The 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.
Renewed commitment, renewed commitment, 🥱 Care for elderly and disabled also needs Independent safeguarding oversight. Get to grips with ghd real problem in C of E.
Janet, I don’t believe there will be improvements until Synod accepts full independent operational safeguarding. Professor Jay was correct in saying that any ‘tinkering’ would not be sufficient to raise standards.
Only last year Clive Billenness ( may he rest in peace) and Martin Sewell were campaigning tirelessly for this. Sadly it seems a very long time ago. The pressing problem for the orchestrators this year will be pretending the warnings from the Charity Commission don’t really matter – the lead Safeguarding Bishop and head of the NST told one of the news programmes that when a regulator speaks ( note the A) they listen very carefully…. Gavin Drake also had resigned from Synod before the last session . I recommend his article in Church Abuse earlier this week, but I’m… Read more »
No Clive, Gavin Martin …
..and they won’t . The stranglehold of Mr Nye, York and soon to be Canterbury will keep it that way.
I’m not quite as pessimistic as you are, though you may well be right. I think it will probably come down to which side of the Charity Commission Jim G sees his organisation needs to be on . It also depends how annoyed the CC is with current responses because neither York nor Almost Canterbury would exactly come up smelling of violets if the CC goes after the trustees of London and Canterbury over survivor N
I hope the CC goes after every one of them. They can deny all they like, but a regulatory determination on public record is a damning indictment.
I’m absolutely dreading reading the account of the debate on care. Anyone who has encountered the care system in any capacity knows just how inadequate and broken it is, despite there being very many heroic and undervalued people struggling to do their best to make a difference with overwhelming odds stacked against them. What I’m dreading is the pontificating, finger pointing and hand wringing that will come from the debate, the expressions of this, that or the other that will lead to precisely no action, and the sense of self congratulation weaving its way through any pronouncements that we virtuous… Read more »
In the business world, I tend to the view that any meeting which does not deliver a set of measurable actions is a waste of time and effort.
I think Musk, for all his faults, and I detest the man, has similar views on meetings.
https://electrek.co/2018/04/17/tesla-model-3-production-goal-6000-units-per-week/
I agree, Nigel. Measurable outcomes have hit the C of E, but when you read many of them, they are indeed measurable, but they are also self-referential and pointless. Things like ‘we will hold x deanery hub support meetings’ or ‘we will establish y strategic support posts to enable delivery of our Diocesan vision’. So when the reporting time comes, all the boxes are ticked, ‘aren’t we doing well achieving what we set out to achieve’ can justifiably be claimed and evidenced, and we can all pat ourselves on the back for jobs well done. But nobody dares to ask… Read more »