Announcement : Synod of the TotJO & New Seminary Programme

Hello everyone ...

In the interest of our Mission and for the integrity of our Vocation, the Pastorate of the Clergy of the Temple of the Jedi Order has been re-organised to provide for a more responsible and more responsive leadership, heretofore known as The Synod of the Clergy of the Temple of the Jedi Order and the Seminary for Clerical Training has adopted a re-vitalised programme of study to enhance Jedi Ministers in the comprehension of our duties and in the understanding of the ways along the Way …

The following text is our Charter, duly Ratified by the Council of the Temple of the Jedi Order on the date of 08 October 2014 :

Charter
Synod of the Clergy
Temple of the Jedi Order
26 August 2014

In order to augment by meditation, contemplation and study, a collaborative receptivity to the flux and flow of the Force ;

In order to provide adequate and effective spiritual guidance toward the aforementioned connexion among the membership and community of the Temple of the Jedi Order* ;

In order to share the foundational directive of promoting awareness, the vital experience and attention to morality and ethics as expressed in our Doctrine through teaching and ministry --

-- the Office of the Pastor is henceforth to be supported by the following adjunct Clerical Offices and incorporated into one administrative body under the name of :

The Synod of the Clergy of the Temple of the Jedi Order*

* hereafter referred to by TotJO and the Synod, respectively

The Synod is to be composed of these Officers :

Pastor (Alexandre Orion) :
It is the responsibility of the Pastor to maintain the spiritual balance of the individuals and the collective of the community who are the Temple of the Jedi Order through sermons (the Sermon Schedule), teaching (the Seminary) and presence (availability) for pastoral devotion. The Pastor maintains a dialogue with active members of the Clergy (Clergy meetings) and oversees the curricula and training of clerical trainees in the Seminary. The Pastor serves and is accountable to the Council of the Temple of the Jedi Order.

Associate Pastor (Akkarin) :
The Associate Pastor (or Vice-Pastor) shares the administrative duties of the Clergy with the Pastor. These duties include Sermons, maintaining the dialogue with active members of the Clergy (Clergy meetings) and providing pastoral care. In the event of the unavailability or incapacity of the Pastor, the Associate Pastor may exercise executive action.

Assistant Pastor for the Seminary (tzb) :
The Assistant Pastor for the Seminary is responsible for engagement and intake of new Seminarians (clerical trainees), assistance with their ongoing studies, and tracking the completion of Seminarian’s training journals. Additionally the Assistant Pastor for the Seminary assists in the procedural functioning and services of the Clergy including producing Sermons and providing pastoral care.

Secretary for the Clergy (MCSH) :
The Secretary for the Clergy serves the TotJO by centralising communications between the Clergy and the community, between the Synod and active Clergy members and Seminarians. The Secretary for the Clergy is the primary chairperson of Clergy meetings, ensuring the orderly progression of the meeting and producing a comprehensive transcript of proceedings. It is also in this Office that the Sermon Schedule is determined and maintained.

Secretary for the Synod (*):
The Secretary for the Synod is a new role supporting a broad range of Synod initiatives, from recording Synod discussion, assisting the other members of the Synod with their initatives, providing insight and aiding in engagement with the wider Clergy and the Temple congregation as a whole.

* This role is not currently filled as Synod initiatives will not require a dedicated officer at the outset. As such this office will be supported by other members of the Synod, Clergy and Congregation in the interim.


Appointment of Synod Officers :
Appointment of Synod Officers :
When an Office is available, a public notice will be made to the Temple requesting applications. Applicants must be a member of the Clergy and be in good standing with the Temple. In the case of Secretarial offices Seminarians may also apply, and if no suitable Clergy are forthcoming, a suitable Seminarian applicant may be appointed as interim officer for a maximum time period of one year and one week. Interim Synod members assume all the roles, rights and responsibilities of the Synod position they are filling, this includes the ability to vote on Synod decisions. All applications will be fairly considered, an interview conducted and a vote taken among the Synod members as to the successful candidate. If the Synod vote results in a tie, or there are fewer than four members of the Synod, Councillors that are also members of the Clergy may be asked to cast deciding votes. Any Councillors chosen to cast votes must not also be members of the Synod.

Synod Procedure :
The administrative process of the Synod is directly governed by the TotJO Doctrine. Mindful of the Code, the Creed, the Teachings and Maxims of the Order, the Synod is organised into an open and accessible administrative body, dedicated to transparency and balance in Clergy management, and the conception and decision making processes having an impact on the religious dimensions of the TotJO Community.

As the Force flows differently in different individuals, and as no one is completely free of the influence of “ego” (sometimes engendering conflict by past TotJO ministries), the following procedure has been established to allow for the most well balanced and equitable conception, discussion, reflexion and decision :

Any member of the Synod can – and is encouraged to – put forth ideas for improving any of the functions of the Clergy. These ideas are then discussed, refined and modified, then voted upon. There are but four votes : the Associate Pastor, the Assistant Pastors/Secretaries. In the unlikely event of a two-two tie vote, then and only then will the Pastor cast the deciding vote.*

The Pastor (or Associate Pastor) will then submit the proposal decided upon in Synod for ratification by the TotJO Council.

Any member of the TotJO may submit ideas, requests or complaints about the Clergy to the Synod for examination, investigation and discussion.

It is intended that this reorganisation of Clerical administration will provide a wide range of benefits to the Temple community. It will better ensure the effective and attentive service of the TotJO Clergy, allow collaborative research, development and delivery of better proposals for Clerical improvements and initiatives to the TotJO Council, and allow the general membership a wider scope of Clerical accessibility than ever before.

*the Pastor is also a vote in the TotJO Council, thus the Pastor’s official vote would be cast there concerning the measure put forth by the Synod.