Executive   Committee 

 What we are and what we do.

Definition

North Western Synod’s Executive committee holds the strategic role in drawing together the work and mission focus of all Synod Committees, carrying out activity directed by Synod Meeting, monitoring the work, finance and assets of the Synod and preparing and holding the Synod meetings.

History

The Executive Committee has operated as a Synod Strategic Committee since the inception of the URC. It has moved through a range of tasks over the years and has kept its core commitment to be the equivalent of the Elders Meeting to Church Meeting. 

Role

The role of the North Western Synod’s Executive Committee is to ensure the good ordering of the affairs of the Synod in the interests of the mission of the church and manage matters sent for the Synod’s attention by Area Meetings, local churches, Missional Partnership Steering Groups, General Assembly or Assembly Executive.

Generally, to:

  1. Give oversight, critique and contribution to the delivery of Synod strategies, particularly Missional Discipleship

  2. Ensure effective relationships amongst Synod committees 

  3. Ensure effective accountability across Synod structures and responsible personnel

  4. Exercise overall responsibility for the appointment and employment of Synod staff (though legal responsibility lies with the Synod Trust Management Committee)

  5. Ensure, with Synod, the operational plan to align finance to Mission

  6. Keep policies and procedures under review

Specifically, to:

  1. Appoint conveners of Synod committees

  2. Appoint sub-groups to advise or to authorise the Synod officers to: agree grant criteria and allocation, decide on property matters

  3. Appoint task groups to carry out specific time-limited pieces of work

  4. Agree all cross-Synod posts for field staff, office staff and specific ministries

  5. Clarify Synod’s financial operational limits, in dialogue with Synod Meeting and Synod finance staff

  6. Ensure staff ownership of work towards budget, risk register and other work towards regulatory management

  7. Make decisions on large grants in dialogue with Synod Trust 

  8. Ensure clear Safeguarding practice

  9. Arrange and hold Synod Meetings, including collating the Book of Reports

Membership

Synod Officers and Committee Convenors; experts as needed with membership limits agreed by the committee. Members’ terms of service are those which govern the roles they represent to the Executive Committee. 

Meetings

The expected cycle of meetings is agreed annually. For 2023 forward, it is a full discussion meeting bi-monthly and a short online meeting in the intervening months. 

Contact this Committee