There are several layers of church government. The basic level is the Parochial Church Council.
Above this there are also the Deanery Synod, the Diocesan Synod and finally the General Synod at national level. The Deanery Synod covers all the parishes in the borough of Fareham. (Apart from the three Fareham parishes the Deanery consists of the churches in Portchester, Crofton, Titchfield, Locksheath, Sarisbury, Warsash and Whiteley.)
The number of people elected from each parish depends on the numbers on the Electoral Roll. Our parish has four representatives.
The Synod consists of two ‘houses’.
The House of Laity, members elected by our PCC to serve on the Synod for three years.
The House of Clergy is the parish clergy in the deanery, paid and unpaid, though not the retired.
There are Four Officers of Synod.
The House of Laity elects the Lay Chair at the beginning of the three-year term.
The bishop appoints the Rural Dean after consultation with the clergy to serve for five years. In addition to other duties in the Deanery the Rural Dean is joint Chair of Synod.
The Synod Secretary is elected by the whole Synod to record the minutes of meetings, to bring items for the agenda to the Standing Committee and to provide members with copies of the agenda.
The Deanery Treasurer is elected by the whole Synod to look after the financial affairs of the Synod, to collect from parishes an amount to cover expenses of the Synod and to give an annual statement of accounts.
These four Officers, plus some other members elected by the Synod, make up the Standing Committee. They look after Synod affairs between meetings and prepare the agenda.
The functions of Deanery Synod are set out in the Synodical Government Measure of 1969 and published in Church Representation Rules. They are also reproduced in Synod Standing Orders.