The Church of England General Synod gathered Nov 15th, with hundreds of the new Church Synod hearing Her Majesty the Queen offer a resounding endorsement of the “uniqueness” of the Christian faith.

|PIC1|The Queen’s speech gave a revealing reflection of her personal beliefs as well as her position as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, where she contrasted the enduring morals of Christianity with the rapid changes in British society.

The Synod is re-formed every 5 years and the Queen by custom attends the Eucharist and speaks at the opening session. HRH Prince Philip joined the Queen and they were seated in the main sanctuary near the high altar.

To a capacity-filled Church House in Westminster, the Queen said, “For Christians, this pace of change represents an opportunity. When so much is in flux, when limitless amounts of information, much of it ephemeral, are instantly accessible on demand, there is a renewed hunger for that which endures and gives meaning.

“The Christian Church can speak uniquely to that need, for at the heart of our faith stands the conviction that all people, irrespective of race, background or circumstances, can find lasting significance and purpose in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

|PIC2|The Queen, who was greeted with a warm welcome by all who attended the Synod, has in fact been under increasing pressure from liberals to step down as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

In 2000, the Liberal Democrat Party voted in favour of her right to this position to be taken away, as it is thought that some believe it offensive to people of other faiths such as Jews, Muslims and Hindus and even to other Christian bodies that are not members of the Anglican Church.

The Eucharist service was held in Westminster Abbey beginning with a procession of Synod members from all over the Church, with each diocese being led into the abbey by their own bishop.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams was the celebrant of the service from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Also the Archbishop of York, Rev John Sentamu, read the gospel and assisted in the Communion.

|TOP|The Queen’s opening words have been warmly greeted by churchgoers, who have been engulfed with continued reports of the Church’s decline and with rumours that Christianity is in danger of being diluted amid efforts to embrace a multi-faith culture. This has become increasingly true since the July 7th terrorist attacks in London.

The speech formally inaugurated the 8th Synod, which has come to be known as the Church of England’s “Parliament”, and she told the Synod that one of its priorities should be the deepening of relations between Christian churches in Britain, reported the Telegraph.

Her Majesty said, “At a time when the Christian family is rightly increasing its efforts to promote greater dialogue and understanding with those of other faiths, it remains important to be at the heart of the Synod's concerns.”

|AD|An apparent reference was made to the problems the worldwide Anglican Communion was now having, with talks of schisms and divisions appearing in the Church over the issues of homosexuality and women bishops.

The Queen said, “Down the centuries the Church has had to endure many steep and rugged pathways," she said. "But the promise is that with God as our guide we may have the strength to live our lives courageously.”

Greeting Dr Sentamu into the second highest position in the Church as the Archbishop of York, she also warned that he and the Church’s spiritual head, Dr Williams now faced a “heavy burden” of responsibility over the coming years.

Thanking the Queen for her speech, the Archbishop of Canterbury said, “In the face of all that we now confront, the unchanging truth of God's revelation in Christ is a rock that must remain the foundation and inspiration of all that we do.

“We are therefore grateful for all those, and in particular Your Majesty, who by their steadfastness give us orientation in challenging times.”