St Mary's Church, Sturminster Newton

Blackmore Vale Deanery

This page of St Mary's web site has been completed following my comment at the APCM earlier in the year that information on deanery activity should be made available. Agendas for Deanery Synod and also the minutes following each Synod will be available for download as timely as possible. The date of Deanery Synod meetings will also be available on this page.

Representatives of the Blackmore Vale Deanery (which comprises the parishes in the northern and southern halves of the deanery) meet at Deanery Synod three times a year at venues throughout the deanery.

Deanery representatives include members from the clergy and lay people (lay representatives are elected from within their own Parishes/Benefice) the Deanery Synod is currently under chairmanship of Pauline Batestone(Lay) and the Revd Tim Heaton (clergy).

Members of the Deanery Synod meet to discuss matters affecting our deanery and national issues impacting on the Church, passing on the views of their local congregations. Invited guests address synod with subjects that seek to inform and educate members.

As a Deanery we are sometimes asked to discuss, consider and vote on specific issues, the result of the vote is then passed to the Diocesan Synod who in turn will discuss, vote on and pass to the General Synod, the National governing body of the Church of England where policy decisions are made.