The Church and Synodality

Synodality has taken many forms in terms of both representation and authority. In Anglicanism it is usually a meeting of clergy, laity and bishops. Synods either pass bills or make Canons, defining its position on particular issues. Often a slow process, it speaks with authority for the whole church. In this paper, as a bishop and primus, in Scotland I describe my own experience of synodality in the context of the diverse history of synodality in the wider church.