It is now a week since the end of the sessions at General Synod, and I’m still reeling from both the week in London, and all the work that was waiting for me when I got back! My next job, once I’ve written this, is to file all of the Synod papers away ready for the next deluge for this coming July’s sessions.

So on Monday 26th February hundreds of people, including the 7 elected General Synod reps from this Diocese, headed to London for another week. With a huge range of topics to cover, along with a large number of optional fringe meetings both at lunchtimes and late into the evening, I was prepared for this to be hard work…which indeed it was!

If you want the official version of each debate, check out this link: ………..

For my unofficial version, read on…..

The Chamber at Church House has been refurbished, with one effect being we all sit on individual chairs instead of benches, and the floor is now flat instead of sloped, making it more difficult to see speakers.

Monday 26th February
The business covered on Monday included the Presidential Address from the Archbishop of Canterbury, reporting on the Primates meeting in Tanzania and the need to be balanced and slow in order not to fracture the Anglican Communion. Later in the week the Archbishop of York paid tribute to Rowan Williams’ careful handling of the Tanzania meeting.
The Business Committee presented their report, of which particular interest is the suggestion that Question Time should be changed…again! It is difficult for it to be spontaneous when the questions have to be sent in a couple of weeks ahead!
The main debate was entitled ‘The Future of Trident’, which resulted in a strong motion of concern being passed.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY…..
Our own Colin Slater asked a question of the Archbishop of York based on the Mother’s Union motion brought to the last Diocesan Synod concerning the wearing of Christian symbols. Colin did a great job with both that and his supplementary question, which showed our support for the Archbishops’ stance on the issue.
Meanwhile, later in Question Time, Tony Walker also had his question concerning the recruitment of church wardens answered.

Tuesday 27th  February
The issue of Clergy pensions always causes some ruffled feathers, and this debate was no different! A number of amendments were lost, and our own Christina Baxter spoke of the need for prayer and for realistic giving by church members. Sadly, it was the first mention of prayer in the whole debate! The final papers return to Synod in July.
The Draft Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure is a huge legislative document which, in essence, creates more flexibility in Diocese and parish boundaries to enable creative mission to take place. This was passed, but after lunch controversy returned in the form of Clergy terms of Service. Many are upset about the potential loss of ‘freehold’ in the vicarage, and others had other concerns! I was torn between some sympathy, and a desire to shout ‘Please try to remember what it’s like for non-clergy in the real world!!’. This now goes on for revision to return for more debate next year.
The Draft Church of England Marriage Measure was supposed to loosen up regulations, but between the debate in York last July and now it seems to be going the other way! It appears that many members of Synod sent in suggestions to the drafting committee, who took those on board and seem to have forgotten the general feel of the last debate! This issue popped up again later in the week.
The day ended with a well-presented Fresh Expressions session, but not much time for us to ask questions or say all the good things we’re doing in the Diocese. 

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY
I took part in a lunchtime fringe meeting to introduce the new national Children’s Officer, Mary Hawes, and to speak of my experiences of Synod and how to bring children into the synod agenda. It was good to be able to do that with fellow-members, and get a bit more ‘known’. I am thinking through how to form a loose group of Synod members interested in children, and service them with guidance papers before each Synod.

Wednesday 28th February
The day began with Holy Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury being the celebrant. Then ‘Gay Day’ began, firstly with a motion in support of the integration of homosexuals into church life, which was sidelined by a motion from the House of Bishops. Then there was a motion that expressed deep concern about Civil Partnerships, again sidelined by a House of Bishops motion. These debates, with a little boring legislative business and an excellent lunchtime meeting about TV and religious broadcasting, took most of the day, got the most media coverage, and amounted to nothing! There were times, listening to the debate and those proud to speak up on behalf of their own gay sexuality and partnerships, when I found myself almost ashamed to be in a heterosexual marriage! This is a tough issue for the church, and sadly causes the most bad feeling.
The Board of Education closed the day with a Report on Church Schools. Two from our corner spoke in the debate – both Ruth Worsley and myself.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY
I began the day by assisting with Holy Communion. I ended up in a pair with the Archbishop of Canterbury, serving the wine to the House of Bishops!
I ended the day speaking in the debate about the Dearing Report on the growth of Church Schools, encouraging the Church of England to support the vocation of teaching, and raising some specific issues about the proposed Church Academy  in Mansfield …which have since got the hares running at the highest church and Government levels!

Thursday 1st March
The final day, and a few less seats occupied in the chamber! The morning was mostly taken up with a speech by Phil Wheatley, Director General of the Prison Service, and a debate on the report ‘Taking Responsibility for Crime’. This was a good debate, with many people concerned about the state of the criminal justice system, and Colin Slater managed to get unanimous approval for an amendment calling on local government and other funding agencies to support schemes to reduce offending. Colin is trustee of one such highly successful scheme in Nottingham.
In the afternoon, after attending a fringe meeting on penal affairs, we had a little more legislation to get through, a bit more on marriage, and an interesting but rather pointless debate on Media Standards. Many people spoke with great conviction and experience of the affect the media has on how people behave, but it is arguable that even the kindly worded amendment that was passed will have little effect in the real world…which at 5pm we all faced!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY
I enjoyed wandering along Oxford Street, buying gifts for my family on the way back to St Pancras, and stopping for a bite to eat on my own, with no need to listen to speakers and no need to talk about challenging issues!

For me, I am beginning to get to grips with how the system works, and will be more proactive in sending suggestions to revision groups, asking questions, and forming a ‘Children’s Advocates on General Synod’ group to advance the cause of children…my passion, as always! 

9am, Monday 26th February 2007
 
Just about to get a train into Nottingham and then to London for the sessions of Synod which begin at 2pm today. We will be meeting in the refurbished chamber in Church House, Westminster, and have full debates and 'fringe' meetings all day, every day until Thursday night. I'm speaking at a fringe meeting about children's work, and hoping to make a speech or two during debates.
 
There's plenty to get our teeth into this time, the main subjects being:
 
Pastoral and Mission measure (flexibility in changing parish and deanery boundaries), more on clergy terms of service, education and church schools, Fresh Expressions of church, and a whole day debating two motions about gay issues and the church. No doubt the media will enjoy covering the last issue, and will make the most of quotes and any divisions that may emerge!
 
The sun is out, the sky is blue...I've still got Synod reading to do!

I have just got back from the full synod meeting in York, which lasted 5 days Friday to Tuesday. In York it is all on the University campus, which changes the atmosphere quite a bit…and provides the opportunity for very long days of work! After morning Eucharist and breakfast the debates began at 9.30am, and with breaks for meals, finished at 10pm. On Monday there was an additional House of Laity meeting which began and 10.10pm…this is no easy ride! 

The only description I can find for the General Synod of the Church of England is  'interesting' - I'm still split between thinking I can make a difference, and wondering why I waste my time with it! On balance it is a positive experience. We moved forward on clergy terms of service, faith in the city, women bishops (slowly!), freeing up the rules on marriage in churches, and other issues relating to
re-drawing of parish, deanery and Diocese  boundaries...plus lots of other stuff! There was an awful lot of legislative business, which became a bit difficult to follow at times.  Canon Tony Walker from Retford managed to speak in a debate as did the Archdeacon of Newark and Dr Christina Baxter, and the rest of us from the Diocese all contributed in voting, discussion groups and applause (or not!) for other speeches.

The next sessions are in February, so the deluge of post has started to arrive. There are invitations to launches and fringe events, as well as a thick envelope containing some of the official papers, reports and agendas for the sessions. The main items in February will be:
• Women Bishops proposals working group reports, and debate
• The rural church
• Anglicans and Baptists in discussions
• Church of England in Higher Education

There are also some other juicy issues coming up including a possible review of Reader Ministry (something close to my heart), Hospital chaplaincy, Racial Hatred legislation, and the final hurdle for Children and Communion.

Despite all the work and energy that has gone in to the other work, I’ve no doubt that the issues surrounding Women Bishops will dominate discussion and media coverage. There’s no doubt it will be a heated time.
Now all I have to do is read all the paperwork, respond to a few items, and get ready to participate! I aim to try to speak during debates about Reader Ministry and Children and Communion, but whether I get called to speak is another matter….

Thursday 17th November 2005

Home now, and reflecting on some of the highs and lows of the past few days. It’s been a really interesting time, and by the end of these sessions I do really feel that I have a role to play on Synod….possibly!

Monday was mostly taken up with a briefing session for the 130 or so new members of the 450-member Synod. Most are elected in their home Dioceses, and a few appointed from other special interest groups, such as the deaf, armed forces, youth council, and the like. During the long briefing we were told the history of Synodical government, and went through all of the types of debates that take place. Then to the ‘past its best’ hotel for the night….

Tuesday was a strange day! Not only did we have a huge and very formal service in Westminster Abbey, but then the Queen joined Synod in the meeting chamber to deliver a speech. By now most people had been through numerous security checks, and I was a bit tired of wearing a jacket and tie! But after lunch, during which I went to a sort of ‘Freshers Fair’ with stalls from some of the main Synod interest groups, it was straight to business, with a report from the Synod Business Committee outlining the major things coming up, speeches and debates on the challenge of terrorism, and  a theological presentation on episcopacy (the role of Bishops) to prepare the way for women Bishops to be debated again in February. Then all the Southwell reps joined Bishop George for a very enjoyable supper, and prepared for another full day of debates. 

Synod operates a little like Parliament, with a round debating chamber and public gallery all the way around looking down on the chamber itself. There is the Chair of each session in the centre, with both Archbishops, legal and business advisers in a row, plus the chairs of the Houses of Laity and Clergy. To speak you have to stand and wait to be chosen, and generally must fill in a short form before the session saying who you are and roughly what you want to say. There are parliamentary phrases used such as  ‘points of order’ and ‘motions’, and speeches are carefully timed using green, amber and red lights! To get a good overview of it all I sat in the public gallery for a short while, as well as with other Southwell reps in the main chamber. Although it is possible to stay in the chamber in the same seat all day, most Synod members go out to the loo, have little private meetings, or grab a coffee from time to time. There are a number of ‘in-crowds’, and at times I felt lonely despite being among so many.

Wednesday I dressed ‘normally’ for me, which raised many eyebrows, some chuckles, and even a few compliments in the hallowed corridors of Church House! But as well as an opportunity to show Synod what I’m really like, Wednesday was also a full day of business! It included part of a current review of clergy terms of service, payments to the Churches Conservation Trust, Clergy discipline, Children and communion, and ended with 2 hours of tabled questions. During the afternoon there were also two ‘votes in houses’, with clergy, laity and Bishops all going certain ways and through different doors depending on whether they were voting ‘Aye’ or ‘Nay’! Towards the end of the afternoon, after a question about Diocesan children’s advisers I jumped to my feet and asked a supplementary question about how we keep mission amongst children high on the agenda of the national church. I felt really good having dipped my toe in the water of speaking at synod, and feel a bit more confident about next time now. The day ended with a House of Laity meeting to hear short speeches from those wishing to be in Archbishop’s Council and Chair of the House of Laity, the post Christina Baxter currently holds.

Colin Slater, Christina Baxter and I shared a taxi back over to St. Pancras and Kings Cross after the session, only to miss our various trains by a matter of minutes! So it was late when a weary Synod new-boy got home, gave his sleeping boys a cuddle, and went to bed!

Full info on all the business covered at the November Synod sessions can be found at www.cofe.anglican.org/news  Have a look at it, ‘cus it’s your church, and we are your reps!

Sunday 13th November 2005

My first time as a Synod member begins tomorrow, and having read all the papers and tried to get them in some sort of order I’m now wondering what to wear. I’ll need to be fairly formal for the official service in Westminster Abbey on Tuesday, which is followed by a ceremony with the Queen and Prince Philip in the Synod chamber in Church House. Early train to London in the morning….

Thursday 13th October 2005 - Getting ready

I‘ve had conversations and exchanged e-mails with some of the other Southwell reps on General Synod who have helped me with some basic questions. I’ve read all the stuff I was sent last week including various ‘how to survive synod’ papers, booked a cheap hotel to stay in and sorted out train tickets. It all feels like the lull before the storm! 

Friday 7th October 2005 - Mailing from Church House

The results came out a few days ago. Response have ranged from ‘I knew you’d get on’, and ‘Congratulations’ to ‘You mad fool’ and ‘You’re getting institutionalised!’. I now find myself on General Synod, and the first fat envelope has arrived from Church House! It includes 9 forms for me to fill in, as well as a report to read and two others to get hold of. I’m warned that another 2 big packs of papers are to be expected before November.ember 2005 - First Husting

Tuesday 4th October 2005 - Day of the count

I really want to know what the voting has been. I have been trying to tell myself that it doesn’t matter, but really I DO care what the results are. I can’t really settle to anything today….