Synodical government was a visionary initiative. It established definitively the voice of the laity in the governance of our Church, providing a place where laity and clergy, together with the bishops, meet to discern, to express consensus and to legislate. It embodied the important principle that the whole Church has responsibility to guard and transmit the faith and to discern how to express that faith afresh in each generation. This guiding principle of our English Reformation, reflected in synodical government today, is something precious, something to celebrate.
And yet, as we begin this new quinquennium we know that our synodical system is ”“ and probably always will be, like the institution of the Church itself ”“ in need of reform and renewal. English parliamentary processes can have a negative effect, tending to polarisation, parties divided against one another, a culture of winners and losers. Thank goodness the call to the Synod ”“ ”˜decide’ ”“ now replaces the former absurd practice of a bewigged lawyer crying ”˜divide’ ”“ just when the Synod was testing for consensus, testing for the mind of Christ. Humorous, if it weren’t so misleading. So where might you look for guidance on how to conduct your life in Synod?
When I asked myself this question the Council of Jerusalem came into my mind. Of course this can’t be a precise blue-print to copy but it may suggest clues on how you might go about your business….
Read it all (Hat Tip: General Synod Blog).
So what is your answer Dame Mary – Indaba? RW tried to get this through in the last Synod, but they weren’t having anything of it.