St Andrew's

Psalter Lane

Church

Annual Church Meeting 2023

ST ANDREW’S PSALTER LANE CHURCH

 

Minutes of the Annual Church Meeting held on Sunday 23rd April 2023

 

1.      Prayers: the meeting followed the morning service.

 

2.       Apologies for absence were received from Rev Naomi Cooke (Naomi was too ill to attend, but sent her apologies and blessings for the meeting),

Ann Blair, Janet Clarke, Alison Gregg, Anne & Nick Hutton, Judith & Peter Roberts, Pat & Chris Rogers, Josie Smith, Rachel & Mike Wildgust.

 

3.       Approval of Minutes: the Minutes of the previous Annual Meeting held on 3rd April 2022 were agreed to be an accurate record of the meeting and were signed by the Chair.

 

4.       Matters arising from the Minutes: none.

         

5.       Reports: reports had been sent in advance by email to members and friends of SAPLC, were available on the SAPLC website, and printed copies were offered to those who requested them. Reports were tabled except those that needed comment or clarification.  

  1. General Report on the Life of the Church: report tabled.
  2. Church Membership report including Electoral Roll: report tabled.  
  3. Worship Planning Committee: report tabled.

Anne Hollows suggested that members of the congregation could turn to the camera at the end of the service and wave to people watching services on-line; this could also be done during the opening Notices and welcome by the Churchwarden or Steward. Barbara Shuker raised the question of consent – Clare Loughridge said people had been asked to return Media Consent forms for this reason.,

To be referred to Worship Planning.

  1. Property and Finance Committee: reports tabled including accounts.

Property: report tabled.  

          Finance: Treasurer’s report tabled. Caroline Cripps asked about Restricted Funds; the Treasurer explained that the total amount in Restricted Funds was £13,256, of which £600 was for solar panels on Shirley House; the rest was for purposes including building work which could be used for the spire repair. £12,500 had been allocated from the Restricted Funds for the spire repair. The rest of the £35,000 being used for the repair was from general funds.

It was proposed by Bill Atherton and seconded by John Cripps that the accounts be received by the meeting, and proposed by Caroline Cripps and seconded by John Harding that Hawsons be retained as Reporting Accountant. Carried Nem Con.

  1. Pastoral Work (including Church Links): report tabled.   
  2. Music: report tabled. Mike Snook said that since most of the hymns were now from Singing the Faith, the old hymn books were redundant as well as looking messy and could be disposed of. To be referred to Leadership Team.

Barbara Booler asked about the use of unfamiliar hymns. To be referred to Worship Planning.

  1. Interfaith Centre: report tabled.  
  2. Family & Children: report tabled.

Clare Loughridge reported on school visits by Reception classes from Hunters Bar School; these had been hosted by a team of people. She suggested it would be good to have someone to take responsibility for organising Children’s work, for these visits and for writing reports to the ACM as well as ECC.

Janet Loughridge expressed pleasure at the revival of Junior Church and the number of children, and gratitude to the Junior Church Team.

  1. Safeguarding: report tabled.  
  1. Peace and Justice: report tabled.
  2. Eco-Congregation: report tabled.
  1. Ecclesall Deanery Synod: report tabled.
  1. Circuit Meeting: report tabled
  2. Clifford School: report tabled.
  3. Brownies, other BP organisations and St Andrew’s Hall: report tabled

 

Clare Loughridge thanked all the report writers for producing the reports.

 

 

6.       Elections.

  1. Church Stewards and Wardens:

Janet Loughridge thanked the retiring Warden, Clare Loughridge; she explained that when no-one had offered to step in as Chair of the ECC after the departure of David Body it had been agreed that the outgoing Steward or Warden would act as Chair of ECC for one year. Alastair Morris said it would be preferable to have a permanent Chair if there was someone who felt they wanted to do it; this would avoid the prospect of being expected to act as Chair putting potential Stewards and Wardens off standing.

Caroline Cripps, Julie Jordan Brown, and Alastair Morris were declared re-elected; Mary Mitchell was declared elected.

(Each Steward and Warden serves for 4 years from the date of first election)

 

  1. Ecumenical Church Council

Clergy, Churchwardens, Stewards, a Circuit representative (Katrin Hackett), the SAPLC Deanery Synod rep, the Circuit Superintendent are ex-officio members; Methodist members can serve 6 years (but do not have to); all members are elected annually.

 

Nominations had been received for: Kweku (Q) Ackom-Mensah,             Bill Atherton, Jenney Carpenter, John Cripps, Joseph Dey, John Harding, Anna Harvey, Sarah Hindmarsh, Anne Hollows, Clare Loughridge (Chair), Janet Loughridge, Peter Mitchell, Rachel Morris, Judith Roberts.

All nominees were declared elected.

 

  1. Deanery Synod: nominations had been received for Anna Calvert and Julie Jordan Brown, who were declared elected.

Anne Hollows asked about Circuit reps – these are appointed by the ECC.

 

 

7.       Joint Church Council: The Joint Church Council is responsible for the Sharing Agreement on the church property.

The council consists of:

Methodist: the Minister (or a Circuit Superintendent if the minister is Anglican), 2 Stewards and 3 members - currently Judith Roberts, Janet Evans, Anne Hollows; Anglican: the Incumbent (or Area Dean if the minister is Methodist), 2 Churchwardens and 3 members - currently Rodney Godber following the resignation of David Body and Imogen Clout.

Joe Dey and Clare Loughridge offered to stand for these posts and were elected Nem con.

 

Mike Snook suggested that a card be sent from the ACM to David Body and Imogen Clout thanking them for their years of service. Agreed; to be sent by the Secretary.

 

 

8.        Renewal of licence for Quakers’ use of Shirley House for Worship. The

Chairman explained that it had been agreed at the Annual Church Meeting in 2013 that the Quaker licence should be renewed every year, and this was proposed by Julie Jordan Brown and seconded by John Harding. Carried Nem Con. 

 

9.        Any Other Business: John Cripps asked for more people to volunteer for the

           monthly Working Parties.

 

 

10.      Concluding prayers: the meeting closed with the Grace.

Powered by Church Edit