The Bishop of Saskatoon presented the Brief as a whole, but the Bishop of Fredericton presented Section 4 of the Brief which had special reference to the financial matters of the Theological Colleges.
Text
That the Brief of the Provisional Committee on Theological Education be received. CARRIED.
That a letter be sent from this Session of General Synod to Bishop Steer thanking him for his work as Chairman of the Committee on Theological Education. CARRIED
That, pending the amendment of Canon XXIV, this House give authority for a Provisional Committee re Theological Education to be set up immediately, pending the appointment of a Board at the next session of General Synod.
CARRIED (See pp. 70, 100.) Message L-74.
Notes
Page 100-101
Message L-74 - Provisional Committee on Theological Education
That, pending the amendment of Canon XXIV, ("Board of Examiners for Divinity Degrees"), this House give authority for a Provisional Committee on Theological Education to be set up immediately. (See p. 68.)
Message U-27:
The Upper House concurs in Message L-74 of the Lower House. (See p. 70.)
That a letter be sent from this Session of General Synod to Bishop Steer thanking him for his work as Chairman of the Committee on Theological Education. CARRIED
Notes
[Recorded as No. 112 in Acts of Synod, p. 71. List of Acts includes actions which are NOT resolutions/acts.]
Amended Resolution 1 from GBRE on General Policy of Church's Educational Ministry
That the following resolution be referred to the Committee on Theological Education for study and report:
"Therefore Be It Resolved that this General Synod affirm the following standards of education for the renewal of the Church in its mission and ministry:
1. We must seek as much as possible to train and educate both lay and clerical members of the Church together.
2. On-the-job training provides the opportunity for testing the success or failure of training. Education should be geared as closely as possible to local ministry and the mission of the Church.
3. We can learn far more from our experience than we do. Research, planning, experimenting and evaluation all need to be elements of designs for education.
4. The Church must be encouraged to use the full resources of the community, including the experience of the laity and the non-Christian.
5. At every opportunity education should be inter-church and ecumenical.
6. There must be as much integration as possible between colleges, dioceses and national departments.
And that this General Synod requests the National Executive Council to direct such funds as shall become available for the purpose of (a) bursaries (b) partial support of pilot projects and experimental work with dioceses which meet the above standards, such funds to be administered by the appropriate body of the National Office;
And instruct the Program Planning and Research Committee (or its successor) and the Committee on Theological Education to accept the invitation of the United Church to participate with other Churches in any planning for a national consultation on ecumenical structures for theological education, and the sharing in the cost of such a consultation!" CARRIED
That the National Executive Council approves the Continued Education Plan embodied in the draft Canon and commends it to the dioceses for study and report to the Secretary of the Committee on Theological Education before January 20, 1969, with the understanding that no response from a diocese will indicate that the Plan is found acceptable to that diocese for presentation to General Synod in August 1969, to become effective on January 1st, 1970. CARRIED
That the Committee on Theological Education formulate its plan for the continued education of the clergy and full-time church workers in continuing full consultation with the Committees on Administration and Finance, Long Range Planning, and Program. CARRIED
That Recommendation #1 of the Committee on Theological Education be approved. CARRIED
Notes
[Text of Recommendation #1 from: Report of the Committee on Theological Education:]
Recommendations
1. That the National Executive Council endorse the actions taken by the Committee on Theological Education in response to the resolution received from the National Consultation on Theological Education.