June meeting
At the June meeting, proceedings began with a Eucharist at St Paul’s and St George’s Church. Delivering his Charge, the Primus, the Most Rev’d Mark Strange, highlighted the ‘unimaginable suffering’ in Sudan, the continuing conflict in Ukraine and the violence in Israel and Palestine, and told Synod that ‘the need for strong relationships across those divides is so obvious yet so often it seems easier to keep offering argument, judgment and aggression’.
The first day’s business involved sessions on ethical investments. The College of Bishops and the Standing Committee presented a joint session on plans for a provincial strategy, which will be backed by £10 million of funding over the next five to seven years, and the Provincial Youth Committee shared its work over the year.
On Friday morning, Synod turned to the 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, in an interactive session on the Nicene Creed. It then considered further modifications and clarifications to the process for electing Bishops, following the successful elections under the new rules of the Bishops of Argyll & The Isles and Glasgow & Galloway, and gave a first reading to amendments to Canon 4 (Of the Calling and Election of Bishops to Vacant Sees).
The morning session also heard updates from the provincial Mission Board and the Legacy of Slavery working group, and a presentation on charity governance.
On Friday afternoon, the Liturgy Committee introduced a series of changes to tidy up the list of authorised liturgies, together with a new liturgy for Blessing of a Marriage, and discussed the inclusion of Eric Liddell in the Church’s Calendar.
On the final day, Synod discussed assisted dying in light of the bill proceeding through the Scottish Parliament. It then discussed a motion seeking to affirm the place of transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people within the life of the Church.
The Saint Ninian Declaration
At the final session, Synod debated and approved the Saint Ninian declaration of friendship between the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. The declaration was duly signed on 16 September by Archbishop Leo Cushley on behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Scotland and by the Primus on behalf of the SEC: first at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, then at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral.Footnote 1
September meeting
The meeting in September was for one purpose only: to amend the Canon for electing bishops. As noted above, the amendments to Canon 4 had been put before the June meeting of Synod and had been given a first reading. To be put into effect, however, they had to be passed at a second reading, which is normally at the following year’s General Synod. The special meeting, which was held online, was arranged so that the Canon could be amended in time to come into effect during the prospective vacancy in the Diocese of Edinburgh following the retirement of Bishop John Armes.
The draft canon was amended to include a provision that the election of a bishop should be by an absolute majority. The amended text of Canon 4 was adopted with a two-thirds majority in each house, and a consequent motion, directing that the amended Canon 4 should have effect as of Tuesday 16 September 2025, was carried.
