In February General Synod met to discuss and vote on a number of key issues in the Church including safeguarding, racial justice, finance, working class ministry, clergy conduct and Living in Love and Faith.
A particular highlight for the Diocese of Canterbury was our motion to 'Add Confirmation Numbers to Stats for Mission' was carried. The debate can be viewed from 2:55:10 on the Wednesday afternoon session. Statistics for mission measure church life and attendance and the data enables the parish, diocese and wider Church of England to plan and evaluate its mission and ministry.
The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said, “What an absolutely brilliant idea and I’m think we’re kicking ourselves about why we hadn’t thought of it before. Anything we can do to raise the profile of confirmations and to have more confirmations is a really good thing. When someone gets confirmed it is because of their deep commitment to Jesus Christ and the witness of God’s church. This will help us in our mission. Thank you, Canterbury Diocese.”
Image of the Revd Rachel Webbley, copyright - Church of England / Geoff Crawford
The Revd Rachel Webbley, Team Rector of Whitstable Team Ministry, said: “It was a huge privilege to bring what Dean David had brought to the Diocesan Synod floor right down to General Synod. I was surprised and delighted that it unlocked such positive life-giving stories from all sides of the theological spectrum in the Church of England. Synod was unified in rejoicing in what confirmation nurtures new Christians of all ages and how it can strengthen and encourage local churches."
If you are interested in finding out more about confirmation, do reach out to your local vicar who will be pleased to hear from you. There are also useful answers to questions on the Church of England website.
Our thanks go to our dedicated General Synod representatives for all their diligence and hard work.
Below are two reports from our Synod representatives that describe the meetings and outcomes in further detail.
Note of Business Undertaken
With thanks to the Catholic Group on General Synod for producing this synopsis and Neil Logan Green, member House of Laity for bringing this to our attention.
The Archbishop of York began proceedings with a Presidential Address based on the Beatitudes urging us to make prayers of penitence for past wrongs. In doing this he set the scene for the debate on the Makin Report when we repented of the failures of safeguarding in the C of E and asked for those in leadership roles to implement best safeguarding practice. An amendment noted that victims and survivors were not just historic cases as they are still suffering the consequences of prolonged cover up by the C of E.
The following day we looked at the future of Safeguarding in the C of E. It was noted that much work has gone in to improving safeguarding and much of this has come from parish safeguarding officers who make sure it is a priority in every level including Diocesan Safeguarding Officers. However it was felt that there needed to be greater independence. Professor Jay’s report along with the Wilkinson report looked at ‘independence’ and the Response Group came up with two different models. There was a long debate and a number of amendments put forward. Model 4 would have given complete independence but many felt that it would mean that a new, untried way of working would be set up and there was no guarantee that it would be successful – it was also estimated to take a long time for it to come to fruition. Eventually an amendment endorsing Model 3 (keeping some autonomy within the diocese) as the way forward in the short term was passed. This called for further work as to the legal and practical requirements necessary to implement Model 4
A debate on Racial Justice was held in which the positive outcomes on the implementation of the recommendations in ‘From Lament to Action’ were recognised but affirmed that the need for further work to embed racial justice in the life of the Church was needed.
Image of Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, copyright - Church of England / Geoff Crawford
A private member’s motion on a strategy for working class ministry was debated. This was asking for a strategy to be developed for the encouragement, development and support of vocations, both lay and ordained of people from working class backgrounds. The motion received enthusiastic support.
‘Growing Younger and more Diverse’ – hearing and responding to the voices of Young Adults (18 -25}. In this we debated the formation of a group of up to 200 young adults from across all dioceses to support the leadership development, faith journey and advocacy of young adults and request that 3 -5 young adults be present at each session of the General Synod – this is a successor to the C of E Youth Council. In an amendment we should ensure that links are made with the under 18s.
Legal business took up much time – proposed changes to standing orders relating to the Crown Nominations Commission. There were many amendments put forward most of which were narrowly lost. A long debate on the National Governance Measure was held and approved for final drafting. The Clergy Conduct Measure was approved as were the legal officers’ fees order and the Mission and Pastoral Measure was sent for revision. There was a challenging debate on the Vacancy-in-See Committees regulation. Several amendments were put forward and the voting was very close.
A presentation on Living in love and Faith was given. There is still work to be done before recommendations are brought to Synod.
Another debate was held on Wellbeing and Sport Ministry. There were several pieces of legislation and finances which will be held over to the next group of sessions in July.
It was a tiring Synod with much business done but a number of items held over until July to enable time to debate them in depth.
A personal view by David Kemp, member House of Laity
The General Synod met for a week in the shadow of Westminster Abbey.
The mood at the beginning was sombre, not surprisingly in view of the loss of our Archbishop and the Bishop of Liverpool. Repentance for past mistakes of commission and omission was in the air. The Archbishop of York, having seen an attempt to stop him speaking defeated, delivered a typically punchy address crafted around the Beatitudes.
And the first item on the agenda was to talk about the Makin Review of the church’s behaviour surrounding the appalling abuse of boys by John Smythe. Many words and times of silence surrounded the determination that “it must not happen again”. It might and our job is to build the best defences we can to reduce the risk, putting victims first, second and third.
General Synod floor, copyright - Church of England / Geoff Crawford
Penance again in a debate about Racial Justice. Racial discrimination has happened, and still happens in the church, and it mustn’t. Powerful speeches, the controversial issue of reparatory justice, and still much more to be done. “Until the lion tells his story, the hunter remains the hero”. And the ringing message “What more can you do to make welcome those who are not like you?”
So, to the headline business – will the Church of England trust the oversight of all its safeguarding to an independent body? After Professor Jay recommending independent oversight, a year thinking about it, and a cacophony of voices recommending one or the other of the two options, there was a passionate debate. Option 3 (leaving local safeguarding as it is) or Option 4 (complete independence but difficult practicalities)? Or a late-appearing compromise? This is the CofE, so the compromise won, and Synod got the media headline it deserved “Church refuses full safeguarding independence”.
After two heavy days the Synod worked hard on a dizzying range of matters. The standing orders governing Crown Nominations Commissions (Canterbury very interested in the process of appointing a new Archbishop!) – the benefits of mission linked to sports and wellbeing – a call for more clergy drawn from working class roots – the fees of the church’s Legal Officers – imaginative ways to include young adults in the church’s national governance.
It would not be a meeting of Synod without an item on sexuality. Disappointment among many at the slow progress on the matters related to, and subsequent to, the authorisation of the Prayers of Love and Faith, but much careful work going on in the background. Theology and ecclesiology are complicated, as witnessed by one 118-page paper. Patience will be required before a workable solution can emerge.
As with all complicated organisations it is important to ensure that its governance structures are up to date and fit for purpose. A draft Measure doing just this is making its careful way through the Synod. It will reach its final stage in July in York.
And finally, Rachel Webbley piloted, to safe harbour and unanimous approval, our Diocesan motion about including confirmation figures in the annual Statistics for Mission return. Members queued up to tell the stories of their confirmations, while bishops spoke of confirmations being the best part of their jobs. Everyone happy!