The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada met 27 June to 2 July 2023 in Calgary, Alberta. Ordinarily the Synod meets every three years, and was originally scheduled to meet in 2022, but the meeting was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the second time, the General Synod met concurrently with the National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC). The two Churches entered into Full Communion in 2001 and held a Joint Assembly in Ottawa in 2013. This year’s meeting was dubbed ‘Assembly 2023ʹ, and involved joint programmatic presentations and discussions, worship and social times, with separate legislative sessions.
Ecumenical relations
One of the joint sessions involved presentations by the leaders of the four North American Anglican and Lutheran Churches, which have been building a collaborative relationship in mutual Full Communion. The ‘Churches Beyond Borders’, as the group is known, include the Anglican Church of Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), and The Episcopal Church (TEC).
Another highlight of the joint sessions was a presentation about the prospect for entering into Full Communion with the Moravian Church, building on the existing Full Communion relationship between the Moravians, ELCA and TEC in the United States. Following the joint discussion, both Churches adopted resolutions to ratify the full communion agreement.
Legislation
Much of the legislation adopted by the General Synod was of a house-keeping nature, including adoption of new, plainer language Rules of Order and Procedure, and repeal of an obsolete Canon regulating the disused office of Deaconess. Second reading was given to an amendment to Canon XIV, governing the Book of Common Prayer 1962, replacing a Prayer for the Conversion of the Jews with a new Prayer for Reconciliation with the Jewish People. (This follows the deauthorization in 1992 of the third collect for Good Friday.)
A provision was also adopted at second reading to give the Handbook Concerns Committee authority to make minor, non-substantive amendments to the Declaration of Principles, Constitution, Canons and the Rules of Order and Procedure. The Committee is charged with publishing a current Handbook of General Synod following each session of the synod in order to reflect legislative changes. The new power will allow for minor changes in form without having to go through the usual legislative processes. An example is a needed change in canonical references to the Canadian Armed Forces following a government decision to change the name of that body to the Canadian Forces.
General Synod gave first reading to strengthen provisions in Canon XVII on Licensing for safeguarding purposes, by inserting a definition of ‘good standing’ and prohibiting transfer of clergy who are not in good standing from one jurisdiction to another. This will give formal effect to the Protocol for the Disclosure of Ministry Suitability Information between the Churches of the Anglican Communion as requested by the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-16).
A proposal to extend the term of office of the Primate was defeated by General Synod. Canon III specifies that the Primate must retire by the age of 70. The defeated proposal would have allowed a Primate who reached the age of 70 within one year of a scheduled session of the General Synod to complete the triennium, remaining in office until the prorogation of the upcoming synod session. With the defeat of the proposal, it will continue to fall to the senior Metropolitan (archbishop of one of the four internal provinces) to serve as Acting Primate when a Primate retires mid-triennium.
General Synod will next meet in 2025 in London, Ontario.Footnote 1
