The outline agenda for the February 2007 group of sessions of the General Synod is now online and is copied below.
GENERAL SYNOD
February 2007
Timetable
Times of sessions (unless otherwise stated): 9.15 am – 1 pm, 2.30 pm – 7 pm
Monday, 26 February
Morning
Meetings of Convocations
Afternoon
Prayers, introductions, welcomes, progress of Measures etc
Presidential Address on the Anglican Communion
Business Committee report
Trident
Questions
Tuesday, 27 February
Morning
Prayers
Clergy Pensions
Legislative Business: Draft Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure, Amending Canon No 27 and Vacancy in See Committees (Amendment) Regulation – Final Drafting and Final Approval
Afternoon
Legislative Business: Clergy Terms of Service legislation – First Consideration
Legislative Business: Church of England Marriage Measure – Revision Stage
Fresh Expressions
Wednesday 28 February
Morning
Holy Communion
PMM: Revd Mary Gilbert: Lesbian and Gay Christians
Legislative Business: National Institutions of the Church of England (Transfer of Functions) Order (re CBF’s functions); Resolution confirming the appointment of a successor body corporate as trustee of the Church of England Investment Funds
Afternoon
Business Committee report on Electronic Voting
PMM: The Revd Paul Perkin: Civil Partnerships
The Dearing Report: Five years on
Thursday, 1 March
Morning
Prayers
Criminal Justice and Prison Policy Issues
Legislative Business (contingency provision & Parsonage Measure (Amendment) Rules (if a debate is requested))
Afternoon
Legislative Business (contingency provision & Amending Canon No 28 re Canon B 44 – First Consideration)
Lichfield Diocesan Synod Motion: Standards of Human Behaviour in relation to the Media
Farewells
Prorogation
Contingency business
Private Member’s Motion: Mr Gavin Oldham: Ethical Investment Advisory Group: Restricted Investments
Well 700 is good but tame, hardly likely to make much difference, and then at the other end 701 wants to introduce that Puritan idea of “godly discipline” – those who know their Puritan history recall “godly ministers applying godly discipline” such as stopping people fishing on a Sunday. Now it is about bedtime. 710, the multifaith one, wants to investigate good practice to tell people of other faiths about salvation through Christ alone. I think the word I’m searching for here regarding good practice with that message amongst other faithful people is “the door” – from the inside. Just… Read more »
I actually take issue with motion 705 about disagreements in the media. This is a blatent attempt at censorship. It is a return to the reputation of the church must remain intact above all else. Anything that might damage the church’s reputation must not be talked about. No matter how repressive, corrupt or cruel. It denies the possibility of prophetic suffering being aired in the public arena. A person wailing in the street and crying that the church leaders had actually helped their abusers would be condemned by this motion. At a higher level, in the rules of the game… Read more »
Neither 705 nor 710 is scheduled for debate at this session. Indeed, unless they obtain wide support among members (typically at least 100 signatures) they may never be debated.
710 ‘That this Synod request the House of Bishops to report to the Synod on their understanding of the uniqueness of Christ in Britain’s multi-faith society, and offer examples and commendations of good practice in sharing the gospel of salvation through Christ alone with people of other faiths and of none.’ The word ‘alone’ following ‘Christ’ seems to my mind, an attempt to limit Christ, tie his hands, tell him how to do it. Yet, presumably this petitioner would be happy for Christ to save usinmg the CofE and other denominations — I know it seems a tall order–yet we… Read more »
Sorry. I had to chuckle at the typing error: sunagogues. I could design one, where we can look agog at the sun. I’d ask my recent Kanai(Messianic Jewish – Yehoshua or Jesus is Messiah) friend about the dimensions of such a sunagogue, so it can be of the proper Temple dimensions (she says like just about every mosque ever built).
Simon. Thanks for letting us know about the minimum signature requirement. That helped put my mind at ease. I’ve spent the day fuming about church leaders who have decreed that the gift of prophecy has not been meted out or required since Jesus’ incarnation. Rather, what has been happening for centuries is that the church’s reputation must remain in place at all costs, and the prophetic role of questioning the corruption and integrity of the priestly castes has been suppressed. The idea of the prophets is they are the “party poopers”, who sound the warning bells before things go too… Read more »
The signature requirement is actually stronger than Simon says. If a private member’s motion has less than 100 signature after 3 meetings of Synod it is dropped from the agenda. It (or anything similar) cannot then be reintroduced during the lifetime of the Synod. So, for example, motion 705 needs another 79 signatures in February to stay on the agenda.