INTRODUCTION
The 2020 meeting of the General Synod had originally been planned to take place in June. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a change in plans and the meeting was postponed. It ultimately took place as a one-day virtual meeting in December 2020. Owing to the fact that the meeting was limited to a single day, rather than the usual two and half days, the business programme was restricted to those items regarded as essential.
In his charge to Synod, the Most Revd Dr Mark Strange, Primus, encouraged Synod members to ‘cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light’. In the time of pandemic, the Advent message of being led out of darkness into the light of Christ had never been more powerful. Many plans for the year had had to be cancelled or significantly changed and it had been a year for both Church and society to face up to issues. He reported on bullying awareness training which the College of Bishops had undertaken as a demonstration of its commitment to issues raised in the clergy well-being report presented to Synod 2019. The college was also planning to undertake a programme of bias and racism awareness training. Commenting on the prospective debate in the Synod regarding climate change, Dr Strange recognised that there was a need for the Church to put its own house in order if pressure was to be exerted on governments and industry. Looking forward, he saw a bright future as the Church eventually moved out of lockdown.
ALTERATIONS TO CANONS AND RESOLUTIONS
There were no changes to the Code of Canons or Digest of Resolutions of the Church in 2020.
MATTERS ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE PANDEMIC
In the report from the Standing Committee on strategic and financial matters, it was noted that, instead of an expected budgeted deficit of £232,000 for the financial year 2020, a broadly break-even position was now anticipated, owing in part to improved investment returns and savings arising as a result of the lockdown. Looking to the future, the committee proposed cuts in provincial quota for 2021 and the subsequent two years in order to give dioceses a measure of relief and allow local needs to be addressed in their respective areas. In addition, deploying those financial savings, a Recovery and Renewal Fund of approximately £270,000 would be created to enable dioceses to take advantage of new opportunities arising in the wake of the pandemic. Synod members spent time in breakout groups reflecting on the pandemic and lockdown and discussing what new missional and pastoral opportunities might arise locally.
REVIEW OF CANON 4
Canon 4 sets out the process for the election of diocesan bishops. In simple terms, under that Canon a bishop is elected by the members of the diocesan synod.
A consultation, commenced prior to Synod, put forward two options for the future. The first envisaged a thorough revision of the Canon but retained the basic principle of diocesan election. The alternative option departed from that tradition and offered a process more in step with patterns of discernment and appointment appropriate to the twenty-first century. Under that option, instead of election by diocesan synod, a smaller electoral council would be appointed to undertake the election and its membership would comprise both diocesan and provincial representatives. Synod was not invited to make a decision between the options since the consultation process was still continuing, but it was expected that a report would be provided to General Synod 2021, at which time a decision in principle would be sought, as a forerunner to canonical change.
SAFEGUARDING
Synod discussed and adopted a new Safeguarding Policy and Statement of Principles. This replaced the former, much shorter, separate policy statements regarding child and vulnerable adult protection. Synod also debated a report by the Safeguarding Audit Implementation Group, which had been established following a safeguarding audit completed in 2019.
ETHICAL INVESTMENT
An interim report was received from the Ethical Investment Advisory Group, which had been established in response to a motion at General Synod 2019. In relation to the specific issue of divestment from fossil fuels, the group recommended that the immediate focus should be on the exclusion of investment in companies involved in fossil fuel extraction but recognised that industries which made use of fossil fuels also needed to form part of its future discussions. It accepted that the use of pooled funds for the provincial Unit Trust Pool was a pragmatic solution but, equally, identified the need for a practical framework in order to make decisions about the pooled funds in which it might be legitimate to invest under a new ethical investment policy. Since the report was of an interim nature only, Synod was not invited to make a decision on such matters.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Following debates in previous years at Synod, the Church in Society Committee brought forward a motion expressing the need for urgent action in relation to the global climate emergency. The Synod adopted a motion calling for a programme of actions to be brought forward to General Synod 2021 in order to resource the Scottish Episcopal Church in working towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
OTHER MATTERS
Synod received reports on continuing work in progress about the rate of standard stipend and how such stipend should be set annually, as well as on developments in addressing issues of bullying and harassment in the Church which had been debated at some length in 2019. The Synod approved the annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2019 and set provincial quota for 2021 at the reduced level of £600,000. It also received a video presentation from members of the provincial Youth Committee on their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and their involvement in Black Lives Matter.
