Planning is underway for April and May 2021 as the time to accomplish church business that could not be considered this year because of the pandemic.
A special Synod, or church meeting, was to have been held last month to elect a new Archbishop. Dr Glenn Davies had initially intended to retire in July but the inability to call a large meeting meant his term was extended to March 2021.
In addition, more than 500 elected representatives from all Sydney Anglican churches were to have attended the annual Synod in the Wesley Centre next month. That meeting also had to be cancelled.
In the hope that COVID-19 restrictions on large meetings will be eased by next April, a shortened one-day ordinary session of the Synod has been tentatively planned for Tuesday, April 27, 2021. A larger venue, the International Convention Centre (ICC) at Darling Harbour, will be used.
The Election Synod has been moved to May 3-7, also at the ICC.
“All planned dates are subject to the public health orders in place at the time, and rely on a relaxation of the current limit of 150 people in a function room,” wrote the Diocesan Secretary, Daniel Glynn, in a letter to synod members.
Mr Glynn said that the one-day April Synod will follow the usual pattern of afternoon and evening sitting, while the election sittings will be in the evenings. Both synods will be preceded by a service at St Andrew’s Cathedral.
Key dates
- One-day Synod 27 April at Darling Harbour
- Archbishop Election Synod 3-7 May at Darling Harbour
