Introduction
General Synod met in York from 11 to 15 July. The Archbishop of York opened the session with a presidential address calling for a return to the ‘deep waters of faith, rooted in Jesus Christ, rich in tradition and bold in hope’. The Synod was then addressed by Brigadier Jaish Mahan, Deputy Commander of the Army’s 1st UK Division, about the global situation, and recounting his own experiences as a Christian in the military. He closed by urging the Church both to continue to pray for the Armed Forces and to consider how it might support the nation, including in the event of a large-scale conflict.
A presentation followed detailing the proposed national spending plans for the next three years.
Church Measures
Synod debated the redistribution of Church funds, then moved to final approval of the National Church Governance Measure, which would dissolve the Archbishops’ Council and Church of England Central Services and transfer their functions, assets and staff to a new charitable body, the Church of England National Services (CENS). The Measure was given final approval and proceeded to the Ecclesiastical Committee for consideration.
Synod also considered and approved the Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure 2025, which empowers the Archbishop of Canterbury to license any armed forces chaplain to perform, in that capacity, the offices and services specified in the licence at any place in the province of Canterbury or York.Footnote 1
Clergy pensions
On Saturday, Synod passed a private member’s motion seeking to restore clergy pensions to previous levels and provide compensation for those affected by past changes. The motion, as agreed to, included an amendment from Ven Adrian Youings (Bath & Wells) which, while welcoming the current pension proposals as a major step forward, called for further restitution for retired clergy and a wide-ranging independent review into what a fair and dignified retirement should look like.
Church calendar
On Sunday, a presentation was given on expanding the Common Worship calendar to include two new festivals: a Festival of God the Creator and a Commemoration of the Twenty-One Martyrs of Libya. During the debate, Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Archbishop of London, addressed Synod by video link. The proposals completed their first stage and were committed to a revision committee.
A further presentation followed about church growth and revitalisation, and the day concluded with a presentation on the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ initiative.
Church-related abuse
On Monday, the new scheme for redress for survivors of church-related abuse was debated and given final approval. The voting was: Bishops: 26 in favour, no votes against, no abstentions; Clergy: 129 in favour, 1 against and 1 abstention; Laity: 140 in favour, none against and 4 abstentions. Rules for the Redress Measure were also approved by the Synod and the Measure proceeded to the Ecclesiastical Committee. The day concluded with a presentation about the 40th Anniversary of Faith in the City, and the approval of the Archbishops’ Council Budget.
Conclusion
The final day of Synod included a presentation from the Archbishop of Jerusalem, Rt Rev’d Hosam Naoum, about the challenges facing his Province. Synod approved the concluding stages of the Armed Forces Chaplains Measure and also voted to remove any requirements relating to ‘Issues in Human Sexuality’ from the vocations process. After an amendment, this will now be temporarily replaced with the Guidelines for Professional Conduct of the Clergy during the period of discernment and training.
Synod ended with a debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, on a motion from the Bishop of London asking Synod to reaffirm the ‘immeasurable and irreducible value’ of every person and to request His Majesty’s Government to improve palliative care funding. The motion was passed with 238 votes in favour, 7 against, and 7 abstentions.Footnote 2
