Report on business from the General Synod in York

Friday 7 July 2006

The York group of sessions of the General Synod began at 4pm on Friday with the customary welcomes, introductions and reports on the progress of measures and statutory instruments.  This was followed by a debate on the report of the business committee.

The first substantial business of the Synod was a report on further education chaplaincies with the title “Pushing Further”.  A handful of contributors to the debate, including the Bishop of Southwark were critical of the assumptions about multi-faith chaplaincy but the report was adopted.

In the evening the Archbishop of Canterbury issued a statement on the Anglican Communion commenting particularly on the position of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America. 

Williams also made reference to the decision of the Church of Nigeria to appoint Martyn Minns as a Bishop in the US.  When the statement is unjumbled it appears that it says very little than that we must all keep on reflecting on what has happened.  A small group has been charged with analysing the response of ECUSA to the Windsor report and the Primates in order to report to the next meeting of the Primates in February 2007.  It is quite possible, if this group adopts the same approach as Williams, that they will conclude that ECUSA has met the requirements laid on it.

Because of the Archbishop’s statement question time was shortened and Synod apparently had little stomach to prolong it. Most interest was prompted by a question from Prudence Daly who wished to know after whom a pub in Paddington had been named, the pub in question is apparently called “The Mad Bishop and the Bear”. Pete Broadbent the Bishop of Willesden, who used to regularly change the colour of his hair, was given the task of responding. The gist of his answer seemed to be that no-one is entirely certain. Perhaps the naming was a general observation rather than with anyone specific in mind.