Martin Dales: Synod must inspire unity, not create more angst

It is quite clear now that there is a majority in both the elected Houses of Clergy and Laity saying that unity in the Church of England is a vital commodity in need of retention.

There has been a lot in the media about factions, divisions, people leaving the Church of England and a generally negative air about the

behaviour of some members at General Synod.

The General Synod is what we have and we need to accept the way it operates, or else change it. Other than taking the retrograde step of asking Parliament to do our work or else answering directly to our Supreme Governor, the Queen (which might not be such a bad idea), we need to ensure that our "parliament" operates effectively and with due regard to both the formularies we have agreed, including the Book of Common Prayer, the 39 Articles of 1563 and onwards.

In talking widely in both my own diocese and around the country, it has been encouraging to come across many people who want to see a unifying response from us in Synod to the many issues that seem to be causing us so much angst, whether it is women's ordained ministry, sexual issues or anything else.

There is, for instance, a huge appetite among the people in the pews for there to be a resolution to the particularly divisive issue of women in the episcopate. The reality is that, whatever one's view, it is likely to happen sometime in the future: General Synod has,

seemingly, made that decision.

What is making people really upset is the destructive way in which we have gone about the matter with a lack of charity, loads of hectoring, disgraceful and, frankly, shockingly un-Christian behaviour along with neither theological nor human interaction between opposing sides.

It would seem that one alleged form of discrimination against women is to be replaced by another possible one against men and others – can this be the right way forward for our Church in these days of equality?

It would seem that there are enough people now in both the elected Houses saying enough is enough and that some sort of provision is needed to ensure that those who cannot, through theological conviction, accept the innovation of women as bishops, should, as currently,

continue to be accepted as faithful and loyal Anglicans, both loved, respected and provided for.

General Synod may have mistakenly believed that most Anglican

Catholics, for instance, wanted to join the Pope's Ordinariate and so legislated terminal care accordingly: I believe there is a new spirit

to reconsider the whole matter as the silent, unsung majority are looking to remain members of the Church of England.

In my view, it is vital in this new Synod that there is strong leadership in both elected Houses and a more unified message coming from the House of Bishops who, looking at their agendas, do not have enough time to seriously discuss matters of Order with the knock-on effect their lack of rigorous discussions have on the Synod, let alone the wider Church.

In the last Synod, I have been appalled by the way in which our Archbishops have been treated by fellow members in articles in the press and debates (and not just on women bishops) where they have been trying hard to offer leadership and spiritual guidance.

I hope that this new Synod will adopt a different attitude and offer some respect and deference (yes, an old word) to hear what they are saying to our Church.

So what of the Church's relationship with the new coalition Government?

It is clear that the spending review is going to bring severe pressures on many individuals and we need to be with them as a Synod as issues come to light: praise where praise is due and constructive criticism when appropriate.

I would like to see our Synod being more proactive with the Government –another coalition perhaps – to ensure that those who are least able to look after themselves have a champion in the Church.

In Synod in the past, we have too often only been able to react to events rather than ensure they were not events in the first place, let alone the time it takes to get such matters on the Synod's agenda,

which is just too long.

The new Synod will face many challenges, a lot of them as yet unseen: I sincerely hope that it will be a less self-seeking and polarised body than the last one.

Martin Dales has been a Lay Member of the General Synod for the Diocese of York since 1995 and is a Member of the Church of England's Council for Christian Unity.