The Church of England’s General Synod will meet in London from 9 to 13 February. The agenda and papers for the meeting were released today.
There are links to the papers below the fold, grouped by the day on which they are due to be debated. There are also a number of GS Misc papers and items of deemed and contingency business.
13 CommentsThe Church of England’s General Synod will meet in London next month. The papers were released today along with the following press release. I will publish a detailed list of papers later today.
Poverty, the care crisis and mental health – Synod to discuss challenges facing 21st Century Britain
21/01/2026
Call for renewed commitment to listening to and acting to support people living in poverty among motions set to be debated at February Synod.
A call for a renewed commitment to listening to and acting to support people living in poverty is among a number of motions set to be debated at the upcoming meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod.
The debate, marking 40 years since the landmark Faith in the City report, is among a series of key social challenges set for discussion, alongside the care system and the nation’s mental health in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, at the gathering in London from February 9 to 13.
The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally – who formally takes office next week – will deliver her first Presidential Address to Synod on Tuesday, February 10.
Later that day Archbishop Sarah will lead a debate on care for older and disabled people. In a debate the following day Synod will explore how the Church can respond to people’s mental health needs.
Key items on the agenda during the February group of sessions include discussion on progress in establishing independent oversight of Church Safeguarding and next steps after the Living in Love and faith process – which explores the Church’s approach to identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage – comes to a conclusion this year.
The minutes of the October 2025 meeting of the Church of England’s House of Bishops have now been published (38 pages!)
26 CommentsThe Church of England’s House of Bishops has issued a statement on Living in Love and Faith (9 pages).
There is also a covering press release which is copied in full below.
House of Bishops shares letter to the Church as Living in Love and Faith approaches conclusion
14/01/2026
The House of Bishops has shared a letter to the wider Church of England setting out an agreed position as it prepares to bring the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process – which explores the Church’s approach to identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage – to a conclusion.
The letter, in the form of a statement from the House, speaks about proposed new bodies to be set up once LLF comes to a conclusion; confirms an agreed approach to any further changes and rules out so-called Delegated Episcopal Ministry at this stage.
Following a General Synod vote in February 2023, same-sex couples can now receive public prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and asking for God’s blessing – known as the Prayers of Love and Faith (or PLF) – as part of a regular church service.
At a meeting today, the House confirmed the decision taken at its meeting in October that, based on legal advice, new special or ‘bespoke’ services using Prayers of Love and Faith would need full formal authorisation under canon law.
They also acknowledged that general permission for clergy to be in a same-sex civil marriage would require a formal legislative process and agreed to explore what legislation would be needed.
And they made clear they could not agree to placing some parishes under the care of bishops with “separate and independent jurisdiction” as a result of the Prayers of Love and Faith at this stage.
The bishops’ letter details how a new working group would carry out the theological and legislative preparatory work needed and report back to the new General Synod – which will be elected later this year – with recommendations within the first two years after the election.
The House recognised and regretted the deep hurt, particularly to LGBTQI+ people, caused by the decisions.
It agreed a letter to the Church, bringing LLF and the process initiated by the February 2023 Synod vote to a formal conclusion and setting out steps to be taken next. A vote of bishops to issue the letter achieved overwhelming consensus across traditions and the range of theological views on questions of sexuality and marriage.
Those steps include establishing a Relationships, Sexuality and Gender Working Group to support the House of Bishops and enable it to:
Engage in preparatory work and explore the approval process under Canon B2 that would be necessary for bespoke services of Prayers of Love and Faith;
Explore what legislative changes would be required to enable clergy to enter same-sex marriage;
Continue to explore what pastoral episcopal provision and reassurance would be required, proportionate to any further proposed changes;
Report back to General Synod with recommendations within the first two years following the upcoming elections.
A new Pastoral Consultative Group will also be set up to advise bishops and archdeacons on specific cases in the interim and facilitate consistent practice across the Church.
“We dare to hope that the LLF process will leave a legacy of greater inclusion of LGBTQI+ people in the life of the Church of England, together with deeper understanding of the theological issues and greater honesty about, and tolerance of, individual differences,” the letter explains.
Speaking of the need for careful consideration of next steps, it adds: “Lessons need to be learned from the process of the last three years.
“It is important to avoid a further cycle of hopes or anxieties being raised only to be disappointed.”
Detailing the process the Church has undergone since the 2023 Synod motion, including the introduction of Prayers of Love and faith, the bishops write: “We believe we have fulfilled, albeit imperfectly, the February 2023 General Synod motion as best we can given the range of views across the Church of England, including replacing Issues in Human Sexuality after the July 2025 Synod motion, without departing from or indicating any departure from the Church’s doctrine of marriage.
“We believe, as a House, that the time has now come formally to conclude this Synodical process in February 2026 and to identify the next stages of work which will need to be considered by the House of Bishops and the General Synod in the coming years, including the ongoing structures for development, dialogue and discernment.”
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: “Living in Love and Faith was never meant to be a contest with winners and losers yet, because it touches upon such profound theological convictions and personal lived experience, many have felt it to be this way and many have been hurt and confused.
“As we take stock of where we have got to so far and all the things that still need to be explored in the future, my prayer is that we can come together as those whose profound disagreement on some things is outweighed by our profound love for God and for each other on so many things.
“As this stage of the journey comes to an end, we look forward, honouring one another’s integrity, and seeking Christ’s wisdom with patience and humility.”
The Bishop of Winchester, Philip Mounstephen, said: “I’m aware that the process of LLF has been very fraught and I’m sorry that it has caused both pain and some anger amongst many.
“I know too that we are not now where many would want us to be – but I think the place we’re in now is a place of commitment to due and proper process: and that really matters.
“We are – and we need to be – a properly ordered Church.”
The Bishop of Sheffield, Dr Pete Wilcox, said: “I know that many, including in my own Diocese, were deeply distressed by the decisions indicated by the House of Bishops in October last year, and confirmed today.
“But after two years in which, as our statement says, on the one hand ‘hopes have repeatedly been raised and dashed’, and on the other ‘anger has mounted at the perceived disregard for due process’, I am certain that it is right to pause, to take stock and to ensure any future movement in relation to these contested steps follows robust good process and is accompanied by proportionate pastoral provision.”
The Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, said: “I profoundly regret where we have ended up and know that these decisions will be very painful for many, especially LGBTQI+ people and all those who hoped for greater progress – indeed I am one of them.
“I know it will feel to some that the Church has gone backwards in recent years, not forward. At the same time, I want to recognise that some progress has been made in that prayers of blessing for same-sex couples in committed relationships have been commended for use in public worship for the first time.
“Whilst I believe there is no theological distinction between prayers of blessing being offered in scheduled services or bespoke services, further progress at this stage would have meant agreeing to special arrangements, including separate episcopal structures, which I could not support. Such changes would result in the fracturing of our common life and the undermining of our Anglican identity.
“I will continue to advocate for more progress, recognising that there are others who will disagree. Meanwhile, I urge us all to be gentle and kind towards one another, refusing to judge each other, uniting in our common purpose to love God and neighbour and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in word and action.”
The Bishop of Blackburn, Philip North, said: “The LLF process has caused immense pain on all sides because the matters it concerns carry us to the heart of what it means to be human and what it is to be Christian.
“After a great deal of praying and reflecting together, the House of Bishops has agreed that we want to avoid fragmentation and travel together as one Body for the sake of our mission to the nation.
“This means that when we are making big decisions about what we believe, we need to use General Synod’s established processes to discern God’s will.
“For some we have not gone far enough, for others we have already gone too far. My prayer is that we can stay together for the sake of the people we are called to serve.”
The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, said: “I am very grateful to all those who have engaged with the LLF process over many years and at considerable personal cost.
“I am thankful that some progress has been made towards greater understanding and inclusion of LGBTQI+ sisters and brothers through Prayers of Love and Faith.
“In my own view the Church of England still has some distance to travel on this journey in the coming years.
“The House of Bishops statement published today is honest about the different views held across the Church in good conscience and expresses a commitment and an appeal to all to continue to walk and work together for deeper understanding.
“The statement also outlines the next stages in dialogue and a clear process for making decisions into the future.”
Notes to Editors
The House of Bishops voted to issue the statement as follows:
For: 35 Against: 1 Abstentions: 4
91 CommentsThe Church of England’s General Synod will meet in London from 9 to 13 February 2026. The outline of its business is online here, and is copied below the fold.
14 CommentsFollowing the October announcement from the House of Bishops regarding the effective halting of the LLF process and a change of direction from the discussion towards and votes taken for fuller LGBTQ+ inclusion, Inclusive Church wrote an Open Letter and invited those who wished to be included as a signatory to it, to do so. People were asked to provide their name and home postcode, with the option to also add their title, the name of their church and an estimate of the size of their regular church congregation. The letter was available for one month, with no external media coverage, publicity through diocesan channels or paid promotion.
The full text of the letter is copied below the fold.
Inclusive Church has now issued a press release reporting on the nearly 7000 signatures received, which you can read here. (now in PDF format)
And there is a further much more detailed analysis available here.
96 CommentsUpdated Wednesday morning
At ViaMedia.News Thomas Sharp has written
Update
Third paper by Thomas Sharp
74 CommentsUpdated twice on Saturday
At Together for the Church of England Charlie Baczyk-Bell has written
B2 or not B2: that isn’t the question
At Psephizo Andrew Goddard has written
Why has the LLF process reached the end of the line?
The latter article is a summary: the full version (21 pages) is available here.
Updates
At Shared Conversations, Helen King has written
‘We need the theology’: what has now been released, and does it answer the real questions?
At ViaMedia.News, Peter Collier has written
Where Does the House of Bishops Currently Stand on the Use of Prayers of Love and Faith? Some Reflections
The next meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod is in February 2026. A number of miscellaneous papers, listed below, have already been issued. They include reports from the Faith and Order Commission and legal advice relating to the Living in Love and Faith process.
The Church of England Evangelical Council published these items:
Together for the Church of England published:
Inclusive Church published this LLF Open letter from Members of the Church of England
The Dean of Southwark preached this sermon (video)
23 CommentsThe minutes of the May 2025 meeting of the Church of England’s House of Bishops are now available.
Although they are dated 18 June at the end, the internal file attributes have today’s date (1 Sept 2025).
There was a meeting in July, with an agenda and a press release, but, as yet, no minutes. The next meeting of the House is scheduled for 6-8 October.
Earlier minutes are online here.
16 CommentsMost of the electronic voting lists from last month’s meeting of General Synod were published online some weeks ago, and I linked to them here. These contain the names of voting members and how they voted.
The lists for two procedural motions were omitted, but they are now available. Both were motions ‘That the Synod do pass to the Next Business’ and both were carried. The effect of such a motion is that the substantive motion lapses, and the same (or a similar) question cannot be reconsidered in the remaining lifetime of the Synod without the permission of the Business Committee and the general consent of the Synod.
The first was during the debate on item 13 as amended by item 33 (see Order Paper III for Saturday afternoon).
That this Synod noting the wider discussions about the culture and governance of the House of Bishops
a) welcome the decision to undertake an independently led review as proposed in GS Misc 1412 and the importance in the proposed Terms of Reference of the section on Culture and Ways of Working and
b) request that the Report of the Review be published in full and that the cost of the Review be met by the Archbishops’ Council.”.
The second was at the end of Sunday’s debate on the Archbishops’ Council Annual Report. This prevented a debate on Martin Sewell’s following motion on the working of the Audit Committee (see item 35 on Order Paper V).
6 CommentsUpdated on 19 August to add two procedural motions
The electronic voting results from this month’s meeting of General Synod are now available online. These contain the names of voting members and how they voted.
The full text of motions can be found in the official record of Business Done.
The House of Bishops yesterday agreed to replace Issues in Human Sexuality in the process of discerning new candidates for ordination with a requirement for candidates to live in line with the Guidelines for the Professional Conduct of the Clergy. Details are in a Church of England press release which is copied below.
Bishops confirm replacement of ‘Issues in Human Sexuality’ in discernment process
23/07/2025
The House of Bishops has agreed to replace the outdated document Issues in Human Sexuality in the process of discerning new candidates for ordination with a requirement for candidates to live in line with the Guidelines for the Professional Conduct of the Clergy.
The change does not alter the Church’s doctrine or canonical requirements, which remain in place, but is intended to ensure the discernment process is both theologically robust and pastorally sensitive.
The decision, at an online meeting of the House of Bishops this morning, follows a near-unanimous vote at the General Synod in York last week, and is an interim step while a longer-term approach is developed.
Synod supported an amended private member’s motion calling on the House to remove any requirements relating to Issues – as it was widely known – from the process and replace it with the interim requirement relating to the Guidelines.
When it was first published in 1991, Issues aimed to be sensitive, but the tone, language, and some of the assumptions are now considered inappropriate and offensive to many people.
Originally intended as a teaching document, Issues had assumed a more definitive role within the Church’s discernment and vocations process with candidates required to confirm that they would shape their lives within the boundaries outlined within it.
Bishops also agreed to remove the document from the House of Bishops website.
Work is now getting under way to update materials used in the discernment process such as online forms which reference Issues and documents used in the Candidates Panel. All existing guidance documents for Candidates, Diocesan Directors of Ordinands and Bishops’ Advisers will be reviewed and changed where necessary and new guidance will be issued. The Ministry Development Team, in collaboration with the Ministry Development Board, will report back to the House in October on this process.
This interim procedure will remain in place while the Church continues its work on the broader package of proposals for the Living and Love and Faith process. This work is ongoing, with the aspiration that proposals will be brought to the House of Bishops in the autumn and then to the February 2026 General Synod.
The House heard a presentation on the work undertaken so far on a review of regulations for Reader Ministry and the findings of the second Anglican Giving Survey carried out earlier this year.
The survey found that over 75 per cent of Anglicans had been thanked for their giving in the last six months, up from less than a third five years ago.
It also highlighted the generosity of givers, with average giving exceeding inflation over the last five years, and suggested that more than two thirds of Anglicans had heard a sermon on giving in the last year, with 60 per cent of those saying the sermon changed their thinking on giving.
The meeting closed in prayer.
Notes
This post will be updated as the meeting proceeds.
The Church of England’s General Synod is meeting this weekend. The timetable is here, the agenda is here and the papers are here.
Live video etc
All sessions are streamed live on YouTube and remain available to view afterwards. Links have been provided in advance.
There is an official X/Twitter account.
Order papers
Notice papers
Questions Notice Papers
Business Done
Official press releases
Press reports and comment etc
The Guardian
Independent
Church Times
Civil Society
Third Sector
Anglican Communion News Service
35 CommentsThe Questions (and answers) for this weekend’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod were issued today. They can be found online here:
Questions will be taken on Friday evening (11 July).
27 CommentsThe Church of England’s General Synod will meet in York from 11 to 15 July. The agenda and papers for the meeting were released today.
There are links to the papers below the fold, grouped by the day on which they are due to be debated. There are also a number of GS Misc papers and items of deemed and contingency business.
Also available are these two zipped files.
16 CommentsThe Church of England’s General Synod will meet in York next month. The papers were released today along with the following press release. I will publish a detailed list of papers later today.
Christian responses to war, people coming to faith, and measures to support clergy on Synod agenda
A major package of proposals to support clergy; signs of growth in church attendance, and how Christians can respond to potential for armed conflict are among topics on the agenda at the upcoming General Synod.
Members of Synod will gather in York for their annual residential meeting from July 11 to 15, with a wide-ranging agenda of legislation, topical debate and discussion.
There will be several items of financial business including debate on the Church of England’s recently announced £1.6 billion three-year national spending plans and a request for Synod to approve proposals to increase clergy pensions.
Significant time will be set aside for the final stages of the legislation to set up the National Redress Scheme for victims and survivors of Church-related abuse.
Amid war in Ukraine and the Middle East and tensions around the world, Synod will be hearing from a senior member of the Armed Forces reflecting on the current global context and how churches can respond to armed conflict. Synod papers published today also include a reflection by the Church of England’s Bishop to the Forces, Hugh Nelson, on how parishes can support members of the armed forces and their families in their communities and addressing questions of how the Church can serve its mission in times of conflict. (See GS Misc 1428)
Following four years of overall growth in church attendance, Synod will spend some time considering church growth and outreach, drawing on research by the Archbishops’ Council on factors which help churches grow.
A paper by the Rev Kate Wharton, a member of Archbishops’ Council and Prolocutor of the House of Clergy, explains: “This is a moment of opportunity. Churches are revitalising, starting new services, planting, and reaching people in new ways.
“The Church is rediscovering its calling to be younger, more diverse and rooted in every community.
“All of this reminds us: growth is God’s work. Our task is to pray, prepare, and respond with faith.”
23 CommentsThe outline of business for the July 2025 meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod was issued today. It is copied below the fold. (more…)
22 CommentsThe minutes of the 20 January 2025 meeting of the House of Bishops have now been published.
This is in line with the earlier announcement. At the time of the January meeting, this press release was issued.
42 Comments