from Anglican Futures
Anglican Futures is back in York – observing the events of the Church of England’s General Synod and offering readers some insight into what is happening.
Synod began on Friday afternoon and alongside the usual scuffles over spending, sexuality and safeguarding, which will be covered in future blogs, there were a few encounters that made it feel a little less like Groundhog Day.
1) Anglican Futures agreed with the Archbishop of York (more than once)
In his Presidential Address, the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell identified the need for “deep and profound spiritual and theological renewal” in the Church of England. He even advised Synod members that, “As we continue the process of discerning whom God might be calling to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury, it is this spiritual and theological leadership that we need more than anything else.”
He spoke of the need to, “turn back those utilitarian tides of opinion that risk making, for instance, assisted dying a reality in our national life, changing forever the contract between doctor and patient, pressurizing the vulnerable, and assuming an authority over death that belongs to God alone.”
It was heartening to hear the Archbishop express the view that, “These things belong together: spirituality, evangelism, catechesis and apostolic discipleship.” Something Anglican Futures has sought to assist with through our daily prayer podcast, In All Our Doings.
Before getting too excited though, it is important to remember that just like Humpty Dumpty, when the Archbishop of York uses a word, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.” The Revd Ian Paul, a member of General Synod, has pointed out in an open letter to the Archbishop of York, that all these words are in fact meaningless in the face of Cottrell’s failure to uphold the doctrine and discipline of the Church.
2) It may be a safeguarding risk to teach the doctrine of the Church of England