Sunday at Synod always begins with a communion service from York Minster. Lots of members don’t go, for a variety of reasons, but for me it has been one of the highlights of Synod membership. And I am happy to report that this is one situation in which being online has positive advantages! The livestream from the Minster was excellent. Lots of cameras, meaning there were angles one can never see from a seat in the building. I particularly liked seeing the close-ups of the organist playing, as well as of the preacher (the Archbishop of Canterbury, on what ‘good soil’ means when sowing the gospel) and the president (the Archbishop of York). The birds’ eye views were beautiful. The music was outstanding even by the Minster’s standards. At the end, as the processions left, the camera was facing towards the Great West Door, which suddenly opened letting in a blast of sunlight and a reminder of the greater world in which our church activities are set.

This was appropriate to the work of Synod in the afternoon, which was focused on the global climate emergency. We heard a presentation on a new document offering a theology of the environment, Hope for all Creation. Then there was the final approval stage of the Festival of Creation in Christ (first Sunday in September) and Commemoration of the 21 Martyrs of Libya (15 February); I discussed these, which are part of synching our calendar with those of other Christian churches, at an earlier stage of the progress of this new liturgy through Synod. The title of the first one has changed.

And then another presentation, on the Route Map to Net Zero Carbon for the C of E by 2030, agreed in 2022. You may have been wondering how this is getting on. It is now running to 2034 and an extra £40 million has been allocated for that period, and more money for the next two funding periods. Some of this funding is from government and local communities: our funding attracts outside funders. The money is used to fund energy audits and to support capital works projects (air source heat pumps, solar panels, etc) particularly in struggling parishes. We heard that the C of E has 30,000 buildings needing attention: churches, cathedrals, schools and clergy housing. A third of churches are now part of the Eco Church initiative. Reduction in emissions is about 3.7% each year (compare the National Trust which is aiming for 5%). And a key point made in the presentation and in the speeches from the floor was that saving money on fuel use releases money for mission.

We reconvened after supper for the debate on Palestine. This was based on a motion brought by the Carlisle Diocesan Synod back in 2021, but which the Business Committee has only now managed to put on the agenda. The motion laments the loss of lives on both sides and calls for solidarity with Palestinian Christians in non-violent resistance and for peace for all people of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. We heard how our silence is damaging to the Palestinian church. The motion asks us to challenge both anti-semitism and anti-Muslim hatred, and to review our investment policies as a church now that the International Court of Justice has declared occupation of Palestinian territory illegal.

You could tell this was a very important and challenging motion because the Archbishop of Canterbury was called to speak first. There were lots of amendments which took us up to the time scheduled to end for the evening: 21.45. After some agenda-juggling, this morning (Monday) the Business Committee found space to continue the debate at 9.00, with the Archbishop of York as the first speaker. Both archbishops, like many others who spoke, have visited the Holy Land and can speak with authority.

Stewart Fyfe, who moved the motion, in summing up the debate, said that frightened Christians in Palestine are wondering whether the world still sees them. The motion as amended passed after a counted vote by Houses (which means that the names of who voted which way will eventually be in the public domain). I voted in favour: a very large number abstained. The figures were:

Bishops Yes 25, No 0, Abstentions 5

Clergy Yes 115, No 20, Abstentions 30

Laity Yes 113, No 27, Abstentions 35