Synod News
Historic Online General Synod Draws to a Close
General Synod 2020 drew to a close this afternoon (December 2) after three sessions meeting online.
The only visitor to Synod this year, Dr Janet Unsworth of the Methodist Church of Ireland, brought greetings from the Methodist Conference. She said the Methodist Church had valued its friendship with the Church of Ireland over the difficult months and Edgehill Theological College and enjoyed its association with the Church of Ireland Theological Institute. In the season of Advent she said we now could look forward in hope.
Canon Gillian Wharton proposed the Journal motion in the names of the Honorary Secretaries.
Archbishop John McDowell asked if people’s experience of Synod today in terms of sound and vision was better than yesterday’s. Most people agreed that it was a better experience today.
In his concluding remarks the Archbishop thanked everyone who had persevered and attended Synod which was very different from the usual Synod experience. He thanked the Archbishop of Dublin for his chairing of one of the sessions. He also thanked all who had served for the past three years. He paid tribute to those who technically facilitated the Synod and the Honorary Secretaries who had to turn the organisation of Synod around very quickly when it was found that the law required that Synod be held.
The RB staff were a lot less visible than usual, the Archbishop noted while thanking them. He also thanked the Primate’s assessor, who he said had been called upon on innumerable occasions recently, for giving his time and expertise unfailingly. “Most of all I hope and really look forward to seeing you all in Armagh next year where Synod is due to be,” he said adding that it is due to take place in May 2021.
Joan Bruton (Meath and Kildare) said it had been an unusual Synod. But she noted that the attendance had been as high as 431 and wondered if it would be possible to have some participants attend General Synod by Zoom in future which could improve attendance. She also suggested that the process of counting of votes at General Synod should be examined in order to reduce the time it took. She suggested that those attending Synod this year should be asked what they thought of it. Archbishop McDowell invited people to make their feelings on Synod known.
Sam Harper (Cashel, Ferns and Ossory) thanked the Archbishop for his gracious chairing of Synod. Jock Sanders (Limerick and Killaloe) congratulated all who facilitated this Zoom Synod. He said it was wonderful that Synod had been able to meet but expressed concern that the usual contributions from the floor were not forthcoming and discussion was not had which reduced the value of Synod, he suggested.
Archbishop McDowell closed Synod in prayer.