Updated 10 July to add extra papers
A number of papers for the informal and virtual meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod on 11 July are now available online. Links to them are below.
If any more appear I will add them to the list.
Timetable
Handling of Questions in the Meeting of Synod Members
Members’ Guide to Virtual Synod Proceedings
Note from the Chair of the Business Committee to Synod Members
GS 2171 – Audit Committee Annual Report
GS 2172 – Archbishops’ Council Annual Report (2019)
GS 2173 – Financial Update and AC Original Budget
GS Misc 1249 – Covid-19 Response
GS Misc 1250 – The Emerging Church of England
GS Misc 1251 – Covid-19 General Synod Update
The section on risk management in GS2172 was interesting. I’d not previously seen LLF – which I assume is what is meant by “Production of learning and teaching resources on marriage and relationships, and a parallel pastoral advisory group” – presented as the answer to risks to “Reputational impact around contentious and divisive issues”. I’d rather hope that the LLF a process isn’t only motivated by fears for our reputation.
Interesting.
It shows how poor risk management is. I would say that opposition to abortion, for instance, should also be addressed in that section.
And, anyway, how does LLF protect against the reputational damage to the church of being institutionally homophobic? Does the council really believe that people will say “Well, they are publishing LLF so we don’t mind the homophobia”? Seriously?
Re GS Misc 2173, John Spence refers to the importance of “prioritising support for diocesan transformation programmes and investment in the capacity to deliver them”. Although the report of the Archbishops’ Council provides some clues as to what this might mean, it is still not wholly clear. Many of us have seen the recent plan from Chelmsford, but it is not yet evident that the approach being taken by that diocese is being replicated elsewhere. It was also heartening to read that, although dioceses have suffered a severe blow – one presumably endured unevenly across the Church – the impact… Read more »
With Froghole: GS Misc 1250 states at item 6: .The three key working groups are the Recovery Group, Vision and Strategy Group and Governance Group. The original groups included a group known as the Solvency and Liquidity Group led by Bishop Nick Baines (now complete). It’s rather looking like the papers listed are the only papers there will be for Synod. So much for transparency. At least no decisions can be made (for the time being!!). And in respect of GS 2173, I imagine a search-and-repace (Sp!) of Diocese of Chelmsford with Province of York quite soon? Simples. Hoping to… Read more »
It has been confirmed to me that these are the only papers Synod members will receive (and be posted on the General Synod pages of the C of E website), save for the Questions paper (i.e. the submitted questions and written answers) which we have been informed will be circulated on Wednesday 8 July. About 140 questions have been submitted, with two one-hour sessions on 11 July (11.45-12.45 and 15.00-16.00) when oral supplementary questions can be put and answered. (The 140 figure is based on the fact that a question I submitted nine minutes before the 12.00 deadline on 30… Read more »