staring into the distance::as far as our eyes can see

General Synod

I’m off to the York University campus today for five days of sitting in the General Synod of the Church of England. The main subject to be debated will be to agree whether or not to bring legislation through which will allow women to become bishops. There are times when the unreality of church life comes home to me very powerfully, and the idea that I should still belong to a church which makes distinctions and places restrictions on the grounds of gender is almost like living in a time-warp. We’ve been sent lots of material from the anti- lobby, varying from the thoughtful to the certifiable. But I think they realise that we’re in a very different time from 15 years ago when a similar decision was made in regard to women priests. The generational turnaround since then, together with the excellent witness of the ministry of women in ordained roles, has ensured a much easier passage this time around.

There’s a lot of lower-profile stuff: revising the ordination service, reviewing how a training review is being implemented, the annual debate on how the church’s national budget is going to be spent, and so on. Strangely, I still manage to enjoy this kind of thing, but I think it’s something to do with the conversations in the bar at the end of the day.

Whenever the General Synod meet in York there’s always some kind of protest. Last year it was Fathers for Justice invading the communion service at York Minster (which just annoyed everyone, including those most sympathetic to the cause) and the year before it was Outrage invading the debating chamber protesting about gay rights. I wonder who it will be this year – perhaps they might have decided that security is only as strong as its weakest link and put barbed wire around the lot of us. Hands up all those who think they should keep the General Synod all locked in, as well as protesters locked out…

Posted on Friday, 8 July 2005 by Paul | Posted in good ole cofe | 2 comments