YOUNG members of the Provincial Youth Committee addressed the Synod on the first afternoon of this group of sessions, rather than the slot they have previously occupied on the final morning (News, 16 June).
Phoebe Pryce, who chairs the committee, said that she hoped members would “bear in mind” the views of young people in their deliberations over the next two days.
She read a contribution from another young person who was not able to attend, which urged Synod to approve a motion, to be debated on Friday morning, arguing that “the use of nuclear weapons can never be theologically justified”.
While acknowledging that a vote in the Synod would be unlikely to have a practical effect, it was important for the Church to state its opposition unequivocally, she said.
Jadon Rongong, another member of the committee, said that Christians were called to save lives, and that this could have a literal application in the form of first-aid training and the provision of defibrillators.
Felina Hamilton, who represents the diocese of Moray, Ross & Caithness, related her experience of being one of the only Christians among her friendship group, and how interested others were about her faith.
Friends who were not regular churchgoers none the less help out at church-based events, valuing the sense of community and meaningful action, Ms Hamilton said. “I wonder if we find young people easier to talk to about their faith and church connections”, she said of her fellow young Christians, suggesting that they could be ambassadors.
Ms Pryce closed the presentation with comments on the environmental work in the SEC. She praised the work done, but said “We have well and truly exhausted the value of words.”
Now was the time for “radical action”, she said, and called on churches to hold themselves accountable to the targets which had been set.
She spoke of her fears and anxieties about growing up in a world marked by climate crisis, the rising costs of living, and — around the world — apparent backsliding on reproductive and women’s rights. “I hope you share my vision of justice, equality and peace,” she concluded, to loud applause.
EARLIER on Thursday, the Convenor of the Standing Committee, Bridget Campbell, presented the annual accounts.
She referred to “articles in newspaper in recent days” which had drawn attention to legal costs incurred by the Scottish Episcopal Church in relation to the disciplinary process against Bishop Dyer (News, 10 June). “We recognise that these legal costs are significant, but they are necessary,” she said, to ensure a “fair process for all concerned.”
In an interview for the Church Times podcast, the Primus, the Most Revd Mark Strange, spoke about the length of the process, as it approaches two years since Bishop Dyer was first suspended.
“I would rather everything can be done very quickly for the benefit of everybody,” he said, but “the canonical process that we have in this Church takes you down a certain route.”
BEFORE the afternoon coffee break, the Provincial Environment Group made a presentation to members. The Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane, the Rt Revd Ian Paton, who convenes the group, said that significant steps had been taken in the past year.
The vice-convenor, Cathy Johnston, reminded members of the various schemes which had been put in place, and the Revd Kim Lafferty presented a case study of the changes that had been made in her church: St Mary’s, Dalkeith.
Professor Alan Werrity (St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane) drew attention to the fact that funds made available to churches from the Standing Committee were available only if the relevant diocese agreed to match the funding.
Dr Stephen Goodyear (Aberdeen & Orkney) asked whether grant money had been received, noting that the plan which Synod had approved last year was premised on the acquisition of such external funding. He suggested that it was necessary for this data to be provided to keep track of any progress made.
The Revd Diana Hall (Edinburgh) urged members “not to lose sight” of the theological elements of the work, and Amanda Fairclough (Argyll & The Isles) asked for the time that is allotted to debate about the environment to be given over to discussion of discipleship.
THURSDAY’s session ended with a presentation by bishops on “statistics”, specifically, census results showing the decline of Christianity in Scotland, and a concomitant shrinking of the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC).
“We are definitely in a secular society,” the Bishop of Brechin, the Rt Revd Andrew Swift, said. “We are smaller,” he acknowledged, but the sense he gets when travelling in the diocese is that “we’re OK”.
“Why doesn’t it feel like we have a similar sort of crisis” to other denominations, he wondered, despite the fact that the SEC was now so small that it didn’t appear on the census results.
There could be several reasons for this, he suggested, including the fact that the Church was small enough that people were always aware of good news somewhere, even if their own church was declining.
Bishop Strange said that he “liked statistics”, but that, if he spent his life worrying about numbers, he “might get quite depressed”.
Instead, he revelled in being able to visit congregations across the Highlands, “however small or however large”, which are “filled with the hope and the joy of gathering together around the table and sharing in the love of God. As long as we’ve still got some still prepared to do that, then we’ve got a Church worth living for, and praying for growth.”
In his diocese, there had been an increase in baptisms and interactions with people who were not regular churchgoers, he said, which he attributed to an increase in churches being open throughout the day.
Bishop Swift outlined the statistics that were gathered, and suggested that the Bishops were minded to stop recording the gender split in congregations. He asked members to discuss, on their tables, whether this would be a welcome move, and to pool their thoughts on what further statistics would be valuable.
There was no time for oral feedback before the day’s work finished with evening prayer, led by members of the Provincial Youth Committee.