In brief: big decisions

Jeremy Halcrow | 30 January 2007

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Key leaders listen to Mascord concerns

The Rev Dr Keith Mascord is modifying aspects of his widely discussed open letter, as key Diocesan leaders continue to meet and listen to him, including a specially appointed dialogue group from Standing Committee.

At its December 11 meeting, Standing Committee received an open letter from Dr Mascord, who has been ministering in the parish of South Sydney and who is shortly to become National Chaplain of Mission Australia. He is calling for a ‘more gracious, loving and humble’ Diocese and one that is ‘more open’.

This letter was circulated widely by email and posted on the internet, with the intention of giving people an opportunity to agree or disagree with Dr Mascord’s analysis. One result was that an article about the letter was published in The Sydney Morning Herald.

However, in recent weeks Dr Mascord has slightly modified his open letter as a result of initial discussions on December 18 with the Standing Committee group and separately with Rob Smith from Ministry, Training and Development.

Dr Mascord told SC that he stands by his ‘overall thesis’ but acknowledged that some language in the original letter was ‘overly emotive’. Admitting he ‘could have been done better in various respects’, he is now hopeful the letter will be ‘unifying in its impact’ as ‘we all work hard at being more loving, humble and open to learn from each other’.

“The regret I have over this process is that I haven’t spoken sooner to some people,” he said.

Earlier, the Archbishop’s Media Officer, Margaret Rodgers, released a statement in response to Dr Mascord’s letter: “It is clear in this area [concerning the current operation of the Ministry Training and Development department] he did not consult Dean Jensen prior to preparing and sending his letter,” Ms Rodgers wrote.

“Had he done so a number of his issues would have been explained and resolved. For example, the so-called questionnaire was really an experimental “conversation starter” that involved several possible answers on a number of issues. It was designed to see whether students are able to think through issues theologically. It was always planned that the documents would be shredded immediately after the interview, and this is in fact what occurred. The Dean never saw student answers to the questionnaire, and did not take part in the student interviews.

“The issue of women preaching is a long-held matter of debate in the Diocese,” she wrote.

“However, it must be recognised that women church workers, especially ordained women deacons, are given permission to preach in the license to minister given them by the Archbishop, and there are those who preach regularly in the congregations in which they serve.”

After Standing Committee met in December, a press statement was released which said:
“It was also agreed that Dr Mascord’s address to Standing Committee was positive and helpful in that it called on members to reflect carefully on themselves as individuals and on the Committee as a whole, while demonstrating the principles of transparency and openness that are part of public discussion in the Diocese.

“Standing Committee resolved that a small group of members – Dr Greg Clarke, Bishop Glenn Davies, Mrs Claire Smith and Dr John Woodhouse – meet together with Dr Mascord to ‘discuss fully his concerns, taking whatever action they see as necessary, and to report on the progress of their discussions to the Standing Committee’.”

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