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 'Leadership by Synod'.

Attachments:

File	File size	Last Modified
From Analysis to Action - A Strategy following the Bishop's Visitation 2008	480 Kb	09/30/10 15:05
The Bishop's Epiphany Letter setting a new direction 2010	915 Kb	09/30/10 15:07
Bishop's Advisory Groups	404 Kb	09/30/10 15:07
Mission and Money Working in Partnership	342 Kb	11/18/10 09:21