The agenda for next month’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod (released yesterday) includes an addition to the original timetable, this motion from the two archbishops:
That this Synod, knowing through the experiences of parishes across the country that social divisions feel more entrenched and intractable than for many years, and concerned at the divisions within the major political parties which are stifling the emergence of a hopeful and viable vision for the common good in our communities:
(a) call upon every diocese and parish regularly to hold in prayer their local MPs and politicians and the members of Her Majesty’s Government and civil servants, seeking God’s strength and wisdom for the responsibilities they bear;
(b) reaffirm the Christian commitment to putting the voices of the poor and marginalised at the heart of the nation’s concerns; and
(c) call upon the nation’s leaders, drawing on Christian hope and reconciliation, to work together for that common good at this time of division.
The debate will be held on the afternoon of Saturday 23 February, the closing day of the Synod meeting.
There is this official press release:
General Synod to debate call for reconciliation for divided nation
25/01/2019
The UK’s political leaders should draw on “Christian hope and reconciliation” to help steer the country through a time of seemingly “entrenched and intractable” divisions, according to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.
The call comes in the text of a special motion on the state of the nation, tabled by the two archbishops, to be debated by the Church of England’s General Synod, which meets in London next month.
It speaks of divisions within the major political parties and calls for every parish and diocese to pray regularly for their local MPs, other politicians, the Government and civil servants.
The timetable for February’s meeting of Synod had been amended to make time for the special debate.
An updated timetable and full agenda are published today alongside the first set of papers.
A further batch of papers for Synod will be published next Friday (February 1, 2019).
Synod meets at Church House Westminster from Wednesday February 20 to Saturday February 23.
Press reports
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian C of E leaders rebuke politicians for ‘stifling’ Brexit reconciliation
Adam Becket Church Times Synod to debate the country’s ‘entrenched and intractable social divisions’
Sadly, there are many in our churches who will not accept that the poor and marginalised are not to blame for their own plight – encouraged by the MSM.
The same two Archbishops who, in their public pronouncements, are guilty through and through of fuelling the very divisions referred to
Quite right, Richard! Until the Church is irreproachable and uncompromised we should refrain from making any comment whatsoever on anything. And I’m sure there are lots of parliamentary hacks and tabloid leader-writers who’d agree that we should leave everything up to them and keep our grubby paws off. Martin Luther King’s questionable attitude to women completely and entirely delegitimises his meddling in politics, does it not? I’m sure that nice Mr Wallace would have agreed.
It seems to me that this is about praying for the acceptance of divisions as a substitute for positive actions the Church could take to reduce divisions eg -a policy that everyone in the Church (lay and clerical) receives the same hourly pay (including pension and housing) – full equality for women by removing the Five Guiding Principles – full equality for LGBTI Christians – a policy of welcome for immigrants – initiatives to increase the number of disabled ordination candidates and employees – whipping the Lords Spiritual to be present for, and vote against, any policies which increase division… Read more »
Thank you to Kate for giving us her list of her equality preferences. As someone who usually abides strictly to God’s Word Written, perhaps she can advise how women can be paid equally when they’re not even allowed to speak. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35,
Methinks they ought to remove the plank from their own eye before they offer to remove the speck from another’s. The CofE procrastinated for decades about women’s ordination which caused endless hurt and division. The persecution of the LGBTQI community continues apace by the hardline evangelicals whilst the dear old CofE boots that particular can down the road. Parliament got to full equality for women and LGBTQI people way before the CofE! The archbishops in particular seem to lack humility, perhaps living in palaces with a huge staff mitigates against that virtue.
My thought is that this debate is to fill up the agenda, and so avoid discussion of other issues.
🙂
I agree entirely. The Briden report might be a suitable alternative topic.
Perhaps Synod should wrest control of its business away from the powers that be—just as Parliament is wresting agenda-setting control away from ministers.
This motion (perhaps to be expected in view of what the Archbishops added to the Synod agenda at York in 2016 and 2017 following, respectively, the EU referendum and the June 2017 General Election) has, in fact, ‘bounced’ two diocesan synod motions off the agenda so that they are now only ‘contingency business.’ Since the Archbishops’ motion is programmed for the ‘graveyard slot’ on Saturday afternoon, I wonder how many Synod members will have left early to go home. I agree with Kate (comment below) that the Briden Report, together with the Carlile Review, ought to be debated, and I… Read more »