General Synod/Te Hinota Whanui passed three bills on matters of liturgical order.

Each bill was moved by Bishop Victoria Matthews (Christchurch) and seconded by Bishop Te Kitohi Pikaahu (Tai Tokerau).

All were confirmed and passed into law on Tuesday, 13 May after detailed consideration on the first day of Synod.

Bill No 4 

Rt Rev’d V Matthews/Rt Rev’d T Pikaahu 

A Bill to Amend The Constitution/Te Pouhere (Authorised Services), 2014

Whereas General Synod/te Hinota Whanui in 2012 had been advised of a resolution asking for a review of the liturgical rules of our Church with a view to improving clarity and where necessary simplification, and

Whereas that resolution was not considered due to lack of time but was referred to the General Synod Standing Committee, which deemed it unable to be considered by them, and

Whereas the Common Life Liturgical Commission, the House of Bishops, and the Chancellors and Legal Advisors Group have considered these matters and recommend some amendments, beginning with the below Constitutional amendment and, subsequent to that being confirmed, the repeal of Title G Canon VI, and consequential amendments to Title G Canon XIV, and repeal of SRL3,

The General Synod/te Hīnota Whānui enacts as follows:

1. 1.        Title.  The Title of this Statute is ‘The Constitution/Te Pouhere (Authorised Services) Amendment Statute, 2014.’

1. 2.        Purpose.  To amend Part G of the Constitution/Te Pouhere to define authorised services in the Constitution and Code of Canons.

1. 3.        Constitutional Amendment:

Part G, Clause 2 of the Constitution/Te Pouhere is amended by the addition, at the end of the clause, following the words ‘include a Bishop.’, the words,

‘“Authorised Services” includes (a) Formularies, (b) Experimental uses as authorised by the 1928 Act, and (c) other services authorised under Title G Canon XIV.’

1. 4.        Process.  The passing of Clause 3 is an adoption of a specific proposal in terms of Part G Clause 4 of the Constitution/ Te Pouhere, and shall be made known to Te Runanganui o Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa, the Synod of the Diocese of Polynesia, and the several Diocesan Synods in New Zealand in accordance with the provisions of Title C Canon I

Notes to support the Bill:

The issues with Title G Canon XIV and SLR3 are two –fold – (1) inconsistency with the 1928 Act and
(2) lack of fundamental authorisation in the first place. 

The first issue is easily resolved, as there was no need for those liturgies to be experimental and so no need to try and invoke the 1928 Act.  The Act is only relevant to intended new Formularies, and has no other use. 

The second issue can be resolved by an amendment to clause 2 of Part G of the Constitution (which is not Fundamental, so can be easily amended) to define “Authorised Services” as being (a) Formularies, (b experimental uses as authorised by the 1928 Act, and (c) other services authorised under Title G Canon XIV”. 

This Constitutional provision would then provide the proper basis, which is at present lacking, for Title G Canon XIV and SLR3.

Title G Canon XIV could then be repealed and replaced with a new Canon which effectively authorises the kinds of activities referred to in the current Canon and SLR3.  Services could be authorised by Bishops or whole Tikanga, but would have to be:

(a) Based on ‘A Form for Ordering a Service of the Word’ and/or ‘An Alternative Form for Ordering The Eucharist’ [being our existing framework for liturgical development]

(b)  Not inconsistent with the teachings of the Formularies 

(c)  Are not themselves Formularies, unless expressly made so on using the 1928 Act procedure, and therefore do not form part of the Doctrine of the Church  

(d)  Will generally be suitable for occasional and non-controversial services in the life of the Church [the point is that this process is a liturgical process re the form of expression not a process for theological innovation as to content of that expression] 

Aspects of these requirements are already found in Title G Canon XIV and SLR3. The 1928 Act has no relevance to such services (unless a formal proposal is adopted to make them a Formulary, which is a separate process). 

Title G Canon XIV could then empower Bishops and whole Tikanga to authorise such liturgies, on that appropriately limited basis.  They would then be Authorised Services for the purposes of Title D, but without confusion as to the Formularies, Doctrine and the 1928 Act. 

Bill No 5 

Rt Rev’d V Matthews/Rt Rev’d T Pikaahu 

A Bill to Amend The Liturgy of Baptism and The Laying on of Hands for Confirmation and Renewal, 2014  

Whereas the General Synod/te Hīnota Whānui by Statute 441 in 1988 confirmed the adoption of The Liturgy of Baptism and The Laying on of Hands for Confirmation and Renewal, and

Whereas the rubrics of said Liturgy require clarification and amendment,

This General Synod/te Hīnota Whānui enacts as follows:

1. 1.        Title. The title of this Statute shall be The Liturgy of Baptism and The Laying on of Hands for Confirmation and Renewal Amendment Statute 2014.

1. 2.        Purpose.  To amend the rubrics of said Liturgy to clarify the preferred placement of this Liturgy in a Eucharistic Liturgy.

1. 3.        The Liturgy of Baptism and The Laying on of Hands for Confirmation and Renewal is amended as follows:

Where on page 383 of A New Zealand Prayer Book – He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa it now says –

“The liturgy takes place when the Church meets for the Eucharist or another service of worship. It follows the New Testament Lesson or The Gospel or The Sermon. In special circumstances the bishop or priest shall provide a suitable introduction to this liturgy.”

The above words be amended to say – 

“The liturgy takes place when the Church meets for the Eucharist or another service of worship. Baptism and/or Confirmation follows the proclamation of the Word, and in the context of a celebration of the Holy Eucharist is prior to The Peace,” and

Where on page 394 of A New Zealand Prayer Book – He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa it now says –

“Or

The service may continue with The Sermon or The Prayers of the People, but The Creed is not said again.

Or”

The above words be amended to say –

“Or

The service continues but The Creed is not said again.

Or”

1. 4.        Clause 3 of this Statute is the adoption of a specific proposal in terms of Part B, Clause 6(a) of the Constitution/te Pouhere, and Section 4(a) of the Church of England Empowering Act 1928, and shall be made known to Te Runanganui o Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa, the Synod of the Diocese of Polynesia, and the several Diocesan Synods in New Zealand

Bill No 6 

Rt Rev’d V Matthews/Rt Rev’d T Pikaahu 

A Bill to Amend the Reference to Sunday Titles in all Formularies, Canons,

and Publications of this Church 

Whereas, various provisions exist for naming the Sundays in The Calendar – Te Maramataka, and these differ between the A New Zealand Prayer Book – He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa on pages 4-6 and pages 692-723, the Revised Common Lectionary, the Notes on the Calendar, and Celebrating Common Prayer, and

Whereas, consistency is desirable, 

This General Synod/te Hīnota Whānui enacts as follows:

1. 1.        Title.  The title of this Statute shall be The Reference to Sunday Titles in all Formularies, Canons, and Publications of this Church Statute 2014. 

1. 2.        Purpose.  To amend the Reference to Sunday Titles in all Formularies, Canons, and Publications of this Church. 

1. 3.        The Sunday Titles should be described as being ‘of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter’ and ‘in Lent and Ordinary Time’ in all references in Formularies/Canons/Publications of this Church, noting especially in A New Zealand Prayer Book – He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa pages 4-6, 525-536, and 550-602.

1. 4.        Clause 3 of this Statute is the adoption of a specific proposal in terms of Part B, Clause 6(a) of the Constitution/te Pouhere, and Section 4(a) of the Church of England Empowering Act 1928, and shall be made known to Te Runanganui o Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa, the Synod of the Diocese of Polynesia, and the several Diocesan Synods in New Zealand.