Day 2
Report of Standing Committee Reveals Wide Ranging Work of the Church
The vast range of work featured in the report of the Standing Committee was brought before General Synod this afternoon.
The report was proposed by Richard Codd who acknowledged the work of the honorary secretaries and administrative staff. Significant matters attended to during the year included the establishment of the Wedding Venues Working Group and the Working Group on Clergy Tenure.
Turning to Bishops’ Appeal he said the agency provided grants to 32 projects which was done with the support of dioceses, parishes and individuals of the Church of Ireland. Two new initiatives – Pancakes and Prayer and Gingerbread and Generosity – provided opportunity for engagement and raised funds, he said. He encouraged members of Synod to support Bishops’ Appeal.
Children’s and Family Ministry has seen an increase in people engaging with resources across different social media platforms and the website, he reported, and over the coming months there is a plan to launch an online shop. The accessible Book of Common Prayer ‘And Also With You’ is specifically designed for children but the board recognises that the resource will be useful for all those with additional needs, he stated.
Mr Codd outlined the work of the Disability Working Group and flagged an all Ireland survey in the coming months.
The Central Communications Board section outlined developments with the Royalties Fund, the redesign of the Church of Ireland website and welcomed the appointment of Scratch Films who are spearheading a new approach to broadcast services on RTE, he said.
2026 marks 170 years of the publication of the Church of Ireland Gazette which makes it one of the longest running publications in the British Isles, he said. In recent years it has struggled with costs and has received some financial support and the CCB is exploring a way forward. He also commended the work of Search. He acknowledged the work of Peter Cheney who has departed from the role of Press Officer for the Anglican Centre in Rome.
The Wedding Venues Working Group will report to General Synod next year, he promised.
The Safeguarding Board has seen multiple developments in policy and procedures, among them the restructuring of the safeguarding team. He reported that there is now a fully centralised system for safeguarding information. In 2025 training was delivered to 865 people and the team offered 516 individual pieces of advice. The case management committee was established as a key part of safeguarding policy.
Turning to the Armagh agreement between the Church of Ireland and the British Province of the Moravian Church was mentioned as was the work of the Advisory Council to the Church of Ireland Centre at DCU.
Mr Codd noted that this being a triennium year, many people would depart General Synod and he encouraged them to find ways to continue to serve the Church while new members would be welcomed.
Canon Harry Gilmore (Raphoe) seconded the report commending the review of the policy of the prevention of bullying and harassment in the Dignity of Church Life.
He also spoke about the now annual census of the Church of Ireland. Three years ago a simpler and easier process began online which details attendance at church services over four Sundays among other information. He said three years was too short to see a trend but noted that there is no downward trend for attendance. “So there is no sign here of a mass exodus in church attendance,” he announced.
Discussion on the Report
Speaking to the report, Geoffrey McMaster (Glendalough) drew attention to the wider world saying that so far in Synod internal items had been the focus and attention had not been given to suffering around the world. This, he stated, should be a major concern for the Church if it is to remain relevant. “Where do we stand on the injustices that are staring us in the face?” he asked. He suggested that Bishops’ Appeal is an attempt to stand up to these injustices.
Archdeacon Peter Thompson (Armagh) said theology should be the starting place for all discussion.
Bishop Michael Burrows (Tuam Limerick and Killaloe) spoke about the Board of Children’s Ministry and Families and praised the easy to read accessible Book of Common Prayer particularly highlighting the book’s encouragement to children to ask their local leaders about the availability of Holy Communion to children before confirmation in some churches.
Bishop Ferran Glenfield (Kilmore Elphin and Ardagh) recalled recent years where donations to Bishops’ Appeal had declined but said this has been reversed because of the generosity of God. He said Bishops’ Appeal had received bequests from elderly ladies who remembered them. Because of, this substantial sums of money made a difference to the work of CMSI and Tearfund Ireland.
Neville Bagnell (Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh) suggested that more emphasis be put on getting information out on the role of the incumbent.
Bishop George Davison (Connor) spoke about the Board of Ministry to Children and Families reminded members of Synod that when they participate in a baptism service they make commitments to nurture children in their faith and the Board for Ministry to Children and Families seeks to resource parishes in this role. He said children express their spirituality differently from adults and it is important to value this and discover how powerfully the Holy Spirit can speak through children. He said the Board wants to encourage and nurture the participation of children and families in worship. For many young worshipers the Book of Common Prayer can be a daunting book and seeking to address that the Board has sought to create a child friendly book ‘And Also With You’. While their initial intent was to support children in worshiping in their own way, it became clear that it would be useful to a much broader cohort – so the design is child friendly but not childish. They hope that this will be a resource that blesses the church and enables young people to participate fully in worship. He paid tribute to all who put it together and commended it to the church.
The Revd Lesley Robinson (Dublin) commended the ongoing work of the Wedding Venue Working Group. The membership of the group has been carefully constituted to produce a balance and she reassured the Archdeacon of Armagh that theology underpinned everything. Recent CSO figures tell that Church of Ireland weddings had fallen by 56% over 10 years from 2014 to 2024, she said adding that the most alarming statistic is the growth of marriages in churches in other religious denominations so Synod should not discount the importance of the working group’s deliberations, she said.
George Woodward (Connor) spoke of the report of the consultative group on disability said and highlighted those with hidden disabilities. He urged church people to be careful how they address those with disabilities and hidden disabilities.
Dean Stephen Forde (Connor) thanked the Priorities Fund on behalf of all who had received allocations, particularly for their allocation to the Children of the Troubles project. He said that St Anne’s Cathedral was working on an interactive project which will acknowledge the 186 children whose lives were lost in the Troubles. He hoped the project would be in place in 2027. The Church has an imperative to find a way in which the trauma of the Troubles can be address, he said. He added that the Priorities Fund donation enabled them to leverage other resources.
The Revd Ian Linton (Dromore) thanked the Board of Ministry to Children and Families for ‘And Also With You’ which he said was beautifully produced. However, he noted that references are included in the Holy Communion Service are not used in the Church of Ireland context.
Bishop Adrian Wilkinson (Cashel Ferns and Ossory) spoke about ministry to children and families and highlighted uniformed organisations and in particular GFS. He also mentioned Boys Brigade. He spoke about the intergenerational worship opportunity offered by choirs. He said all age worship was another aspect of life.
Canon James Boyd (Connor) commended the work of the CASC subcommittee working on the legacy of the Troubles. He said this is a continuing issue which lies under the surface and the trauma to those affected the most is continuous. He said that there had been a number of incidents in recent weeks. “The truth of the trauma and legacy of the Troubles can be found in parishes in stories of those who have suffered the most at the hands of terrorists. The work on this topic has not finished,” he said.
Iris Suitor, honorary secretary of Bishops’ Appeal spoke about the work of Bishops’ Appeal and thanked Hilary McClay for her work.
A short video on the activities of CASC was shown You can watch it here.