordable housing provision; and (3) establish specific achievable targets (e.g. 250 units by 2024);
And whereas this Diocesan Synod, in November 2019, called for this plan to be completed by November 30, 2020;
“It is moved by the Rev. Hernan Astudillo and seconded by the Rev. Dr. Catherine Keating that the 161st Synod of the Diocese of Toronto respond to the affordable housing crisis across the Diocese by appointing and hiring a full-time Director who is completely experienced in building “affordable” housing, the funding for this position to be realized through the establishment of partnerships.”
Motion #11D – Church Energy Management
The Secretary of Synod received the following notice of motion on Sept. 23, 2022. A copy of the motion can be found in Section A of the Convening Circular. “It is moved by the Rev. Dr. Alison Kemper and seconded by Stuart Hutcheson, ODT that the Diocese of Toronto adopt the national Net Zero Churches Network approach as a model for management of diocesan property:
- Every church to begin to assess their energy management challenges by completing a self-guided building audit and energy audit no later than their next required building survey.
- Churches contemplating renovations/upgrades to HVAC to complete thermal imaging whenever possible, and be given information by the Diocese about recommended energy solutions for their building.
- Diocese to connect parishes with the necessary expertise and assistance (incl. potential financial assistance) to pursue net-zero type solutions.
- All redevelopment projects to clearly demonstrate efforts to adopt energy solutions that will bring them closer to net-zero GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions.
Motion #11E – Affordable Housing Plan
This notice of motion references a motion approved by Synod in 2019. That motion read: “It was moved by the Rev. Dr. Jason McKinney and seconded by the Rev. Canon David Harrison that this Synod request Diocesan Council (or its successor) to respond to the affordable housing crisis across the Diocese by developing an Affordable Housing Plan. This plan will:
- determine the feasibility of building affordable housing on diocesan owned lands;
- prioritize strategic partnerships with industry experts in the fields of planning, development, and affordable housing provision;
- establish specific achievable targets (e.g. 250 units by 2024)
The plan should be completed by Nov. 30, 2020 at which time a report to Synod and to the Diocese will be made. CARRIED.”
Chancellor Burns turned to the new notice of motion received by the Secretary of Synod on Sept. 23, 2022: “Moved by the Rev. Angie Hocking and seconded by the Rev. Jeff Nowers that this Synod ensure that the Affordable Housing Plan (Motion #11, 2020) is implemented in a way that prioritizes the wellbeing of our communities as well as our congregations by
- clarifying the operative definition of affordability;
- aiming to increase the number of affordable units in each new housing project;
- ensuring that a meaningful portion of new housing is financially accessible to those with incomes equal to or less than current social assistance levels;
- considering all diocesan lands as potential sites for affordable housing, especially vacant and under-utilized lands.”
Bishop Shaw asked if anyone had a question. Geraldine Sperling of St. George on Yonge spoke about affordable housing. She said she was concerned about trying to do something about affordable housing in isolation of City policy. She also spoke about housing for homeless people. A local project did not go ahead because of NIMBY-ism. She said affordable housing is a very complex issue and the diocese needs to do a lot of work before deciding to move ahead unilaterally.
Further Notices of Motion
Chancellor Burns continued. “If you anticipate delivering a Notice of Motion, you should know it must be in writing and delivered to Pamela Boisvert, the Secretary of Synod. It is possible to do it from the floor of Synod. However, the chancellorial team urges you to do so in advance of Synod so that a thorough review can be carried out on how other canons may be unintentionally impacted.
“Finally, there are two other motions that Synod will be asked to consider. Earlier this year, the Secretary of Synod carried out a survey of Synod members. The results showed strong support for keeping the diocese’s General Synod members and Synod Council members in their roles for the remainder of this year and into 2023. The first question in the survey asked Synod members if they agreed that the General Synod members elected at the Diocese’s Synod in November 2021 should serve as members representing the Diocese at the next session of General Synod when that gathering is scheduled. General Synod was supposed to be held this past summer but was postponed to June 2023 due to the pandemic. The Diocese’s Constitution states that at a regular session of Synod immediately preceding a meeting of General Synod, Synod must elect its General Synod members. Of the 346 Synod members who replied to the question, 315 answered “yes” and 31 answered “no.”
The second question in the survey asked Synod members if they agreed that Synod Council members elected at the Synod in November 2021 should remain in office until the end of the regular session of Synod in 2023, which coincides with the end of the Diocese’s governance pilot project. The regular term of office for a Synod Council member is to serve until the end of the next session of Synod. This is usually for two years; however, since the Diocese is holding a meeting of Synod three years in a row, it was recommended that the current members continue in office until the end of the governance pilot project, to provide continuity. The pilot project is expected to conclude with the 2023 Synod. Of the 346 Synod members who responded to the question, 332 answered “yes” and 14 answered “no.” Since the Synod members who responded to the questions indicated their overwhelming agreement that those elected in 2021 to General Synod and Synod Council should continue to hold these positions, the planning for Synod took this into account. Synod will however be asked to formally approve these decisions in two motions. The motions can be found in Section A of your Convening Circular:
Motion #3A – General Synod members
“It will be moved and seconded that Synod hereby confirms that the members elected at the 160th Regular Session of Synod to serve as General Synod members for the 43rd Session of General Synod continue to represent the Diocese of Toronto.”
and
Motion #3B – Synod Council members
“It will be moved and seconded that Synod hereby confirms that the members elected at the 160th Regular Session of Synod to serve as Synod Council members remain in their positions for the duration of the Pilot Governance Project.”
Missional and Outreach Moment
Synod members watched a video about an important ministry at the Parish of Georgina. Beautiful, historic, and with almost 10,000 personal visits by the public, the church is one of the most visited parishes during the summer.
Thank you
Bishop Shaw expressed her gratitude to everyone for their efforts in planning for today’s meeting. She closed the meeting with a prayer.
For more information, visit the Upcoming Synod page.
