There are good Synods, and there are bad Synods – there are deadly dull ones and there are slightly too exciting ones. This year’s Synod, held as usual just now at St. Paul’s & St. George’s, Edinburgh, was somewhere in between, and consequently a very good, entertaining, informative and inspirational few days.
Everyone will have had their own favourite parts. From my point of view, we had an excellent presentation on the Council of Nicaea from Rev. Professor Charlotte Methuen, making us get our brains working; a gentle discussion on the implications of the Assisted Dying bill, led by Rev. Hamilton Inbadas; lively table debates about the future of the SEC, what we value in it and what could be improved. Wonderful worship, led by a variety of people including the Primus and the Provincial Youth Committee; lots of busy conversation in the coffee breaks, happy greetings of old friends as we arrived, and the traditional line-up of luggage at the back of the church on the morning of our departure, when the General Synod Office staff collect our badges and voting machines, accept our expenses claims, wave us goodbye and go home for a lie down in a darkened room for a fortnight.
Down at Table 3 we were lucky to have the representative of the United Reformed Church at our table, who contributed wonderfully to our discussions, and even though we were under the beady eye of the Chair at least three of us were knitting busily throughout.
Yes, definitely a good year – looking forward to being back next year!
Dr Nicola Mills, House of Laity Delegate, Prolocutor of the House of Laity for General Synod
Images by the Provincial Communications Team