Overview
In the Church of England, a Deanery Synod is a gathering convened by the Area Dean and/or the Joint Lay Chair of the Deanery Synod. It consists of all clergy licensed to a benefice within the deanery, plus elected lay members.
The functions of a Deanery Synod are:
- To consider matters concerning the Church of England and to make provision for such matters in relation to their Deanery, and to consider and express their opinion on any other matters of religious or public interest;
- To bring together the views of the parishes of the Deanery on common issues to discuss and formulate policies, to foster a sense of community among those parishes, and generally to promote in the Deanery the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical;
- To make known and so far as appropriate put into effect any provision made by the Diocesan Synod;
- To consider the business of the Diocesan Synod, and particularly any matters referred to that Synod by the General Synod, and to sound parochial opinion whenever they are required or consider it appropriate to do so;
- To raise such matters as the Deanery Synod consider appropriate with the Diocesan Synod.
Diocese of Leeds - Deanery Synods
There is a deanery synod for each of the twenty one deaneries in the diocese.
The Diocesan Synod has approved the rules which apply to all of these deanery synods.
A copy of the Deanery Synod Rules is available here Diocese of Leeds Deanery Synod rules