by C J Strachan on substack
The General Synod of the Church of England is now a platform for ideological activism rather than theological seriousness.
The General Synod of the Church of England was never intended to function as a branch of the United Nations or a campus activist collective. Established to govern the national church with theological seriousness and pastoral care, it has increasingly morphed into a platform for ideological posturing, identity politics, and causes that often appear more aligned with secular progressive activism than with the historic doctrines of Christianity.
Recent sessions offer a stark illustration. Motions engaging with documents like Kairos Palestine II, framing complex geopolitical tragedies in language of “genocide,” “colonial enterprise built on racism,” and calls for boycotts, have dominated attention, even drawing public rebukes from the Chief Rabbi and Jewish community leaders concerned about historical distortions and the erosion of interfaith relations. While genuine concern for suffering Palestinians (and Israelis) is a Christian imperative rooted in justice and mercy, the Synod’s apparent eagerness to adopt one-sided theological-political manifestos raises uncomfortable questions about priorities. Where is the equivalent urgency for persecuted Christians in the Middle East, declining domestic congregations, or the spiritual formation of the English people?
Democratic Excess and Theological Equality
One structural weakness exacerbating this drift is the Synod’s flattened hierarchy of authority. A newcomer who has been a professing Christian and member of the Church of England for scarcely a week can, through the electoral processes for lay representatives, gain an equal vote on profound theological and doctrinal matters alongside bishops and lifelong theologians armed with decades of prayer, study, and advanced scholarly credentials. This radical egalitarianism, while perhaps well-intentioned as “inclusion,” risks reducing complex matters of faith to majoritarian sentiment or activist mobilization rather than weighted wisdom.