Deanery Information - Introduction

What is Amersham Deanery Synod?
How are Deaneries organised?
What are Deanery Synods for?
What is a Deanery?

A Deanery is a collection of Church of England Churches and Groups of Churches in a Benefice in the same geographical area. There are ten Deaneries in the Archdeaconry of Buckingham stretching from Slough in the South to Newport in the North and including the UK’s newest city – Milton Keynes.
The four Archdeaconries of Buckingham, Dorchester, Oxford and Reading make up the extent of the Diocese of Oxford.

Amersham Deanery

Amersham Deanery is a collection of some thirteen different churches and benefices meeting in thirty two different locations and containing the major towns of Amersham, Beaconsfield, Chalfont St Peter, Chesham and Gerrards Cross. The accompanying figure shows the locations of the different parishes and church buildings within Amersham Deanery

Amersham Deanery Synod

Deanery Synod is a gathering of representatives from the Church of England parishes.  Membership consists of the House of Clergy of the parishes and benefices, and the House of Laity who also are a subset of serving members of individual church and benefice Parochial Church Councils (PCC’s).

Amersham Deanery normally meets three or four times a year.

How is Amersham Deanery Organised?

As for any Deanery Synod, Amersham Deanery Synod has a number of key roles who also are members of the Deanery Standing Committee responsible for the organisation of Synod meetings.

The Area Dean - currently Peggy Ludlow
The Area Dean is co-chair of the Deanery Synod & Standing Committee. The Area Dean has responsibilities, both in support of the regular work of the Deanery and also in specific circumstances, for example when there’s a clergy parish vacancy when they form part of the interview process for new clergy appointments.  Area Dean chairs the Chapter which is the meeting of Deanery Clergy.
peggy.ludlow@cheniesbenefice.org

The Lay Chair – currently Lawrence Tebboth
The Lay Chair is the other co-chair of the Deanery Synod & Standing Committee  and plays an active role during clergy interview days and represents the laity at Institutions and Licensings. The Lay Chair is an ear and a voice for the parishes on other bodies and he or she informs the Bishop and Archdeacon of any legal or Pastoral concerns arising from the parishes. The Lay Chair reports back on meetings with Bishops, Archdeacons and other Diocesan Officials.
lawrence.tebboth40g@btopenworld.com

The Deanery Treasurer – currently Julie Dziegiel
Parish Share is the term used for the money paid by each parish towards the cost of the clergy and the costs of the diocesan and national church staff. In the Oxford Diocese the amount of money requested from each Deanery is set by Oxford Diocese from the overall budget agreed at Diocesan Synod.  Each Deanery has then to decide how the Deanery Parish share is distributed between its benefices. The Deanery Treasurer has a key role in helping in the decision-making process, liaising with Diocesan Finance and supporting parish treasurers in their work. He or she also manages the Deanery accounts.
julie@dziegiels.me.uk

The Deanery Synod Chapter Clerk & The Deanery Administrator – currently Daf Meirion-Jones and Dorothy Potter.

The Deanery Chapter Clerk assists the Area Dean in arranging a quarterly meeting of the Clergy Chapter. vicar@pshg.org

The Deanery Administrator records the minutes of the Synod meetings and helps the Area Dean and Lay Chair with all other aspects of administration of the deanery. (01494) 729380
stmarys.amersham@btconnect.com

Assistant Area Dean and Assistant Lay Chair-currently vacant

The Deanery may have an Assistant Area Dean and an Assistant Lay Chair.

What are Deanery Synods for?
Entry Level of the Church of England Synodical Structure
The synodical structure is the decision-making structure of the Church of England.
Deanery Synod is therefore a place where concerns from individual parishes can be aired and, where appropriate, fed in to be considered by the Diocesan Synod, which can, in turn, ask for them to be considered at General Synod. Likewise, decisions from General and Diocesan Synod are communicated out to Deanery Synod to be passed on to PCCs in every parish.

Supporting Mission
Just as people in a single congregation use their different skills together to show God’s love in their community, the various churches represented at Deanery Synod have particular strengths and can help support one another. Usually this is by a cross-fertilisation of ideas that have worked well but we hope to build stronger friendships and be able to give greater, more practical, mutual support and see the mission of God grow in all our villages and towns.

Holding the Body together.  (Sinews & Ligaments)
Aside from the structural demands of synod, and the focussed sharing in mission activities, Deanery Synod is also a place of Christian fellowship. We worship God together and support one another. As individuals we hope to have that support primarily in our parishes but as we meet and work together.  We also look out for one another and demonstrate God’s love in the way we meet. Also, any church, parish or benefice may need the support of the rest of the Deanery from time to time and it is right that we make provision for that as we can.

What Happens at Deanery Synod?
Deanery Synod Meetings are presided over by the Area Dean and the Lay Chair who share the responsibility.  The key task is for all to work collaboratively.

Deanery Synod typically meets three or four times per year in March, June, September and November.  Formal business includes the Annual General Meeting of the Amersham Deanery Trust charity (normally March) and the setting of Parish Share in November.  A minimum of two weeks notice is required before a meeting with publication of the Agenda and meeting place.

Synod always commences with worship and prayer.

The Deanery Synod aims to have an interesting agenda and develop a pattern of meetings to encourage involvement with creative and useful outcomes.  .

Confirmation Services
Confirmation Services are held at regular intervals in the Deanery.  Please contact your local minister or Deanery Secretary to enquire about dates and locations.

The Oxford Diocese also has a section on 'Everyday Faith', please click on the image below to be taken to this section.