The February group of sessions of the Church of England’s General Synod opened this afternoon. Proceedings can be watched live here.
The first day’s business is in Order Paper One.
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave a presidential address; you can read a transcript here.
There is some background information on one item, the draft Channel Islands Measure, in the item below. Synod voted to proceed with this draft measure, and it will be considered for revision in Full Synod tomorrow (Tuesday).
Synod voted to proclaim the Clergy Covenant for Wellbeing as an Act of Synod. The Covenant is here, and a paper on the Act of Synod, and an update on progress is here. There is also a Document for Reflection and Action for the Clergy.
The day’s business ended with Questions.
Official press release
Covenant for Clergy Care and Wellbeing declared Act of Synod
Press reports
Church Times No biting, Welby tells his fellow Anglicans
Christian Today Archbishop of Canterbury appeals for unity at the start of Synod
Church of England’s parliamentary body reaffirms commitment to tackling clergy stress and burnout
The Telegraph
Social media is evil at root of society’s ills, warns Archbishop of Canterbury
Press Association (via This is Money)
Archbishop says technology could be `danger to flock´ or `aid to shepherd´
Members’ blogs
Andrew Nunn Making a beginning
Stephen Lynas Over the sea, on the Island(s) of Dreams
Can Justin not understand how insulting a theme of ‘Listening, Walking and Witnessing Together’ for Lambeth 2020 is when he has told same sex spouses that they are not welcome to listen, walk and witness together?
“No biting” – we have to swallow the Archbishop’s hypocrisy whole.
Says the man, and his collaborators, who have just bitten a whole group of people. Good grief……
Justin Welby, 2020: “Twenty-twenty, both for the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion, is a significant year. In 2020, in the Church of England, we will publish in the next few months, before the July Synod, Living in Love and Faith, and we will move forward to a Church wide engagement and participation, from every part of the Church, of all views, inclusively – also setting up a working group to pursue this work to its conclusion.” Geoffrey Howe, 1990: “I believe that both the Chancellor and the Governor are cricketing enthusiasts, so I hope that there is… Read more »
Spot on and why keep using the word ‘inclusively’? May be a dictionary check is needed so it is understood –
unless we mean it is inclusive of everyone who agrees with maintaining the status quo of course.
I remember that speech and the devastating impact it had at the time. It was extraordinary. I’m no fan of our current leadership, but as an ex-cricketer I’d want to note that when one goes out to bat, usually one has no say over the state of the pitch or the quality of the bowling; opening to a pair of quicks on Wandsworth Common is a bit different to facing, say, a Minor Counties XI at New Road. ++ Justin needs more than the heavy roller to settle the pitch and some time in the nets with a decent coach… Read more »
I thought that on the whole the Covenant for Clergy Care and wellbeing (and associated documents) was very good. However I am sorry that the opportunity was not taken to spell out clearly that there must be no expectations of the clergyperson’s spouse (or partner). When church congregations load expectations on a clergy spouse/partner it can result in stress and strain both for the partner and for the clergyperson – and has contributed to the breakdown of many clergy marriages. I think that once and for all the C of E needs to make crystal clear the freedom of clergy… Read more »
I can’t help think that all of the significant work and thinking on both a clergy covenant and all things CDM were done some years ago by the Society of Mary and Martha when they published Affirmation and Accountability.
“we will publish in the next few months, before the July Synod, Living in Love and Faith” This timing is intriguing—was it always thus? I thought the LLF process would be more useful for the CofE if the document were published after Lambeth. Surely a document published before Lambeth will have one eye on Lambeth and will be more cautious. Unless the recent, self-inflicted headlines have caused Welby to decide that it’s time for change, fast? What are the chances of that? Five percent? Or does he want the LLF document to be chilled by the prospect of Lambeth in… Read more »
It has always been planned to publish before Lambeth, and I’ve said all the way through LLF that this deadline piles on the pressure. ‘A gift for the Lambeth Conference’ was the phrase used. I’d better just leave that thought there.
“one eye on Lambeth and will be more cautious” is likely not a bug but a feature.
My wager is that Welby has thrown his lot in with the relatively large bloc of Lambeth attendees worldwide; has decided that losing people on the Gafcon right and CofE left is inevitable; wants to get 2/3 of all Bishops to Lambeth Conference; can’t do that without promises consistent with what is coming out in LLF (and creating predictably negative blow-back at TA).
Covenant for clergy well-being… I so wish I could believe this will do more than gather dust. There can be no clergy well-being until the cruelty that is CDM is replaced. I have discovered that Safeguarding is only about protecting people from their clergy. There is nothing to protect clergy from malicious and vindictive individuals. I had a stalker for 14 months and my DSA was not remotely interested. Neither was my Diocesan Bishop. Instead I was the victim of a CDM.
I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this. I hope you have some good support?