The Church of Ireland’s General Synod will meet online from Thursday September 30 to Saturday, October 2.  This will be the first meeting of the 52nd General Synod. 

The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Rev John McDowell, will preside and will make his Presidential Address to General Synod shortly after the start of business on the first day.

The General Synod Service of Holy Communion will be based in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh.  The celebrant will be the Archbishop of Armagh and the preacher will be the Rt Rev Andrew Forster, Bishop of Derry and Raphoe.  The Service will be made available online before the start of business on the first day of the meeting.

On the first day, General Synod is scheduled to meet between 11.00am and 1.00pm and then adjourn until an evening session between 7.00pm and 9.00pm.  The main business will be the consideration of five Bills (see below).

On the second day, business is scheduled for 2.30pm to 4.30pm will include a motion to re-launch the Bishops’ Appeal for World Aid and Development, and the reports of the Standing Committee, the Commission on Ministry, and the Church of Ireland Youth Department.

The reports of the Representative Church Body – the central trustee body of the Church – and the Council for Mission will be considered in the evening session between 7.30pm and 9.00pm.

On the third day, from 10.00am, the General Synod will again consider the Bills being brought before this year’s meeting, and also the reports of the Board of Education, covering educational issues in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the Church of Ireland Marriage Council, the Liturgical Advisory Committee, the Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue, and the Covenant Council (which oversees the Church’s relationship with the Methodist Church in Ireland).

Further information on this year’s General Synod is available at https://synod.ireland.anglican.org/2021