Letter to Bishops Final 23 April 2009

Here's one for my clergically inclined readers.
I've just received papers explaining more about the changes to terms of service almost certainly about to take place for C of E clergy. And if you click on the title of this post you'll be directed to the 'commontenure' website, set up by the CofE.

On it we're told:

Since 2002, the Church of England has been reviewing the terms of service under which clergy hold office. New terms and conditions will be conferred on clergy through Common Tenure. It preserves the historic office holder status of parochial clergy, whilst giving them rights broadly equivalent to those of employees

• February
  2010 – Amending Canon 29 will return to General Synod for
  final approval and the capability and grievance procedures will also
  be considered by General Synod.

• Information pack about common tenure

We know that a great deal of work in preparation for the implementation of common tenure has already been going on at diocesan level - forexample arrangements for ministerial development review andrecruitment of HR Advisers, and frameworks for assessment at the end of curacy. However, it might be helpful to flag up some of the otherwork that will need to be done at diocesan level before common tenure can be implemented, particularly the arrangements that you will need to have in place to enable you to comply with requirements of thelegislation on issuing statements of particulars.

We attach an information pack consisting of the following items.

1 A model letter that you can adapt and use to update clergy in yourdiocese on the progress of the Terms of Service legislation

2 A list of actions in dioceses required to implement common tenure,including

(a) structures

(b) policies and procedures

(c) practical arrangements for common tenure

(d)training


3 An example of the statement of particulars that the regulations will require you to issue to all clergy in common tenure appointments

Communication

We are sending a hard copy of this letter and the information pack to your diocesan secretary and the chairs of your diocesan houses of clergy and laity. We are also sending the pack by email to the following

Chairs of DBFs, Suffragan and area bishops, Archdeacons, Diocesan registrars and chancellors,

CME officers, Diocesan directors of ministry, Diocesan directors of ordinands, HR advisers

Please feel free to share this material with anyone else who needs to know, for example, all members of your staff council.

In addition, we are putting the information pack on the Church of England website, where information on the new terms of service arrangements can now be located more easily by going direct to the new domain name www.commontenure.org

Members of staff and the Terms of Service Implementation Panel are very willing to come and talk to your diocesan synod or staff meeting if you would find that helpful. Please contact Patrick Shorrock AT cofe.anglican.org for further details.

In addition, during the course of 2009, the staff at Church House will be providing further material to support dioceses, and will be running some further training events, as dioceses start to put the necessary arrangements in place.

This work on terms of service has taken a long time to reach this stage, and we should like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patient engagement with it. Now that the Royal Assent has been received to the Measure, we are in a position to make detailed plans on implementing a project that will help us all in the service of Christ by providing greater clarity, fairness and support for those engaged in ministry.