Page 7 - Moravian Messenger April 2019

Church of England General Synod
February Sessions, 2019
From Wednesday 20th to Saturday 23rd February, I represented the Moravian Church at the General Synod of the Church of England at Church of England Church House in London.
In this report I will outline a number of discussions that took place and proposals that were passed that will hopefully be of interest to those who read this report.
There was a paper presented, entitled, 'Evangelism and Discipleship: Perspective from the Wider Anglican Communion.' A proposal was passed to encourage every worshipping community within the Church of England to make evangelism a planned priority for the coming year. The proposal also affirmed the importance of prayer and called for every parish to be involved in 'Thy Kingdom Come'. It also encouraged dioceses to envision, equip and enable lay and ordained people to be more confident in sharing the Gospel.
A proposal was passed noting the historic marginalisation of social housing estates, and commended the vision of the Estates Evangelism Task Group to see a serving, loving and worshipping community on every significant social housing estate in the country. The proposal urged every diocese to include ministry and mission on estates into its mission strategy. It also gave thanks for the Christian leadership offered by people from these estate communities and urged the church to make sure the voices of people from these estates, and other marginalised communities, were heard and heeded in the life of the Church of England.
A proposal was carried calling for the church's leadership, at various levels, to speak out publicly against racism and hate crimes directed at Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and communities. It urged the media to stop denigrating and victimising these people, and requested every diocese to appoint a chaplain to these communities.
There was a presentation on ministry amongst children and young people, and a proposal was carried encouraging youth evangelism. In this proposal the
importance of youth evangelism was affirmed. It commended the work of the Diocesan Youth Officers and the staff of the national church institutions, encouraged dioceses to create more youth ministry posts, and encouraged diocese and parishes to think of fresh ways to reach young people with the Gospel and to nurture them as Christian disciples.
Various legislative business was discussed and passed, including a Code of Practice on Co-operation by the Church of England with Other Churches. The code gives guidelines for the new Church of England ecumenical legislation. The legislation allows for greater flexibility and new opportunities for mission when working with other Christian churches, particularly at the local level, and particularly with those churches that do not have a national presence.
A proposal was passed calling on the Archbishop's Council to form a Church of England led Homelessness Taskforce to produce plans at the national, diocesan and parish levels, and to use the church's resources to provide shelter and support services for homeless people. Wherever possible, this should be done in partnership with local authorities, homeless charities, voluntary organisations, faith groups and social enterprises.
There was also a presentation and discussion on human sexuality and 'Living in Love and Faith'. 'Living in Love and Faith' is a process of discernment that the Church of England has embarked upon concerning gender, identity, relationships, marriage and sexuality. This process began in 2017 and will hopefully be completed in 2020, when teaching and learning resources will be available.
A proposal was passed concerning the environment and climate change. It called on every diocese to have an environmental programme. The proposal also called for a framework to be prepared and submitted to the Archbishop's Council to accelerate the positive steps
already being taken by the Church of England to reduce its CO2 emissions in cathedrals, churches and church halls by 80% by 2050. Dioceses were encouraged to share best practice with one another.
A proposal was also carried on the subject of Advertising and Gambling. Synod noted the huge increase in gambling advertising and significant levels of gambling by children. The proposal called on the government to reduce the quantity and pervasiveness of gambling advertising and introduce a mandatory levy on gambling firms to fund independently commissioned research, education and treatment programs. It also encouraged churches to be open places for people who have problems with gambling to seek support, and asked churches to support initiatives which educate children and young people about the risks related to gambling
Finally, bearing in mind the divisions that presently exist in this country, a proposal was passed calling upon every diocese and parish regularly to hold in prayer their local MPs, politicians, members of the government and civil servants, seeking God's strength and wisdom for the responsibilities they bear. The proposal also called on the synod to reaffirm the Christian commitment to putting the voices of the poor and marginalised at the heart of the nation's concerns, and called upon the nation's leaders, drawing on Christian hope and reconciliation, to work together for that common good at this time of division.
During the course of the synod there was a Service of Holy Communion, a Bible study on 1 Peter 1:1-21 and Evening Worship. During the breaks between sessions, over a cup coffee or a meal, I also had opportunities to share in fellowship with my
ecumenical colleagues and other members of the synod.
Br Philip Cooper
National Ecumenical Officer
43