The 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.”
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.” Yes, that is good but this morning I cycled past our HTB church in the centre of town and, as usual, its gates were locked. They will be unlocked on Sunday morning, to be locked again after worship. We are creating worship shops, where people have a good experience as if this is what Christianity is about. There is no concern for anything beyond the… Read more »
This of course has very often been the practice of Nonconformist churches. I think it shows two things: the idea of the church building as a place for the gathered community to worship rather than as one for the people of the parish; second it shows that certain forms of churchmanship, rightly or wrongly, place less value in visiting a church building for a moment of quiet reflection or prayer.
What has happened to the +Bath and Wells motion to claim billions from the Commissioners for the Dioceses?
Item 8 – first thing Saturday – it is in fact a motion from Hereford. The bishop of Bath and Wells took the lead in presenting it in February.
Too many addresses and presentations.
Graeme Buttery
‘Christian responses to war.’ Am I the only one to be utterly disappointed at the Bishops’ pronouncement on Gaza? ‘Israel’s response a grave sin,’ with next to no understanding or solidarity with our Jewish bros and sisters, for shame.
Yes you probably are.
https://thecradle.co/articles-id/31621
https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/understanding-gazas-starvation-within-israels-campaign
And yet: https://www.haaretz.co.il/magazine/2025-05-22/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/00000196-f3a3-d6d3-ab9e-f3bbf6070000
Jeremiah 5:21.
On a synod note, today the members of our Canadian General Synod 2025 (gathered in London, Ontario) will elect a new primate for the Anglican Church of Canada. Please pray for wisdom for the synod members, and pray for Chris, David, Greg, and Riscylla, whose names are on the ballot.
Hi Tim, I saw a report saying another candidate was put on the ballot and was elected. How has the result been received?
Ballot results are reported here https://anglican.ink/2025/06/26/bishop-shane-parker-of-ottawa-elected-primate-of-the-anglican-church-of-canada/
Shane Parker was added in at the third ballot and was elected on the fifth.
I see the new Primate is 67. Does the Canadian Church have a retirement date? The suggestion here seems to be the next Abp needs to be in the 55- 60 age range.
Yes, the primate must retire by the day after their 71st birthday.
Shane Parker is a good choice. There were noises before the election that there may be further nominations called for from the floor. The problem was some ‘disappointment’ with the original slate of nominees put forward by the House of Bishops. For a primatial election, the way it works is The House of Bishops nominates and the clergy and laity of General Synod elect. The electors can ask for more nominees, which is what happened here.
https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2025/06/the-anglican-church-of-canada-elects-the-rt-rev-shane-parker-as-15th-primate.aspx
Here’s an account from one of our Diocese of Edmonton members of synod, Archdeacon Jordan Haynie Ware: The HOB made a slate of 4 nominees. The houses of clergy and laity voted on those nominees twice and did not achieve an election. The lowest-vote getter dropped, so then we had 3 nominees. A motion, duly seconded, came from the laity to ask the HOB to send us more names. The order of laity voted and that motion passed. The HOB sent us one additional name to add. We voted on a new ballot of revised 4 candidates. After that ballot,… Read more »
For what it’s worth, I’m a little disappointed (no reflection on Rob). First, we won’t have Rob for long, given his age. Our General Synod (which elects our primates) meets once every three years, and in this last triennium we had an acting primate for the final year, because Linda had passed her 71st birthday and synod declined to waive the rules and allow her to complete the triennium. Second, we had two excellent indigenous candidates and one non-indigenous candidate who had spent almost his whole ministry in the Council of the North, and I think it would have been… Read more »
PS there’s a very full story on the Anglican Journal website here.
Thanks Tim. Had not seen the vote tallies. But I’m a little confused, who is the Rob you mention? It is true that Shane Parker will only serve one triennium because of age. What I was hearing about the original set of nominees as a slate would be described as ‘underwhelming’. I gather the HoB was being told to expect just what happened, i.e. a call for further nominations. I wondered how the Frist Nations groups felt about Chris Harper being nominated in that they have not had him as National Aboriginal Bishop for very long? I think it may… Read more »
Sorry, Ruairidh—mixing him up with Rev. Rob Parker, husband of Bishop Rachael Parker.
Is it accurate to say ‘The Church is rediscovering its calling to be younger, more diverse and rooted in every community.’? It might be true that it feels called to these things now, but is it actually rediscovering an earlier calling? Yes for being more diverse, since the great commission is to make disciples of all nations. Perhaps also for being rooted in every community, although Jesus suggested not wasting time on communities that were not interested in his message. But when historically was the church called to be younger? Of course the church needs to reach out to those… Read more »
‘Unless you change and become like little children…’
I agree – we need new disciples of all ages and stages.
But Jesus does seem to see the young as having a distinct role and example, so
without their presence the church is diminished. There’s certainly something rather shrunken about my church community on those Sundays when, for whatever reason, the under 16 attendance is smaller than usual.
The Church of England seems incapable of distinguishing between “armed conflict” and Genocide. Deliberately depriving a civilian population of food, water, medicine and shelter is not “armed conflict” it is a crime against humanity. Don’t we believe as Christians that the soul of a Palestinian child is equally precious to the soul of a Ukrainian child ? So why does the Church of England consistently behave as if that wasn’t so ? There is evidence that the British Armed forces are aiding the Israeli attack on Gaza from our military colony on Cyprus. For this reason the invitation to a… Read more »
Amen to all of that.