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From
From Anglican Church of Australia - General Synod 2001 Media Service.
News and information:
www.anglican.org.au/generalsynod2001.
The 12th General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia today has formally passed resolutions relating to child protection and overseas aid.
The 250 members of the General Synod, meeting at Brisbane's Carlton Crest Hotel until July 27, formally (without debate) passed a resolution calling on the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, Archbishop Peter Carnley, to set up a committee to consider the issue of child protection in the Church.
The resolution called for the committee to consider the issues of: licensing of clergy and appointment of lay people who have been convicted of a serious sexual offence; the adequacy of current disciplinary measures and protocols; the screening of all persons who work with children; and the training of ordinands (those training to be clergy), clergy and lay leaders on the issue of child abuse.
The General Synod asked that recommendations and draft legislation be brought to the next General Synod in 2004.
The General Synod also passed a resolution encouraging the Federal Government to boost overseas aid.
"This Synod regrets that the proportion of gross national product allocated to overseas aid is little more than a third of the 0.7 per cent accepted as a target by the government, in accordance with UN resolution, and in the light of the continuing prosperity which is enjoyed by many Australians, encourages the government to share our well-being with the world's poor and deprived," a section of the resolution read.
The General Synod welcomed the Government's decision to increase its
share of overseas aid through AusAID being channelled through non-government organizations.
It also called on the church's 23 dioceses to put at least 0.7 per cent of their income into international development
programs.
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