Over the years, I have attended the diocesan synod as different types
of delegates, first as an elected lay delegate, then as a deacon. This year, my
first Synod as a priest, I represented St Cyprian Anglican, Teulon, MB as their
incumbent.
I was also asked to
be part of the worship team for Synod 2022. I was honoured to take on the
challenge of planning the opening worship and was blessed with an amazing
support team that helped ensure a smoothly run event.
It was amazing to be
able to gather at Synod once again. The previous meeting was held via Zoom and
while the business got done, we missed out on all the smaller conversations
that happen at the coffee station or over lunch. The gift of being in the
company of people from all over the diocese who want to see our church flourish
and grow is incredible. The added bonus of having the Primate attend our Synod
and give the opening welcome was a marvellous gift.
Speaking of the
Primate, she provided a stand-out moment for me. During the discussion period
of one of the motions, a clergy member happened to mention how some of us had just
come back renewed and encouraged from the Anglican Health Care Chaplain’s
retreat in Mississauga, ON. Within minutes, I, and the others who had attended,
received an email from the organizer of that event telling us the Primate noticed
what had been said. It stood out for me because of the speed at which that
message went around. It showed me that the Primate was listening and heard us.
Being part of a
meeting of this size is not the easiest. There is a lot of information to
process and plenty of opinions about the topics at hand. It can be difficult to
stay engaged when there is back and forth discussions about sentence formatting
and specific wording. It can be hard to keep the conversation on track. One
thing I would love to see at future Synods is a pre-meeting review of Robert’s
Rules of Order.
Overall, attending Synod is an amazing experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
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