Half-Time Huddle - General Synod (for those with little time)
- Anglican Futures
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
1) Members asked 238 'Questions' but were unimpressed by the answers
One member described the answers that members were receiving to their written questions as "partial", "evasive" and "political", he continued:
"We are correctly required to ensure that our questions are questions. Please can we ensure that the answers are answers?"
Dr Andrew Bell, Diocese of Oxford
2) £1m reparations fund for slavery is under attack
In 2023, the Church Commissioners published a report into its historic links to African chattel enslavement.
The report claimed that 'Queen Anne's Bounty', a fund set up in 1704 to help poor Anglican Clergy, had "financed great evil" by "investing in African chattel enslavement".
The response was to divert £100m of their current funds to provide, "permanent seed capital in communities damaged by African chattel enslavement’s legacy of racism and disadvantage."
The fund is known as 'Project Spire' or the 'Fund for Healing, Repair and Justice'.
However, at a very feisty Fringe event, Synod members heard:
the premise is historically incorrect
the Church Commissioners cannot lawfully set up such a fund
the approach risks encouraging "segregationist beliefs"
In response to questions about these issues, the Chair of the Church Commissioners deflected questions of fact and justified carrying on by saying:
"A Church that ignores our links with a fundamental historic wrong cannot credibly claim moral leadership in the present or the future."
Chair of the Church Commissioners, the Rt Revd Stephen Lake, Bishop of Salisbury
3) Synod had to accept the presumption that clergy conduct tribunals would take place in public, unless there were good reasons to not do so.
"So it isn't just, "Oh I think, you know, perhaps, well.. you know, this is what we'll do." It is that this has to be very carefully considered and the judge or whoever is in charge of the the court or tribunal is satisfied that the decision follows uh to be heard uh in private."
The Rt Revd Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester
4) Bishops admit that they "overpromised" on Living in Love and Faith (LLF)
The Archbishop of York, and others, were grilled about how the bishops had made such a mess of the LLF process - in the end they had to accept they had not been honest with Synod or with each other:
"I think we overpromised in the beginning um back in 2023 ...I think it very quickly became clear uh that actually we had different understandings of what we were bringing and perhaps weren't honest with ourselves about um the fact that we we weren't united. That that has become clear, it's been a sober thing to learn."
The Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
5) The argument is not over...
"... And who will be accountable when a young person is harmed emotionally, psychologically or spiritually by church processes we ourselves acknowledge have caused pain, including cases where a young person says, "The church helped push me towards despair, self harm, or suicide."
Mrs Vikki Brett, Diocese of Peterborough
"Given current practice, Archbishop, would you commit to publishing the legal, pastoral, and theological justification for the fact that a priest in a marriage to someone of the same sex can remain licensed, but cannot receive a new license, and that, for example, my husband cannot be ordained, but that I can continue to serve the church free of charge despite us being in fact in the same marriage?"
Revd Charlie Bączyk-Bell, Diocese of Southwark
6) ... and the leadership is still intent on "moving forward"
"Uh, the the tone of the presentation felt one of lament but largely lament that we've not
reached the outcome that we've hoped for. I wonder whether there also needs to be a different kind of lament. Lament that in the process we've moved too close to reshaping doctrine without adequate biblical, canonical or legal grounding. So my question is what might it look like for us as a Synod to lead that kind of repentance? Not simply that we've used the wrong process, but that we came perilously close to impinging on the doctrine of marriage itself?"
Dr Martin Davy, Diocese of Oxford
"Yes, there is a degree of lamentation. I think there's also a degree of realism. Uh those of us who've been speaking to you this afternoon from the program board, we represent the disagreements within our church. Um uh so uh so so just as we continue uh to work together wanting to honor one another and see if there are other ways forward. So that is the invitation we give to the whole church."
The Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
(The main LLF debate takes place on Thursday morning - watch/ catchup here)
7) Synod also agreed...
More should be done to help those with mental health issues, including mental health first-aid training for clergy.
A new "Safer Recruitment Code" for Clergy, Employees, Volunteers and Elected Members (Detail here).
A new safeguarding strategy that is "pragmatic and sensible" and will involve the formation of a new independent charity.
A revised Code of Practice for Bishops’ Mission Orders (BMOs), following the Scolding Report (Mike Pilavachi), which will mean greater oversight from the diocese.
Coming up:
Thursday: LLF, Sustainable Flowers, Poverty and the Church
Friday: Working class vocations, Funeral Fees, National Ministry Register (for lay ministers)
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Join us online to discuss the events and implications of General Synod
Thursday 12th Feb 7.30pm
Monday 16th Feb 11am
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