The Diocese of Toronto’s 161st Regular Session of Synod was held Nov. 17-19, 2022. The opening service, including the Bishop’s Charge, was held in-person and live-streamed at All Saints, Kingsway on Nov. 17. The rest of Synod was held online. The theme of Synod, “Cast the Net,” came from the Diocese’s visioning process. For more information on the motions and reports that came to Synod, see the Convening Circular on the Synod webpage on the diocese’s website, www.toronto.anglican.ca. Here are the highlights from Synod on Nov. 18.
Day 1
Morning Prayer
Synod began with Morning Prayer at St. John’s Convent by the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine.
Welcome and land acknowledgement
Bishop Andrew Asbil welcomed Synod members to the Synod. “Over the next day and a half, we will be working together, united in a common purpose: the mission and ministry of God’s Church in the Diocese of Toronto,” he said. “And even though we are many members, in many places, we are One as the Body of Christ. Let us hold that spirit of unity as we proceed with the business of today and tomorrow.” He also gave a land acknowledgement.
Agenda and Omnibus Motion
Synod approved the revised agenda for Synod, and in an omnibus motion it received Synod Council’s Report to Synod and approved the minutes of the 160th Regular Session of Synod, held Nov. 25-27, 2021.
Synod since 2021
Synod members watched a video about the Property Committee and its work, especially in the area of helping parishes that want to build housing that includes affordable housing.
Missional and outreach moment
In the first missional and outreach moment, Synod members learned about St. Luke, Creemore’s foodbank, which caters to the needs of several families in the community. Local merchants provide food to the foodbank, which is run by a dedicated group of people at the church.
Notices of Motion
Synod voted on the following motions. The motions can be found in Section A of the Convening Circular.
Motion #11 A – Affordable Housing
The Secretary of Synod received the following notice of motion on Nov. 26, 2021. “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.”
The motion was carried.
Motion #11B – Allotment
The Secretary of Synod received the following notice of motion on Nov. 26, 2021, and it was amended by Synod on Nov. 18, 2022 to read: “It is moved by the Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan and seconded by Gail Browne that given parish allotments cannot 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 Synod Council outlining that because diocesan staff and ministries are important, how they can be maintained in the future and how past and future budget deficits can be covered using diocesan investments rather than increasing parish assessments.”
The motion was carried.
Motion #11C – Staff position
The Secretary of Synod received the following revised notice of motion on Oct. 22, 2022:
“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 Nov. 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 recommends that the Diocese responds 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 partnership, and requires Synod Council to make any necessary adjustments to the budget to make the hiring possible, reporting back to Synod and the diocese in six months and continue to do so at six-month intervals until a director has been hired.”
The mover and seconder spoke to the motion, saying there is a critical need for affordable housing. During the debate, the co-chairs of the diocese’s Property Committee said they were not in favour of the motion because work in this area is well underway and the hiring of a director at this point could hinder that progress. “We already have a highly qualified team in place,” said Peter Patterson, ODT, co-chair.
The motion was defeated.
Motion #11D – Church Energy Management
The Secretary of Synod received the following notice of motion on Sept. 23, 2022. “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 (including 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.”
The motion was carried.
Cast the Net visioning process
Synod members learned about Cast the Net, the diocese’s visioning and strategy process. The Rev. Dr. Alison Falby, co-chair of Cast the Net, welcomed everyone and encouraged their participation in it. The consulting team – Canon Ian Alexander, the Very Rev. Peter Elliott and Dr. Anita Gittens, ODT – were introduced. Synod members were given an overview of Cast the Net and the results of a Synod survey, and then broke into small groups to answer important questions related to it. In particular, Synod members were asked, “What would it mean as a diocese, in this time and place, to cast our net on the other side of the boat?”
Notices of Motion
Synod voted on the following motions. The motions can be found in Section A of the Convening Circular.
Motion #11E – Affordable Housing Plan
The Secretary of Synod received the following notice of motion on Oct. 14, 2022. “It will be moved by the Rev. Angie Hocking and seconded by the Rev. Jeff Nowers that this Synod ensure that the Affordable Housing Plan (Motion #11, 2019) is implemented in a way that prioritizes the wellbeing of our communities as well as our congregations by:
- 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.”
The motion was carried.
Motion #11F – Amendment to Motion #11 from 2019 Synod
The Secretary of Synod received the following notice of motion on Oct. 14, 2022. “It will be moved by the Rev. Dr. Jason McKinney and seconded by the Rev. Angie Hocking that this Synod request Synod Council 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; clearly define the meaning of affordability for each project.”
The motion was carried.
Governance Pilot Project
Chancellor Clare Burns spoke about changes to the diocese’s governance structure. “In June, an evaluation of the governance structure was initiated by a small group,” she said. “You may have read the article in the September issue of The Anglican. 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. 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 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.
“At this juncture, Synod will be asked to receive the Governance Project Review report. The group will continue its evaluation with regular reports to the Risk and Governance Committee leading up to our next Synod in 2023. There are two motions that deal with the Governance Project before this Synod. The first is the Governance Project Review report and the second relates to our Constitution and Canons.
“One year in, the new governance model has functioned largely as anticipated. 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.”
Synod voted on the following motions dealing with the Governance Pilot Project:
Motion #4 – Governance Project
“It is moved by the Rev. Andrew MacDonald and seconded by Sheila Robson that Synod receive the Governance Review report dated Sept. 22, 2022.” For more information on the Governance Review report, see Section F of the Convening Circular.
Motion #5A – Suspension of Canons
“It is moved by the Rev. Andrew MacDonald and seconded by Sheila Robson 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.”
The motions were carried.
Episcopal Leadership Implementation
The co-chairs of the Episcopal Leadership Implementation Team, the Rev. Canon Stephen Kirkegaard and Susan Abell, ODT, updated Synod on the team’s work, which will result in the creation of territorial archdeacon positions in the Diocese. They said work was progressing well and they thanked all those who contributed to this important initiative.
Missional and outreach moment
Synod learned about All Saints, Whitby’s Community Garden, which was built with the notion of sharing the love of God, and to share with those who are in need, bringing the community closer together. The garden was assisted by a Reach Grant from the Diocese.
Evening Prayer
Evening Prayer was led by members of the Bishop’s Youth Ministry Committee and youth ministry leaders.
Adjournment
Bishop Riscylla Shaw adjourned the meeting.
Day 2
Morning Prayer
Today’s session of Synod opened with Morning Prayer from the Priory of the Order of the Holy Cross in Toronto.
Constitution and Canon changes
Due to time constraints, Synod voted on three motions together that dealt with the Constitution and Canons. Before voting, Chancellor Clare Burns took Synod members through the various proposed changes to the Constitution and Canons. For more information on these, see Section E of the Convening Circular.
“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 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.
“Next are changes to Canon 10. 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.
“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 diocesan Archives.”
At this point, Synod voted on the three motions (#5B, #5C, #5D) in an omnibus motion that read: “It is moved by the Rev. Andrew MacDonald and seconded by Sheila Robson that Synod approve changes to the Constitution, Canon 10 and Canon 48 as recommended for approval by Synod Council and presented in the Convening Circular.” The motion was carried.
Chancellor 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 voted on the following motion.
Motion #5E
“It is moved by the Rev. Andrew MacDonald and seconded by Sheila Robson that Synod approve the changes to Canon 14, as recommended for approval by Synod Council and presented in the Convening Circular.”
The motion was carried.
Financial overview
Synod voted on the following motions. For more information, see Section C of the Convening Circular.
Motion #6
“It is moved by the Rev. Andrew MacDonald and seconded by Sheila Robson 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
“It is moved by the Rev. Andrew MacDonald and seconded by Sheila Robson 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.”
The motions were carried.
Priorities and Plans 2023 and budget
Executive Director Canon Robert Saffrey and Controller Patricia D’Souza presented the Priorities and Plans 2023 document and the diocese’s budget for 2023. After their presentation, Synod voted on the following motion. More information can be found in Section D of the Convening Circular.
Motion #8
“It is moved by the Rev. Andrew MacDonald and seconded by Sheila Robson that Synod receive the document entitled Priorities and Plans 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.”
The motion was carried.
Confirmation of General Synod and Synod Council members
Chancellor Burns spoke to Synod. “At the Pre-Synod meeting, I reported on a survey of Synod members conducted by the Secretary of Synod earlier this year. 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 was asked to formally approve these decisions in the following two motions. The motions can be found in Section A of the Convening Circular.
Motion #3A – General Synod members
“It is moved by the Rev. Andrew MacDonald and seconded by Sheila Robson 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.” For clarity, the clerical names are the Rev. Canon Dr. Stephen Fields (St. James Cathedral), the Rev. Molly Finlay (St. John the Baptist, Norway), the Rev. Roshni Jayawardena (Trinity-St. Paul, Port Credit), the Rev. Canon Erin Martin (All Saints, King City) acting substitute, the Rev. Mark Regis (St. Mary and St. Martha), the Rev. Canon Nicola Skinner (Grace Church, Markham), and the Rev. Canon Claudette Taylor (Epiphany and St. Mark, Parkdale). Lay Members are Chris Ambidge, ODT (Church of the Redeemer, Bloor St.), Yvonne Murray, ODT (St. John the Divine, Scarborough), Vice-Chancellor Gail Smith (St. Andrew, Scarborough), Marion Thompson, ODT (St. Peter, Oshawa), David Toycen, ODT (Trinity, Streetsville), Laura Walton, ODT (Holy Trinity, Clearview), and Mary Walsh, ODT (St. John the Baptist, Oak Ridges).
Motion #3B – Synod Council members
“It is moved by the Rev. Andrew MacDonald and seconded by Sheila Robson 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.” For clarity, the elected members are Chris Ambidge, ODT (Church of the Redeemer, Bloor St.), the Rev. Canon Simon Bell (St. Margaret, Barrie and Trinity Church, Barrie), the Rev. Canon Dr. Stephen Fields (St. James Cathedral), the Rev. Canon Sister Constance Joanna Gefvert, SSJD (St. George on Yonge), the Rev. Maria Ling (Grace Church on-the-Hill), Heather McGregor, ODT (St. Mary Magdalene, Toronto), the Rev. Jesse Parker (St. John the Evangelist, Port Hope), David Toycen, ODT (Trinity Church, Streetsville), Laura Walton, ODT (Holy Trinity, Clearview), Eirene Wee (St. Paul, Bloor St).
The motions were carried.
Missional and outreach moment
Synod members learned about St. John, Bowmanville’s prayer labyrinth, which was created not only for parish members but whoever needs to have a deeper and closer relationship with God. The labyrinth was made out of grass on the lawn of the church.
Election of Honorary Secretaries of Synod
Synod voted on the following motion:
Motion #9
“It is moved by Chancellor Clare Burns and seconded by Vice Chancellor John van Gent that the following be elected for the ensuing term:
- Sheila Robson, Honorary Lay Secretary
- The Rev. Lisa Newland, Honorary Clerical Secretary
- Constance Kendall, ODT, Assistant Honorary Lay Secretary”
The motion was carried. Afterwards, Bishop Asbil thanked the Rev. Andrew MacDonald for his leadership as he retires from the position of Honorary Clerical Secretary of Synod. He served in that capacity since 2019. “We are grateful for the guidance and support that Andrew has provided over the years, especially as we learned how to do Synod in new and creative ways,” said Bishop Asbil.
Wrap-up
In his closing remarks, Bishop Asbil thanked everyone who made Synod possible, including Pamela Boisvert, the Secretary of Synod, and the sponsors of Synod. He thanked Chancellor Clare Burns, who is retiring as the Chancellor, and presented her with a bouquet of flowers. He also spoke briefly of Cast the Net, saying “it is an opportunity to go out into uncharted waters together.”
Closing prayer and hymn
Bishop Asbil gave the closing prayer and Synod members listened to a song from the praise band at Trinity, Streetsville.
