Every year, the bishop, ministry coordinators, vicars and parish representatives from all over the diocese gather in one place for the weekend to do business. It’s called synod.
Synod is a formal governance meeting, almost like a parliament meeting, where statutes and matters of policy are decided, reports are received, and members of diocesan committees are elected.
Synod shows what makes Anglican leadership different from other denominations: we make decisions together – bishop, lay people and clergy. Every parish in a diocese is represented and given the opportunity to have their unique voice heard.
According to the Nelson Anglicans Guide to Synod, synodical government emphasises the fact that, “although the spiritual authority of the Church comes from Christ himself through his apostles and their successors, this authority is not autocratic, and can be administered only through and with the consent and the support of the whole Church.”
But what does it actually look like? Let’s start with a glance around the room.
When synod is gathered for business, sitting at the front (a little like a bridal party does at a wedding reception) are the following:
The president. This is the bishop, who chairs synod. Up to four members of synod can also be appointed by Standing Committee that the bishop may invite to preside as chair from time to time.
The diocesan chancellor. The chancellor is the official legal adviser to the bishop, checking that the business carried out at synod is legislatively correct.
The secretaries. There must be one clergy and one lay secretary, appointed by the bishop. We tend to have three secretaries in total: one serving as minutes secretary and the clergy and lay assisting.
The rest of the members are seated around tables, arranged by parish.
I mentioned that every parish is represented at an Anglican synod gathering. For the Nelson Diocese, that’s 24 parishes from Golden Bay to Picton, Greymouth to Kaikōura – each with their licensed clergy and two or three synod reps, depending on the population of the parish. This totals around 100 people speaking for their respective churches.
All voting members fit into one of three “houses”. The house of bishops consists simply of the bishop, the house of clergy is all licensed priests and deacons, and the house of laity is made up of the lay synod representatives, including two representatives from the Association of Anglican Women (AAW) and up to eight youth representatives (two per deanery). Every vote requires assent from all three houses.
The diocesan manager is present, along with some other members of the Anglican Centre like the bishop’s chaplain and the finance manager. There are usually a few people representing various institutions – internal groups like the Nelson Diocesan Trust Board and Bishopdale College, as well as national organisations like Anglican Missions, NZCMS and Church Army.
There are two relevant “rights” in play for every person. The right to speak, and the right to vote. Active clergy and lay representatives have both speaking and voting rights. The diocesan manager and ministry enablers have the right to speak, but not to vote. Any other attendee (not licensed by the bishop or approved under our canons) must be given speaking rights if they are to speak during business sessions.
On the first evening, a public service is held, where people gather for worship and prayer before the bishop delivers a “charge”. The bishop’s charge is an official instruction to the whole diocese, made with discernment of what the Spirit is saying to the church. This sets the direction for ministry and mission for the coming year.
On the next day, the business begins. This will include:
Motions. Almost everything synod resolves starts as a motion. There are routine ones, like a motion to bestow speaking rights, a motion to receive the budget report and approve the year’s budget, and so on. There are also motions addressing particular issues – there might be a motion to accept a funding recommendation, a motion that Standing Committee reviews a matter, or simply a motion of thanks. Motions are distributed to members of synod in advance, so people can spend time considering them. Motions have movers and seconders, and particular rules apply when speaking about them. For example, members must always address the president directly when talking, and speeches are time-limited – up to eight minutes for the mover and five minutes for subsequent speakers.
Reports. Members of synod must consider the reports and accounts of the many diocesan bodies. Each parish submits a report that outlines the successes and challenges of the year, including any relevant news and updates. The same with all ministry coordinators and diocesan committees and boards – one or two pages on what has been happening and where God has been leading. All reports are circulated to members in advance and put into the official annual synod yearbook.
Elections. Synod is responsible for electing various people, such as Standing Committee members (the “synod between synods” – an article for another time), General Synod representatives (sent to the national Anglican synod), and Bishopdale Theological College Trust Board members.
Conferences. When “in conference”, official business is adjourned for a period, and the rules are more flexible. The conference may divide into clerical and lay houses, or meet as a whole. Decisions made in conference are not officially binding, but may give rise to a motion to bring before synod. When reports are delivered, they are normally considered in conference.
The most important business is woven throughout the programme of every synod: prayer and fellowship. “Before, during and after synod, we pray for wisdom to discern the will of God and courage to carry it out,” says Rev Canon Simon Martin, bishop’s chaplain. Each day starts with worship and a Bible reflection and ends in prayer. Simon continues:
We pray our hopes with bold expectancy. We pray our failings with penitential humility. We pray for needs in a suffering world with urgent compassion. Synod at prayer is inseparable from synod at work.
While synod is complex, regimented and sometimes monotonous, its primary goal is to figure out policies and strategies that best advance the mission of the church. It ensures that every parish has a voice, every board and committee is kept accountable, and every part of the diocese is on the same page – cultivating vibrant communities of faith that radiate the good news of Jesus.
Check out other articles in the
Anglican Anatomy
series below.
More articles in the
Anglican Anatomy
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
Every year, the bishop, ministry coordinators, vicars and parish representatives from all over the diocese gather in one place for the weekend to do business. It’s called synod.
Synod is a formal governance meeting, almost like a parliament meeting, where statutes and matters of policy are decided, reports are received, and members of diocesan committees are elected.
Synod shows what makes Anglican leadership different from other denominations: we make decisions together – bishop, lay people and clergy. Every parish in a diocese is represented and given the opportunity to have their unique voice heard.
According to the Nelson Anglicans Guide to Synod, synodical government emphasises the fact that, “although the spiritual authority of the Church comes from Christ himself through his apostles and their successors, this authority is not autocratic, and can be administered only through and with the consent and the support of the whole Church.”
But what does it actually look like? Let’s start with a glance around the room.
When synod is gathered for business, sitting at the front (a little like a bridal party does at a wedding reception) are the following:
The president. This is the bishop, who chairs synod. Up to four members of synod can also be appointed by Standing Committee that the bishop may invite to preside as chair from time to time.
The diocesan chancellor. The chancellor is the official legal adviser to the bishop, checking that the business carried out at synod is legislatively correct.
The secretaries. There must be one clergy and one lay secretary, appointed by the bishop. We tend to have three secretaries in total: one serving as minutes secretary and the clergy and lay assisting.
The rest of the members are seated around tables, arranged by parish.
I mentioned that every parish is represented at an Anglican synod gathering. For the Nelson Diocese, that’s 24 parishes from Golden Bay to Picton, Greymouth to Kaikōura – each with their licensed clergy and two or three synod reps, depending on the population of the parish. This totals around 100 people speaking for their respective churches.
All voting members fit into one of three “houses”. The house of bishops consists simply of the bishop, the house of clergy is all licensed priests and deacons, and the house of laity is made up of the lay synod representatives, including two representatives from the Association of Anglican Women (AAW) and up to eight youth representatives (two per deanery). Every vote requires assent from all three houses.
The diocesan manager is present, along with some other members of the Anglican Centre like the bishop’s chaplain and the finance manager. There are usually a few people representing various institutions – internal groups like the Nelson Diocesan Trust Board and Bishopdale College, as well as national organisations like Anglican Missions, NZCMS and Church Army.
There are two relevant “rights” in play for every person. The right to speak, and the right to vote. Active clergy and lay representatives have both speaking and voting rights. The diocesan manager and ministry enablers have the right to speak, but not to vote. Any other attendee (not licensed by the bishop or approved under our canons) must be given speaking rights if they are to speak during business sessions.
On the first evening, a public service is held, where people gather for worship and prayer before the bishop delivers a “charge”. The bishop’s charge is an official instruction to the whole diocese, made with discernment of what the Spirit is saying to the church. This sets the direction for ministry and mission for the coming year.
On the next day, the business begins. This will include:
Motions. Almost everything synod resolves starts as a motion. There are routine ones, like a motion to bestow speaking rights, a motion to receive the budget report and approve the year’s budget, and so on. There are also motions addressing particular issues – there might be a motion to accept a funding recommendation, a motion that Standing Committee reviews a matter, or simply a motion of thanks. Motions are distributed to members of synod in advance, so people can spend time considering them. Motions have movers and seconders, and particular rules apply when speaking about them. For example, members must always address the president directly when talking, and speeches are time-limited – up to eight minutes for the mover and five minutes for subsequent speakers.
Reports. Members of synod must consider the reports and accounts of the many diocesan bodies. Each parish submits a report that outlines the successes and challenges of the year, including any relevant news and updates. The same with all ministry coordinators and diocesan committees and boards – one or two pages on what has been happening and where God has been leading. All reports are circulated to members in advance and put into the official annual synod yearbook.
Elections. Synod is responsible for electing various people, such as Standing Committee members (the “synod between synods” – an article for another time), General Synod representatives (sent to the national Anglican synod), and Bishopdale Theological College Trust Board members.
Conferences. When “in conference”, official business is adjourned for a period, and the rules are more flexible. The conference may divide into clerical and lay houses, or meet as a whole. Decisions made in conference are not officially binding, but may give rise to a motion to bring before synod. When reports are delivered, they are normally considered in conference.
The most important business is woven throughout the programme of every synod: prayer and fellowship. “Before, during and after synod, we pray for wisdom to discern the will of God and courage to carry it out,” says Rev Canon Simon Martin, bishop’s chaplain. Each day starts with worship and a Bible reflection and ends in prayer. Simon continues:
We pray our hopes with bold expectancy. We pray our failings with penitential humility. We pray for needs in a suffering world with urgent compassion. Synod at prayer is inseparable from synod at work.
While synod is complex, regimented and sometimes monotonous, its primary goal is to figure out policies and strategies that best advance the mission of the church. It ensures that every parish has a voice, every board and committee is kept accountable, and every part of the diocese is on the same page – cultivating vibrant communities of faith that radiate the good news of Jesus.
Check out other articles in the
Anglican Anatomy
series below.
More articles in the
Anglican Anatomy
series are to come.
