Governing Body meeting – April 17-18
The crisis facing Wales’ rivers and waterways is on the agenda of a key meeting of Church in Wales members this month.
Experts on water quality will address the Church’s Governing Body, which meets on April 17-18 at the International Convention Centre Wales at Newport.
James Wallace, CEO of River Action, and Dr Christian Dunn, Associate Director of the Bangor Wetlands Group, Bangor University, will both give a presentation on their work and outline the scale of the crisis as they see it.
They will be introduced by the Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, who is organising the Restoring Welsh Rivers Summit, taking place in November.
Archbishop Andrew says, “In the UK our rivers are in trouble. Whether through the discharge of sewerage or because the level of nutrients is too high, our rivers are dying. Our speakers understand the complexity of the challenges we face and have experience as campaigners and advocates which allows them to speak with authority. They are key figures in the Restoring Welsh Rivers Summit, sponsored by the Church in Wales, later this year, and will help members understand why this issue affects us all.”
The presentation will take place on Thursday, April 18, at 10am.
The Governing Body is made up of 144 elected clergy and lay people from across Wales, representing all the Church’s six dioceses, and includes all the bishops. Other items on this meeting’s agenda include:
- A keynote address by the Archbishop of Wales as President of the Governing Body;
- A Private Members’ Motion proposing changes to the working hours of clergy to improve their work/life balance;
- The launch of the new prayer manual, Daily With God;
- An update on the Church’s net zero progress.
Members will also be invited to attend a service to confirm the appointment of a new bishop. The Revd David Morris was appointed Bishop of Bardsey and Assistant Bishop of Bangor in January and his new role will be confirmed at a legal ceremony, called Sacred Synod, during a service of Evening Prayer at Newport Cathedral on Wednesday, April 17, at 6pm, to which all are welcome.
The full agenda and all reports are online here
The meeting will also be live-streamed via a link on the Church in Wales website and YouTube channel