In the wake of recent challenges within the Diocese, David Bishop, a long-standing member of Synod, offers his personal perspective on the Diocesan Synod held on 22 March 2025. His reflection captures both the tone of the meeting and the key discussions that took place, particularly around transparency, trust, and the future direction of diocesan mission and ministry.
As a long-standing member of Synod, I approached this meeting wondering whether we would get some answers to important questions that have arisen in the last few weeks of a difficult time in our Diocese.
Following the revelations in a channel 4 television program in January and the subsequent retirement of Bishop John, I wondered how full the explanations might be. Over the past 18 months there have been many questions asked about the absence of Bishop Bev to which no satisfactory answers have been given.
Archdeacon Miranda gave what I thought was an honest explanation of the timeline of events that had happened going back to before the Bishop John was appointed. This was not an easy task, but I thought she handled it sensitively. Sometimes when difficult subjects are presented there can be a tendency to hide behind issues of confidentiality. While this should always be respected, trust in the leadership and processes can only be maintained if as many facts as possible are revealed. Communication is key.
Importantly, Synod is always given the chance to ask questions. Sometimes this can be difficult, but generally this was handled well, especially when Archdeacon Simon(lightheartedly?) tried to enquire if Archdeacon Pete could read the mind of the house of Bishops about the Living in Love and Faith proccess.
We were given some good news about the Diocesan investment program with the first tranche of money being released for our mission and ministry. I was particularly pleased to hear that there will be more money available for programs around social justice issues.
It was good to hear that a group is being set up to review the Parish Share system and I hope it will have a good representation of lay people. The process must not only be fair but be seen to be fair.
Generally, there was a different feel to the meeting, which I hope will be maintained and Bishop Ruth’s message summed it up well with her reference to the Micah 6 ,v 8 principles
