By Anna Morrell, Archbishop's Media Officer / Swyddog y Cyfryngau i'r Archesgob
Parishioners across Wales are being invited to share their ideas for the future of the Church in Wales with a team of advisers who are conducting an independent root and branch review.
A series of open meetings is being held in all the six dioceses of Wales starting next week to give people the chance to meet the review team and have their say on a wide range of issues – from funding church buildings to reorganising structures.
The review was commissioned by the Church earlier this year with the aim of addressing fundamental questions about its role and structures as it approaches its centenary in 2020. It is made up of three independent consultants who will report back next year.
At the open meetings parishioners will be asked what aspect of both their diocese and the Church they feel most positive about and what changes they would like to see to make its ministry more effective. They will also be asked how they would address challenges such as the predicted fall in clergy numbers and financial resources.
Bishops and senior staff will meet the review group separately and will not be present at the open meetings.
The three members of the review team are: Lord Richard Harries, the former Bishop of Oxford, who chairs the group; Professor Charles Handy, former professor at the London Business School; and Professor Patricia Peattie, former Chair of the Episcopal Church in Scotland’s Standing Committee.
The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, urged people to attend the meetings. He said, “This is your chance to help shape the Church of the future and ensure it is fit for purpose for generations to come.
“We want everyone to be involved in this review and we will all have to be prepared to take seriously its findings and to be open to the possibility of significant change in our structures, ministry, use of buildings and other resources if it is seen to be in the best interests of the church and its mission to the people and communities of Wales.”
People can also take part in the review by sending written observations to the Chair of the Working Group at the following address by 12 January: Lord Harries of Pentregarth, The House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
There will be one open meeting in each diocese. The dates and venues are as follows:
November 8, St John’s Church, Carmarthen, 6.30pm
November 9, Brecon Cathedral, 2pm
November 28, St Asaph Cathedral, 6.30pm
November 29, Bangor Cathedral, 2.30pm
January 10, Llandaff (venue to be confirmed) 7.30pm
January 11, Newport, Priory Centre, Abergavenny, 2.30pm
NOTES
The questions people will be asked at the open meetings are:
1 What aspect of your diocese and the Church in Wales, do you feel most positive about?
2 What major changes or initiatives would you like to see in your diocese and in the Church in Wales, to make its ministry and witness more effective?
3. Given the predicted shortfall in the number of clergy what steps do you think should be taken to ensure that there continues to be ministry in every community?
4. Given the likely diminishment of the contribution of historic funds to the financing of the church (at present 30%) what steps do you think should be taken to ensure the financial viability of the church in the future?
5. Are there any other issues you would like to see the review team investigating in order to enhance the ministry and witness of the Church in Wales?
Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru
Dweud eich barn am ddyfodol yr Eglwys - Archesgob
Gwahoddir plwyfolion ym mhob rhan o Gymru i rannu eu syniadau am ddyfodol yr Eglwys yng Nghymru gyda thîm o gynghorwyr sy’n cynnal adolygiad annibynnol cynhwysfawr.
Cynhelir cyfres o gyfarfodydd agored ym mhob un o’r chwe esgobaeth yng Nghymru dros yr ychydig fisoedd nesaf i roi cyfle i bobl gwrdd â’r tîm adolygu a dweud eu barn ar ystod o faterion – o ariannu adeiladau’r eglwys i ad-drefnu strwythurau.
Comisiynwyd yr adolygiad gan yr Eglwys yn gynharach eleni gyda’r nod o drafod cwestiynau sylfaenol am ei rôl a’i strwythurau wrth iddi agosáu at ei chanmlwyddiant yn 2020. Mae tri ymgynghorydd annibynnol yn y tîm adolygu a byddant yn adrodd yn ôl y flwyddyn nesaf.
Yn y cyfarfodydd agored gofynnir i blwyfolion pa agwedd o’u hesgobaeth a hefyd yr Eglwys y teimlant yn fwyaf cadarnhaol amdanynt a pha newidiadau yr hoffent eu gweld i wneud eu gweinidogaeth yn fwy effeithiol. Gofynnir iddynt hefyd sut yr hoffent drin heriau megis y gostyngiad a ragwelir yn nifer clerigwyr ac adnoddau ariannol.
Bydd esgobion a staff uwch yn cwrdd ar wahân â’r gr?p adolygu ac ni fyddant yn bresennol yn y cyfarfodydd agored.
Tri aelod y tîm adolygu yw: Yr Arglwydd Richard Harries, cyn Esgob Rhydychen, sy’n cadeirio’r gr?p; Yr Athro Charles Handy, cyn athro yn Ysgol Fusnes Llundain, a’r Athro Patricia Peattie, cyn Gadeirydd Pwyllgor Sefydlog Eglwys Esgobol yr Alban.
Anogodd Archesgob Cymru, Dr Barry Morgan, bobl i fynychu’r cyfarfodydd. Dywedodd, “Dyma’ch cyfle i helpu siapio Eglwys y dyfodol a sicrhau ei bod yn addas i’r diben ar gyfer cenedlaethau i ddod.
“Rydym eisiau i bawb gymryd rhan yn yr adolygiad yma a bydd yn rhaid i ni gyd fod yn barod i gymryd ei ganfyddiadau o ddifrif a bod yn agored i bosibilrwydd newid sylweddol yn ein strwythurau, y defnydd o adeiladau ac adnoddau eraill os ystyrir bod hynny er budd gorau'r eglwys a’i chenhadaeth i bobl a chymunedau Cymru.”
Gall pobl hefyd gymryd rhan yn yr adolygiad drwy anfon sylwadau ysgrifenedig at Gadeirydd y Gweithgor yn y cyfeiriad dilynol erbyn 12 Ionawr: Lord Harries of Pentregarth, The House of Lords, Llundain, SW1A 0PW
Cynhelir un cyfarfod agored ym mhob esgobaeth. Mae’r dyddiadau a’r lleoliadau fel sy’n dilyn:
8 Tachwedd, Eglwys Sant Ioan Caerfyrddin, 6.30pm
9 Tachwedd, Cadeirlan Aberhonddu, 2pm
28 Tachwedd, Cadeirlan Llanelwy, 6.30pm
29 Tachwedd, Cadeirlan Bangor, 2.30pm
10 Ionawr, Llandaff (venue to be confirmed) 7.30pm
11 Ionawr, Priory Centre, Y Fenni, 2.30pm
NODIADAU
Y cwestiynau a ofynnir yn y cyfarfodydd agored yw:
1. Pa agwedd o’ch esgobaeth ac yr Eglwys yng Nghymru, y teimlwch yn fwyaf cadarnhaol amdani?
2 Pa newidiadau sylweddol neu fentrau hoffech chi eu gweld yn eich esgobaeth ac yn yr Eglwys yng Nghymru, i wneud ei gweinidogaeth a’i thystiolaeth yn fwy effeithiol?
3. O gofio am y gostyngiad a ragwelir yn nifer y clerigwyr, pa gamau y credwch y dylid eu cymryd i sicrhau fod gweinidogaeth yn parhau ym mhob cymuned?
4. O gofio am y gostyngiad tebygol yng nghyfraniad cronfeydd hanesyddol at ariannu’r eglwys (30% ar hyn o bryd), pa gamau y credwch y dylid eu cymryd i sicrhau hyfywedd ariannol yr eglwys yn y dyfodol?
5. A oes unrhyw faterion eraill yr hoffech weld y tîm adolygu yn eu hymchwilio er mwyn gwella gweinidogaeth a thystiolaeth yr Eglwys yng Nghymru?