Pre-synod03 Apr 25

General Synod 2025: a preview

By the Honorary Secretaries of the General Synod

General Synod will this year be meeting for the first time in the Dioceses of Meath and Kildare as it gathers in Lawlor’s Hotel, Naas, on Friday, 9th May, and Saturday, 10th May 2025, with Days 3 and 4 taking place remotely on the evenings of Tuesday, 13th May, and Thursday, 15th May (if required).

The county town of Kildare, Naas takes its name from nás – appropriately a ‘place of assembly’ – and has been a town since its charter was first awarded in 1409. The Into Kildare website highlights attractions and social events for local and visitors alike: www.intokildare.ie

This will be the second meeting of the 52nd General Synod of the Church of Ireland, and business is scheduled to proceed in the venue as follows:

• General Synod Service of Holy Communion (at 9.30am)
• Start of business in the venue (at 11.00am)
• Presidential Address by the Primate
• First day of business (to 6.30pm)
• Opening devotions for the second day (at 10.00am)
• Second day – morning session (to 1.00pm)
• Second day – afternoon session (from 2.00pm to 4.30pm)

The Synod Service will take place in St David’s Church, on South Main Street, and the preacher will be the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Rt Revd Dr Paul Colton. Transport will be provided between the hotel and the church and back again for those with mobility issues.

Bills

The main purpose of General Synod is to consider proposals for legislation (bills) in its role as the Church of Ireland’s governing body.  At the time of going to press, eight bills had been presented for consideration by General Synod:

Bill No. 1 would replace the ‘Tuam, Killala & Achonry’ and ‘Limerick & Killaloe’ sections in the diocesan table in the Constitution with ‘Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe’ to reflect the amalgamation of the two dioceses in 2022.

Bill No. 2 allows for updated referencing in the Constitution to reflect two previously approved bills, to the effect that parochial nominators and diocesan synod members should be part of the parish for which they are elected to those respective roles.

Bill No. 3 similarly allows for cross–referencing so that the retirement age of archdeacons (previously raised from 70 years to 75 years in line with the retirement age for clergy) is consistent in the Constitution.

Bill No. 4 concerns the governance arrangements for Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, to prepare the Cathedral for its incorporation as a Company Limited by Guarantee.

Bill No. 5 proposes updates to the arrangement for glebes.  At present, an incumbent must sign an acknowledgement or agreement ‘in reference to the glebe appropriated for that incumbent’s occupation or residence’ within two months of their institution or licensing.  There is currently no constitutional requirement to return the signed copy of the agreement.  The Bill proposes that three copies of the glebe agreement (or other similar acknowledgement) must be signed immediately prior to the institution or licensing, with one copy being retained by the incumbent, one copy lodged with the diocesan office, and one copy lodged with the Representative Church Body.

Bill No. 6 notes that a small number of members of the Church of Ireland Clergy Pensions Fund who had reached the normal retirement age before 1st January 2024 but had not yet retired by that date, have not benefitted from recent increases to pensionable stipend or to pensions in payment.  The proposed amendment to the Constitution will lead to late retirement pensions being calculated by using pensionable stipend at the date of retirement.

Bill No. 7 proposes an increase in the number of members co–opted onto the Representative Church Body from 11 to 18.  The Representative Church Body would be asked to make these co–options, insofar as practicable, with regard to the need to have members with appropriate skills and experience, and the desirability of having a membership with an appropriate level of age, gender and ethnic representation, and from throughout the island of Ireland.

Bill No. 8 proposes merging the current two forms of declaration for registered vestry members in order to have just one form for both resident and accustomed vestry members (with an option to select which form of member the declarant is).

The closing date for the submission of bills to be included along with the written agenda was Friday, 21st March.  The Bills Committee will examine all proposed bills for legal and drafting issues, and will report their conclusions to General Synod on the first day.

Reports

Each year’s Book of Reports covers the work of the range of committees and organisations reporting to General Synod is then be discussed by members.  The following entities report to the General Synod:

• Standing Committee
• Representative Church Body
• Board of Education
• Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue
• Church of Ireland–Methodist Covenant Council
• Liturgical Advisory Committee
• Marriage Council
• Commission on Ministry
• Council for Mission
• Pioneer Ministry Governing Council
• Church of Ireland Youth Department

Some notable initiatives in the reports include the Church and Society Commission’s work on supporting people affected by the Troubles and its legacy, the all–island youth ministry audit survey, a resource for daily prayer in the home, and the licensing of the first nine Pioneer Ministers.  Working groups will report on the ways forward for clergy tenure, the future of curacies, and chaplaincy in third level education.

The Board of Education report relates to the Church’s work in education at school level and covers this activity for both political jurisdictions.  Figures from the Church–wide census over the last two years will be included in the report of the Standing Committee. 

Notice of a motion for General Synod should be sent to the Honorary Secretaries at [email protected] by Wednesday, 9th April 2025, and motions may also be proposed during Synod under Standing Orders.

Any petitions to the General Synod must be sent to the Honorary Secretaries no later than Friday, 2nd May 2025.

With our colleagues in the dioceses, we very much look forward to welcoming Synod members to Naas.  For more information on General Synod, including motions and forms for proposing items of business, please visit the General Synod website: www.churchofireland.org/synod