Synod: Making Decisions for the Church’s Life and Mission

SYNOD: Making Decisions for the Church’s Life and Mission

Perpend the following:

“The synod is not a parliament; it is a protected space where the Holy Spirit acts.” 

“Synodality is engaging in authentic dialogue within and beyond the sacramental bounds of the church.”

At a particular period of the year, Edeh’s neighbor who is a member of the Anglican Church, would tell him, “This is synod season, most Dioceses in our denomination will be holding their synods. Our own synod will be holding next week or next month at St. ABC.  I am inviting you.” One day, out of curiosity, Edeh asked his neighbor “This synod you talk about every time, what exactly is synod and what is its import to your church, the Anglican Church?” I am sure there are people like Edeh who have heard of synod and would want to know what it is all about. They may also ask, since it is a church thing, “is synod in the Bible?” Perpend will be using the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) as reference point in this piece.

A Synod is a Council or Assembly, typical within the Anglican Communion and some other Christian denominations. It is essentially a meeting of church officials and members, usually bishops, Clergy and lay people convened to deliberate and make decisions on specific and important matters related to the church’s life and mission. To discuss and decide matters of doctrine, administration, or application. 
Synods hold annually. Each year is a synod session and three years or sessions of synod make one synod year.

Synod in the Bible: The first synod or Council of elders mentioned in the Bible is the Jerusalem Council recorded in Acts of the Apostles Chapter 15. This Council comprising of apostles and elders, held in the early church, debated and ultimately decided on the crucial question of the Gentile   believers and circumcision. This is the beginning of church synods.

There are types of synods which include:
Diocesan Synods:  A local gathering within a diocese involving the Diocesan bishop (the President of the synod), the house of clergy (made up of all clergy of the diocese- deacons or priests), and the house of laity (made up of church officers and delegates from the churches in the diocese). 

Provincial Synods/Provincial Councils: Meeting of House of bishops, house of clergy and house of laity from an ecclesiastical province or region.
National Synods: Gathering of the same group of people at the national level. This is called General Synod in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). 

Episcopal Synod: This is a specific type of synod for bishops only, convened to discuss matters of importance for the whole church.  Sometimes, election of new bishops are done in this gathering.

Kindly perpend the importance of the concept of synodality. This concept refers to the practice of the church as a whole journeying together and making decisions collectively, with bishops, priests and laity all playing a vital role. In essence, a synod is a process of shared decision-making in the church, where diverse voices and perspectives are heard and valued as the church seeks to discern God’s will and shape it’ s future.
The phrase “episcopally led and synodically governed” describes the governance structure of the church  where the bishops (episcopally led) are the primary leaders, but the decision-making and policies are also influenced by synod (synodically governed). This makes for order in the church.

Perpend the following
PERPEND!

#BlessingEnyindah
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