When the Church of England’s General Synod, meets at York University from 8 to 12 July members will reflect together on sharing Good News for the world today. Key debates will centre on the Church’s role in education, its work in multi-faith areas, and relations with other churches.
Other subjects include the impact of higher education changes on training for the ministry and the involvement of minority ethnic Anglicans in the Church’s ministry and structures.
Sharing Good News for the World Today – The new Synod elected in 2010 has met twice in London, but this will be its first residential meeting. For the 40 per cent of members who attended their first Synod last November, this will be their first opportunity to spend a long weekend residentially in worship and discussion. The Saturday morning has been structured to foster a culture of listening and reflection. The theme will be ‘Sharing the Good News for the World Today’ and the morning will begin with a keynote Presidential Address by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. Members will spend the rest of the morning in groups of 12, each led by a bishop, listening to each other as they reflect on the theme. The morning will finish with worship in the groups.
The Church and Education – the Church in multi-faith areas In two debates the Synod will consider specific aspects of the Church’s mission and ministry.
Church schools – In this 200th anniversary year of the National Society, which promotes and resources 4,700 Church of England schools (and 172 schools of the Church in Wales), the Synod will be invited to affirm the continued importance of Church of England schools being ‘distinctively Christian institutions, rooted in the life of the parishes while being open to the diverse communities they serve’.
The Synod will also consider the Church’s work in multi-faith areas. It will be invited to reaffirm the Church of England’s commitment, in partnership with Christians of other traditions, to resourcing ministry, witness and mission in multi-faith areas through the Presence and Engagement Programme, which supports the work of clergy and congregations in such areas.
Relations with Other Churches – Relationships and dialogue with other Christian churches will be a recurrent theme in York.
As usual, a number of ecumenical representatives and guests will be present. The principal guest will be the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios. The Archbishop, who is the Orthodox President of the World Council of Churches, will address the Synod on the Friday afternoon.
Following the establishment of communion between the Church of England and the Church of Denmark, the Bishop of Copenhagen (the Rt Revd Peter Skov-Jakobsen) will preach at the Sunday Eucharist in York Minster, at which the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, will preside.
The Synod will consider the report of the Church of England’s conversations with the United Reformed Church. Its recommendations include the holding of a service in Westminster Abbey in February 2012 marking both the 350th anniversary of the separation of Congregationalist and Presbyterian churches from the Church of England in 1662 and the 40th anniversary of their coming together in the United Reformed Church.
The Synod will also be invited to take note of an interim report on the second phase of the work of the Joint Implementation Commission for the Anglican-Methodist Covenant.
Higher Education Funding Changes – The forthcoming changes in the funding of higher education will have significant implications for the cost of training clergy. The Synod will be invited to endorse far-reaching recommendations on how the increased cost can be contained, as part of the process leading to decisions by the Archbishops’ Council.
Minority Ethnic Anglicans – The Synod will also consider a report on the inclusion of minority ethnic Anglicans within the ministry and structures of the Church of England and will be invited to ask the Archbishops’ Council and the House of Bishops to take steps to implement its recommendations.
Diocesan Synod Motions Two motions from diocesan synods will be debated. One, from the Bradford Diocesan Synod, asks for the admission to Communion of adults who have been baptized but have not been confirmed and are not ready to be confirmed. The other, from the London Diocesan Synod, asks for a review of how the House of Laity of the General Synod and the houses of laity of the diocesan synods are elected, and in particular of whom the electorate should comprise.
Private Member’s Motion The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, will move a Private Member’s Motion calling for a ‘national mission action plan’ for the Church of England.
The Synod’s other business: There will be the one item of liturgical business: First Consideration of draft Additional Eucharistic Prayers for use when a significant number of children are present.
Legislative business will include the Revision Stage of the draft Church of England Marriage (Amendment) Measure, and a debate on the Parochial Fees Order, which prescribes fees for weddings and funerals (the first such Order since the legal framework for these fees was changed).
The Synod will receive presentations on the Annual Reports of the Archbishops’ Council, and the Church Commissioners. It will debate the report of the Council’s audit committee and will be invited to approve the Council’s budget for 2012.
Background papers and other information will be posted on the Church of England website (www.churchofengland.org) ahead of the General Synod sessions.
A live feed will be available courtesy of Premier Radio (accessible from front page www.churchofengland.org), and audio files of debates, along with updates on each day’s proceedings, will be posted during the sessions.