Day 3
General Synod 2022 draws to a close
The 2022 General Synod of the Church of Ireland has drawn to a close. Members met for the first in person meeting after a two year gap, gathering in the Assembly Buildings in Belfast.
The journal motion has been passed by members and the Archbishop of Armagh thanked the Presbyterian Church in Ireland for the use of their facility on behalf of members of Synod. He paid tribute to Raymond, the facilities manager, who had gone out of his way to make members of Synod welcome, he stated.
He thanked the Honorary Secretaries for all the work they had done in organising Synod and the Synod office and staff, in particular Janet Maxwell and Elaine Whitehouse. He thanked the assessor. He praised Heather Carson and St Stephen’s Church, Linfield, for their tremendous gesture of good will in organising the Synod bags for members.
Archbishop McDowell said it was a pleasure to preside over Synod in his home city and said that Belfast was the most wonderful city to grow up in. It had been wonderful to meet up in person again and looked forward to gathering again in Croke Park in 2023.
Honorary Secretary Canon Gillian Wharton thanked the Archbishop for the way in which he had chaired General Synod and thanked him for his good humour.
Synod concluded with the Grace.