A Group of Sessions (a meeting of the General Synod) would normally begin, after some formal introductions, with a debate on the Report of the Business Committee. Often the questions following the presentation of that report will involve members standing up and asking why such and such, which was in the news, was not included in the agenda. The Chair of the Business Committee normally then explains that there wasn’t time and that the Business Committee would give the request consideration for a later meeting. So this gathering in York was unusual for two reasons – the Business Committee Report came long after Synod had begun and time had been made for an emergency debate.
I was absolutely delighted when we were told that the Presidents of the Synod (the two archbishops) had come to the decision that we should debate the EU Referendum. My big fear was that we would go through the same debate again – ‘Why isn’t the Referendum on the agenda?’, ‘Because there isn’t time’. What would make it worse is that this would then be reported alongside the fact that we are spending two days, in purdah, talking about human (which in church speak means ‘homo’) sexuality. ‘Church of England talks about sex (again) whilst nation is in turmoil’ could have been the headline.
The fact of the matter is that we are the Established Church and whatever else that means it means, in my book, that we have a care for every person in England and that extends far beyond their spiritual needs. It means that we have a priest living in every community in this country, that we know what it is like on the ground, in the streets and we have people who can reflect that back to us. We are in a privileged position and so we have a duty to respond to the political, economic and social situation that we now find ourselves in – we have to seize the moment.
The risk was, of course, that the debate could have been just a bunch of ‘pinko liberals’ standing up and whinging about the result because they weren’t on the winning side! I’m glad to say it wasn’t like that at all. The Archbishop of Canterbury introduced the debate and set the tone, saying very clearly that we are where we are and that, whilst we are leaving the EU we will never leave Europe.
One great speech came from the Bishop in Europe. That diocese, part of the Church of England, extends across the continent and covers countries not in the EU but all those that do. The Bishop spoke powerfully of congregations in Belgium where he lives and members of those congregations, ex-pats, who have given their professional careers to working to help create all that is good in the EU, being reduced to tears as they worshipped. He also spoke about the millions of our fellow countrymen and women who have moved overseas for their retirement to enjoy the weather and lifestyle that so many countries offer and are now in fear and confusion.
Those who spoke in the debate raised powerful issues and it was good to hear from one priest from Hartlepool who explained why the people he works and lives with voted as they did, to leave, because they felt that over the last 40 years they have lost so much and gained so little.
I was proud to be a member of such a Synod that could speak so well and so carefully on an issue that is dividing us and to speak of the work of reconciliation that we can help with. ++Justin warned the Synod that the church will have a great deal of work to do as we help the nation with vision and values as we build the kind of outward looking, generous, hospitable, inclusive, welcoming community that we believe God calls us to be.
So after an hour and a half of that debate the timed agenda was now something of a fiction. As you know, I’m now a member of the Panel of Chairs and so behind the scenes there was constant conversation about how we were to manage the timings for the rest of the day. But we did it and the day ended with me chairing ‘Questions’ for the first time. I was initially nervous and at the end exhausted – but it was great fun and that bell, to bring people to order, is a powerful weapon (maybe something I should have at Chapter meetings!).
It’s now Day Two and we are shortly due back in the Chamber. Today is basically about legislation – certainly in the morning. Interesting among that is the Draft Amending Canon No. 36 which makes its first appearance. This is the one that addresses the ‘vesture of ordained and authorized ministers during the time of divine service’. We know that many people break Canon Law every Sunday when they don’t wear customary vesture. But the church lives with that because we are a broad church and we come from a variety of tradition backgrounds. But at the moment there is a norm and the proposal is that this should go. Instead it will be for the discretion of the minister who will make the judgment about what to wear to ‘benefit the mission of the Church in the parish.’
‘Will these benefit our mission?’
Now I know that I’m never knowingly underdressed in church, but then I am in a Cathedral and I am catholic in tradition and I do believe that liturgy is missional in its awe inspiring majesty and its life changing mystery so you would expect me to say this. But at the moment I don’t think I can support this proposal. Apart from the idea of abandoning the norm I think we create a hostage to fortune when in the legislation it says of what people should wear that it ‘must be seemly’. The dictionary says that this means
Conforming to accepted notions of propriety or good taste.
I don’t know what that means in contemporary society. And what does it mean at All Age Worship, Messy Church or Evening Worship? Who says what’s seemly? And I see huge gender discrimination looming because St Paul does mention what is seemly for women to wear in 1 Timothy 2 but not the men! Will the same standards be applied to ordained or licensed women and men?
There are more reasons as well – about what it means to be Anglican, a member and minister of the Church of England as well as the tradition that we are in. But it will be interesting to see what is raised in this debate.
As ever, I turn to George Herbert for some wisdom on all of this. In his poem ‘Aaron’ he begins with these words
HOLINESS on the head,
Light and perfection on the breast,
Harmonious bells below raising the dead
To lead them unto life and rest.
Thus are true Aarons drest.
As the holy, priestly people of God St Paul has a good word for us
‘Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Romans 13.14)
The clothes that we wore in the EU debate where of justice, mercy and peace, we were clothed with Christ, perhaps this is the true vesture of the whole people of God.
Lord,
grace us
that we may truly be your church in this land,
clothed in justice, mercy and peace.
Amen.
Andrew Nunn's reflections from General Synod 
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