Church of England Synod Elections Disappointing for Liberals

The liberal theologian Marilyn McCord Adams has been defeated by evangelical scholar Oliver O’Donovan in the significant contest of the General Synod elections.

|TOP|For the next five years, the General Synod is likely to remain mainly conservative, despite a campaign run by the liberal grouping ‘Inclusive Church’ to gain seats on Synod, according to the Church of England Newspaper.

The House of Laity is likely to stay conservative on moral issues. The legislation to ordain women as bishops will likely gain the two-thirds majority that is needed in each house. Only a minority will support a single clause measure which would deprive traditionalists of any protection for their consciences, reports the CoE newspaper.

However, some high-profile conservative evangelicals have lost seats as well. The Rev David Banting, chairman of Reform, lost his seat in Chelmsford and the director of Church Society, David Phillips, lost in St Albans.

But Canon Chris Sugden, director of the conservative grouping Anglican Mainstream International, entered the House of Laity in Oxford Diocese. His liberal counterpart, the Rev Giles Goddard of Inclusive Church, did not gain a seat in Southwark diocese.

One source reports that two supporters of gay equality, Peter Owen and Jane Picks, lost their seats in the Liverpool diocese in the House of Laity.

The new Synod is unlikely to have changed greatly in terms of churchmanship and attitudes. But the Synod has gotten smaller with 52 fewer lay members. The special constituency of Archdeacons has been completely disestablished and other special constituencies have been reduced as well.