About
the Diocese
How decisions are made |
The Church of England is an Episcopal Church,
which means that it is led legally and spiritually by its Bishops.
Since the 1970s Synodical Government has developed, giving the
Church elected bodies at various levels as part of a national
structure of Church government. |
| Those bodies produce a partnership of consultation,
debate and decision making between clergy and lay people, working
especially with the leadership of Bishops at the diocesan and
national levels. |
| At the local parish church level there is
the Parochial Church Council, comprising the Vicar and other
clergy and lay people elected from within the parish. Beyond
this there are 16 Deanery (area) Synods in Derbyshire, elected
by parishes, and beyond them is the Diocesan Synod, with its
members drawn from the deaneries and with the Bishop of Derby
as its President. |
| The Church attempts to follow the principle
of 'subsidiarity' under which decision making should rest with
those most closely affected. However, there are some issues
where consistency of policy or matters of doctrine require decisions
in either the Diocesan Synod or the General Synod (The Church's
national 'parliament'). |
Find out more about how the Church is led in 'The
Role of a Bishop' and 'Leadership
by Synod'. |
