Updated Friday, Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday (1 October)
The meeting of General Synod took place today as planned and completed all stages of the General Synod (Remote Meetings) (Temporary Standing Orders) Measure. At the end of the meeting the Measure was given final approval, with 14 bishops, 42 clergy and 45 clergy voting in favour. There were no votes against and just two abstentions (both in the House of Laity). There is a press release here.
The meeting started with a joint presidential address by the two archbishops. There is an official press release summarising the address here, and the full text of the Archbishop of York’s contribution is here.
Friday Update
Andrew Nunn reports on the meeting: All done and dusted.
The Church Times has these two reports.
‘Love can jump two metres’: Archbishops upbeat despite pandemic trials
Synod clears path to a November meeting online
Saturday Update
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of synod
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap (They long to be) Close to you
Wednesday Update
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s contribution to the presidential address is now online.
Thursday 1 October Update
The Business Done and the Electronic Voting Result – Item 502 are now available.
“The final vote was unanimous in all three Houses (just two abstentions in the House of Laity) and that was a resounding endorsement for what will be a new way of working and decision making” – Andrew Nunn (on one aspect of the G.S. decision-making). Thank God for General Synod’s willingness to go along with the tenor of debate. How different from the ‘democracy’ not being exercised in the U.S. political sphere at this very moment, when the President of the United States opts to deny democratic process by stacking the U.S. Judiciary with his own nominee to replace Justice… Read more »
The voting list for the final approval vote (by houses) has now been published on the General Synod pages of the C of E website. This shows a slight difference from the figures given above (which were as announced at the meeting). Those now shown as in favour were: House of Bishops: 14 House of Clergy: 41 House of Laity: 46 There was one abstention each in the Houses of Clergy and Laity, rather than two in the House of Laity (Fr Thomas Seville and Andrea Minichiello-Williams respectively.) The bishops who voted were: Canterbury, York, Durham, Chester, Leeds, Liverpool, Rochester,… Read more »
The timetable for the General Synod group of sessions 23-25 November 2020 has just been published:
https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-09/Outline%20Timetable%20for%20a%20November%202020%20Synod%20VIRTUAL%20%2830%20Sept%29.pdf
It includes “First Consideration of Measure amending Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016” and, on the Wednesday morning, a two-hour ‘presentation and debate‘ on safeguarding.
The meeting will be held virtually, subject to the General Synod (Remote Meetings) (Temporary Standing Orders) Measure receiving Royal Assent.