Briefing: Church of England after February 2024 General Synod
by Oliver Bowring, Religion Media Centre:
The Church of England has been boiling over in recent months, with divisions on same-sex blessings and frustration at the debacle over safeguarding, with talk of parishes withholding money and calls for an alternative set of bishops. But the February 2024 General Synod struck a different tone. There were some issues on which the whole synod agreed, such as more churches on housing estates. And the clergy felt appreciated, with open discussion on their pay and pensions and moves to deal with rebellious church councils.
But on same-sex blessings, the synod is stuck, unable to find two thirds in favour of any current proposal, so the lead bishop appealed for peace and reconciliation and agreed to provide clear proposals on how the church can stay together. The church’s bureaucratic failures on safeguarding were displayed in two highly critical reports, and the synod decided to move forward with a plan, despite a disagreement over the way this would be done.
In this Religion Media Centre briefing, Rosie Dawson spoke to some of the leading voices from the synod to find out if a page had been turned and a split averted. Her guests included: Prof Helen King; Ven Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes; Rev Dr Andrew Goddard; Rev John Bavington, Great Horton, Bradford; Susie Leafe, Anglican Futures; Debbie Buggs, Church Pastoral Aid Society; and Paul Waddell, representing Southwark diocese.
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