Ending it on Monday afternoon, instead of Tuesday, would also save the Church of England £20,000; it was not the first consideration, but would be helpful in the present economic climate.

Items on the agenda include financial issues, legislation, and governance, with no significant reports, and little that is likely to cause controversy, except a diocesan synod motion from Bradford, on Sunday afternoon, calling for a reduction in the number of bishops and other senior clergy.

After the preliminary business on Friday afternoon, the first debate will be on stewardship, seeking to encourage members of congregations to adopt a target of five per cent of their income after tax for their giving to the church, and a similar amount “to other work that helps to build God’s kingdom”.

That five-per-cent target had been set before, in 1978, Mr Fittall said, when average giving was “only one per cent, and people expected to have religion on the rates”.

Since then, giving has risen, as people have become more com­mitted. The report Giving for Life, from the National Stewardship Committee, showed some marked differences between dioceses: at least one diocese was still giving one per cent, but Bradford and Sheffield, which were not rich, were among the most generous at 4.2 per cent.

After that, a debate will be an intro­duced by the Bishop of Chichester, the Rt Revd John Hind, to a report from the Faith and Order Advisory Group on the ARCIC report, Life in Christ. It is some years old, and is largely about Christian ethics from an ecumenical viewpoint, David Williams, Clerk to the Synod, said. It will be a preparation for group discussion by Synod members for an hour on Saturday morning. The whole of the evening after-dinner session on Friday will be given to members’ questions.

Saturday morning begins with a presentation, “Faithful Cities”, by the Bishop of Hulme, the Rt Revd Stephen Lowe, reflecting on his three years as Bishop for Urban Life and Faith, and on what has been achieved. There will be an oppor­tunity for members to ask questions.

That is followed by technical legislation about vacancies in suffragan sees and Crown benefices, and a report for revision on the Draft Ecclesiastical Fees (Amend­ment) Measure.

The afternoon is taken up with financial issues. First, a presentation on clergy pensions, with a report from the Clergy Pensions Task Group setting out some radical options to deal with the £352 million deficit. It is part of a continuing consultation, and any rule changes will be brought back to a future Synod.

That will be followed by a take- note debate on the Archbishops’ Council’s spending priorities. The first priority, Mr Fittall said, is “safeguarding the front line” of the Church’s work, which means that the Council will be asking the dioceses for apportionments below inflation, and the budget for Church House, Westminster, will be squeezed by 11 per cent over the next five years. Even the expenditure on the training of ordinands may have to be controlled.

The Synod will then consider the Council’s draft budget, with its expected expenditure and table of apportionment.

At the end of the afternoon there will be a session on liturgy. The House of Bishops will introduce a draft for first consideration of additions to the weekday lectionary, and amendments to the Calendar to include more recent commem­orations and martyrs such as Bishop George Bell of Chichester, Dom Gregory Dix, and the seven murdered Brothers of the Melanesian Brother­hood.