The Diocesan Synod is the third link in the Synodical Government chain of parish; Deanery Synod; Diocesan Synod; General Synod. Lay members are elected by the Houses of Laity of the Deanery Synod, and clerical members are elected by the Houses of Clergy of the Deanery Synods, as representatives of the deanery. Diocesan Synod members are not parochial representatives. Elected members hold office for a period of three years commencing on 1st August in the year in which elections to the Diocesan Synod take place.

Members of Diocesan Synod become ex-officio members of their Deanery Synod and Parochial Church Council. They are expected to report back to their Deanery Synod on the work and decisions of the Diocesan Synod, and to represent the concerns and interests of their deanery at the Diocesan Synod.

The Diocesan Synod meets three times a year, in March, July and November. Meetings take place either on a midweek evening or during the daytime on Saturdays.

President: The Bishop of Durham

Secretary: The Diocesan Secretary, Diocesan Office, Auckland Castle, BISHOP AUCKLAND. DL14 7QJ
Tel: (01388) 604515. E-mail: Diocesan.Secretary@durham.anglican.org

The BCSC is the Standing Committee of the Diocesan Synod. It plans the business of the Synod, advises it, and transacts its business when not in session. As Bishops Council, it advises the Bishop, appoints members to various committees, and formulates, discusses and co-ordinates policies relating to the life and work of the diocese.

Secretary: The Diocesan Secretary, Diocesan Office, Auckland Castle, BISHOP AUCKLAND. DL14 7QJ.
Tel: 01388 604515. E-mail: Diocesan.Secretary@durham.anglican.org

The Committee meets when the existing Bishop retires to make recommendations about a successor

Secretary: The Diocesan Secretary, Diocesan Office, Auckland Castle, BISHOP AUCKLAND. DL14 7QJ.
Tel: 01388 604515. E-mail: Diocesan.Secretary@durham.anglican.org

The Diocesan Board of Education is a statutory body, exercising responsibility on behalf of the diocese for its fifty-five church schools. In this capacity it liases with all seven Local Education Authorities between the Tyne and the Tees. It also has Advisers to support Children, Youth and Family Life work in parishes and is the base for the diocesan Child Protection Officer. Its staff all work full or part-time from Carter House, which is shared with the Board for Ministries and Training and which also houses the RE Resources Centre and the North East Institute for Christian Education

Secretary: The Director of Education, Carter House, Pelaw Leazes Lane, DURHAM. DH1 1TB.
Tel: 0191 374 6000, Fax 0191 384 7529, E-mail: Director.of.Education@durham.anglican.org

• See also: List of Boards Officers
• See also: Children's work page
• See also: Youth work page
• See also: location of Office

The Diocesan Board of Finance is both a registered charity and a limited company, and was incorporated in 1923 under the Companies Acts 1908  1917. It is the financial executive of the diocese and is charged with the preparation of the annual diocesan budget and annual accounts. It is responsible to the Diocesan Synod, and must also comply with charity and company law. The Board includes an elected representative from each deanery in the diocese.

Secretary: The Diocesan Secretary, Diocesan Office, Auckland Castle, BISHOP AUCKLAND. DL14 7QJ
Tel: 01388 604515. E-mail: Diocesan.Secretary@durham.anglican.org

The Houses Committee is constituted under the Repair of Benefice Buildings Measure 1972 as a Committee of the DBF to which it must report annually.

The Committee is required to appoint surveyors, initiate inspections, and execute agreed repairs to parsonage houses. The Committee also deals with some other diocesan houses. It may, but is not required to, assist with the improvement, upgrading and modernisation of houses. Parsonages may not be altered, extended, demolished, purchased or sold without the approval of the Committee.

The houses department is charged with the administration and delivery of houses committee policy. This includes day to day repairs, programmed and cyclical maintenance, improvements and capital construction works. The department also oversees and manages the lettings of vacant properties, the purchase of housing for ministry and sale of surplus properties.

Matters concerning clergy housing should be addressed in writing to the Committee Secretary at the Diocesan Office.

Secretary: The Diocesan Property Manager / Surveyor, Diocesan Office, Auckland Castle, BISHOP AUCKLAND. DL14 7QJ
Tel: 01388 604515. E-mail: Housing@durham.anglican.org

The Stewardship Department is located within the Diocesan Office at Auckland Castle. John Roberts, the Stewardship Adviser, is readily available to help parishes, whatever their size, with all aspects of Christian Stewardship. This ranges from advice and help on the promotion and administration of Planned Giving and Covenant Schemes to the setting up of comprehensive Christian Stewardship Programmes designed to encourage a full response of both time, skills and money from more than just the faithful. An integral part of this process is the holding of a Parish Review Day at which priorities for development and growth can be identified.

Contact: The Stewardship Officer,  Diocesan Office, Auckland Castle, BISHOP AUCKLAND. DL14 7QJ
Tel: 01388 604515. E-mail: John.Roberts@durham.anglican.org

• See also: The Stewardship Department Pages

The purpose of the Board is to advise the Bishop and Synod on questions of ministry and training and to co-ordinate the work of its officers.

The principal concerns of the Board are:

• to help educate, support, select and train people for Christian ministry;
• to promote and help establish shared ministry in parishes
• to work co-operatively with other Boards and Councils;
• to integrate training programmes;
• to provide continuing education, consultancy and review for those engaged in ministry;
• to monitor and evaluate national developments in ministry;
• to assist the diocese to develop a strategy for ministry in the light of available resources and opportunities.

Secretary: Director of Ministries and Training, Carter House, Leazes Lane, Durham, DH1 1TB.
Tel: 0191 374 6004, Fax: 0191 374 7529. E-mail: ............................

• See also: The Faith and Life Course page
• See also: The Localities pages
• See also: The Shared Ministry pages
• See also: location of Office

The Diocesan Readers Council under the direction of the Warden and the Director is responsible for the selection, training and ministry of Readers in Durham. It also works in association with the Central Readers Council to advise on Reader Ministry in the diocese.

The Council consists of: Chairman, Warden, Assistant Wardens, Secretary, Treasurer and representatives elected by deanery.

A group of Readers are available to give a short presentation to deaneries/parishes or to meet individually with anyone wishing to explore this area of ministry. Please contact either the Warden or Secretary to arrange this.

Warden: The Bishop of Jarrow
Tel:01429 880872, E-mail: Bishop.of.Jarrow@durham.anglican.org

• See also: Readers Council page

The LINK works to promote and enhance the ties between our two dioceses through individual and community based activities. Through the exchange of ideas, knowledge and personnel, the LINK strives to improve the livelihoods of both communities through self-help programmes.

With an active exchange programme in place both dioceses benefit from the rich spiritual and secular inheritance of their cultures.

The Executive Officer is pleased to present an illustrated talk on the work of the LINK and Lesotho. For all communications please contact the Durham Executive Officer.

Executive Officer: Mr P Jefferson, 26 Allergate, DURHAM. DH1 4ET
(0191) 384 8385 Fax: (0191) 386 2863, E-mail TPJ@BTInternet.com

• See also: Lesotho link pages

The Board is charged with encouraging the living out by the local church of the social implications of the Gospel. It has four main functions:

• to have an oversight of the ministry of engagement in the diocese from an Anglican perspective
• to keep the Diocesan Synod and the parishes informed about key issues which need to be on the churches agenda
• to provide a focus for the various officers and associated bodies, within the Diocesan structures, whose work directly relates to concerns of social responsibility
• to facilitate theological reflection on issues of social responsibility

The Committee's primary function is to advise the Chancellor on all applications for permission to carry out works on/to churches and churchyards. Parishes are encouraged to contact the Committee via the Secretary at the Diocesan Office prior to making any application for faculty or other permission.

The members of Committee are experts in some relevant discipline relating to historic buildings, or have a particular interest in the care or use of church buildings. As such the Committee is well able to offer helpful advice to parishes seeking to maintain their properties or to adapt, extend or improve them. Members serve on the Committee without payment and advice is free to parishes.

Secretary: The Churches Officer, Diocesan Office, Auckland Castle, BISHOP AUCKLAND. DL14 7QJ
Tel: 01388 604515. E-mail: Churches@durham.anglican.org

• To help the people of the diocese towards an effective use of the liturgical opportunities open to them
• To monitor the use of liturgy within the diocese and to advise the Bishop and parishes on liturgical matters
• To draft services for diocesan use and offer training in leading worship
• To liaise with General Synod Liturgical Commission and with the parishes in discussion of proposals, introduction of new material, and assessment of patterns of worship

Chairman: The Rev Canon David Kennedy, David.Kennedy@durham.anglican.org

The Diocesan Pastoral Committee is constituted under the Pastoral Measure 1983, to keep the arrangements of pastoral care under review. Suggestions for change may come from the parishes, the Bishop, the Deanery or the Committee itself. The Committee consults with interested parties and when sufficient consultation has taken place it makes a recommendation to the Bishop who in turn may adopt and forward the recommendation via the Church Commissioners for eventual confirmation as a Pastoral Scheme by Order of Her Majesty in Council.

Items for consideration by the Committee should be addressed in writing to the Committee Secretary at the Diocesan Office.

Secretary: Mr Paul Stringer, Diocesan Office, Auckland Castle, BISHOP AUCKLAND. DL14 7QJ.
Tel: 01388 604515. E-mail: pastoral@durham.anglican.org

A sub-committee of the Pastoral Committee. Makes grant and loan facilities available to parishes to assist with the cost of repairs, renovation, re-ordering and improvement of church buildings; also makes small grants towards the cost of quinquennial inspection of churches. Assistance cannot be given for church contents or church halls. Application forms are available from the Diocesan Office.

Secretary: The Diocesan Secretary, Diocesan Office, Auckland Castle, BISHOP AUCKLAND. DL14 7QJ.
Tel: 01388 604515. E-mail: Diocesan.Secretary@durham.anglican.org

A statutory committee under the Pastoral Measure 1983, whose sole function is to seek alternative uses for consecrated church buildings that have been declared redundant for purposes of Anglican worship. The Committee explores all possibilities through its secretariat at the Diocesan Office and through its land agent.

Secretary: Mr I Boothroyd

Revd P E B Welby

The main objectives of the Communications Policy are:

• to encourage and enable effective two way listening and communication between the central structures of the diocese, the parishes, deaneries and ecumenical partners
• to assist in the work of building confidence in all appropriate forms of Christian Communication
• to develop an effective use of information technology (IT)
• to improve and co-ordinate the Church's engagement with news media, especially at local level.

The work of the Communications Team includes:

• the provision of good internal communications through the diocesan newspaper - Durham Newslink, and accessibility through the development of widespread information communications technology - the diocesan website (www.durham.anglican.org), E-mail networks and the on-line newspaper
• encouraging parishes and church groups in their communications, both internally and through local media
• media training
• engaging with the media at both local and national level
• an effective crisis management policy for the Bishop's Staff

Diocesan Director of Communications: The Rev. Paul Judson, Paul.Judson@durham.anglican.org

• See also: Current edition: Durham Newslink on-line

• See also: IT in the Diocese of Durham