The General Synod of the Church of England met at the University of York for their summer sessions from 11 to 15 July. The Rt Rev David Railton, Bishop of Argyll & The Isles attended the meeting as the ecumenical representative from the Scottish Episcopal Church, accompanied by Miriam Weibye, the SEC Church Relations Officer at the invitation of the Council for Christian Unity.

The Synod focused on governance reforms and financial matters. The debates also addressed clergy pensions, military chaplaincy, calendar changes, assisted dying legislation, human sexuality and international conflict.

Reflecting on the meeting, Bishop David wrote that: “It has been a privilege to attend the Church of England’s General Synod as a guest and to share in the life of another part of the Anglican Communion for five days.

“I was grateful for the warm welcome and the opportunity to meet new people, both lay and ordained. It was particularly heartening to hear reflections on the theme of ‘quiet renewal’—a hopeful reminder of the Spirit’s steady work in the church. The report on the 10th anniversary of the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative was also full of good news from across the world, and I was deeply moved by the care and seriousness with which Synod engaged with sensitive matters and vital work which requires with compassion, justice, and integrity.

“A particular joy was the opportunity to worship with Synod members in a near-full York Minster on Sunday morning – an experience of reverence, beauty, and shared faith in that magnificent and prayer-soaked space. It was also a profound privilege to hear Archbishop Hosam Naoum speak of the life and witness of the Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. He spoke with grace and clarity about the danger, trauma, and deep suffering experienced daily by so many in that region, and of the Church’s courageous ministry of presence, peace, and hope in the midst of conflict. His words were a sobering and powerful reminder of our deep interconnectedness within the Anglican Communion and of the cost of faithful witness in many parts of the world.

“Overall, it has been a worthwhile and enriching experience to attend General Synod, but it is always a joy to return home, to Argyll and The Isles – the familiar landscapes and faithful communities of our Diocese.”

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Image used courtesy of the Rev Canon Dr Jeremy Morris. L-R: Rev Dr David Coulter, Church of Scotland; Rev Philip Cooper, Moravian; Rev Canon Dr Jeremy Morris, Church of England National Adviser for Ecumenical Relations; Rev Canon Chuck Robertson, Episcopal Church of the USA; Rev Tim Norwood, Church of England National Ecumenical Officer for Local Ecumenism; Miriam Weibye, SEC Church Relations Officer; the Rt Rev David Railton, Bishop of Argyll & The Isles; Shermara Fletcher-Hoyte, Pentecostals; Rev Andy Fyall, the Methodist Church of Great Britain; the Rt Rev Jan Otto Myrseth, Bishop of Tunsberg, Church of Norway.