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REPORT ON THE WORK OF DEANERY SYNODDuring the year, Synod has had a series of excellent visiting speakers who have provided insights into Spirituality, Asylum Seekers and the Role of Funeral Directors, respectively. Revd. Jacquie Birdseye’s talk highlighted the work of the Diocesan Initiative in Spirituality and her role as "broker" in bringing together spiritual directors with those seeking this form of guidance/accompaniment on their particular spiritual journeys to God. The September meeting brought us Revd. Carrie Pemberton who spoke from the experience of her two years as Religious Manager of the Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre in Bedford. With a cost to the UK of £1.8bn, it is easy to see why asylum processing is a thorny problem for the government! However, the draconian methods introduced by the National Asylum & Immigration Act of 2002 for dealing with asylum seekers, who must now register at the port of entry within a very short time of arrival in the UK in order to gain entitlement to benefits, means that there is no support for those who fail to do so. Result = destitution! John Austin came to the February meeting and gave a talk, in his inimitable style, about the changes that have taken place over the centuries since his family business started – from the early days as "undertakers", who took instruction from the Church, to the present time when all aspects of the funeral arrangement fall within their compass. During this year we have welcomed Gylyan Boielle as the new Lay Chair (following the "retirement" of Nancy Soanes) and saw the departure of Revd. Richard Syms and Revd. Tony Sophiannou. The Deanery also "shrank" as Baldock with Weston and Bygrave moved into Buntingford Deanery. John Morgan (S/L)
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