Posted Monday 09 June 2008 | 1:58pm
The annual meeting of the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church takes place from 12 to 14 June in Palmerston Place Church, Edinburgh. Representatives from Episcopal Churches across Scotland will attend the three day meeting where matters ranging from church policy to social issues will be debated.
As all seven bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church prepare to attend the Lambeth Conference in July, General Synod will be asked to approve a motion to affirm in principle a commitment to the Anglican Communion’s covenant process and to instruct the church’s Faith & Order board to prepare a response to the Anglican Communion’s draft Covenant (a means of future cohesion for the Communion).
Other highlights of the agenda include:
- a report from the Church in Society committee on Climate Change issues;
- an update on the Church’s response to the Millennium Development Goals from the Overseas committee;
- a review of the Church’s strategy for mission and its current provision for the delivery of ministerial training for both lay and ordained people;
- implications of new Charity Regulations;
- changes in Congregational Status (Canon 37 of the Church Canons), to provide formal mechanisms for the linkage or amalgamation of congregations, focussing on growth and development of membership;
- a request to establish a new Rural Commission for the Church, to address the issues likely to impact on rural communities in the coming decade.
The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, The Most Rev Dr Idris Jones, will deliver his Charge during a Eucharist Service, marking the official opening of General Synod. He says: “General Synod will meet with a sense of confidence that our Church has much to offer the people of Scotland through a distinctive outlook and that we shall continue to be part of the story of our nation as it develops in the years ahead”.
Agenda and Papers
The agenda and papers can be downloaded below, organised into two .zip files to reduce download times. All documents are in Microsoft Word (.doc) format. Members of General Synod will have received their own copies by post.
Synod Papers - 1 | Zip | 348Kb
Synod Papers - 2 | Zip | 283Kb
Online Coverage
During each day of Synod, which runs from Thursday 12 to Saturday 14 June, reports will be posted to this website at regular intervals, available from both the News and General Synod sections. An audio report and commentary will be published at lunchtime and close of business each day featuring contributions from key speakers and Synod members.
