It’s Synod time again.

I know this because a large package arrived by mail, containing a thick Green Book full of reports, various staple-bound papers, a name tag, and a parking voucher for St Andrew’s carpark.

It’s a bit like the world’s most boring show-bag.

Actually, Synod is not really boring at all. It looks that way from the outside, but if you fully embrace the spirit of the thing, it becomes strangely compelling.

One bill caught my eye as I was flicking through the Green Book - the “Solemn Promises Ordinance 2010”. It proposes a change to the “declaration and assent” that clergy are required to make. The current form is this -

I….................. do solemnly make the following declaration -

I firmly and sincerely believe the Catholic Faith and I give my assent to the doctrine of The Anglican Church of Australia as expressed in the Thirty-nine articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordering of Bishops, Priests and Deacons; I believe that doctrine to be agreeable to the Word of God; and in public prayer and administration of the sacraments, I will use the form in the said book prescribed, and none other, except as far as shall be ordered by lawful authority.

Now, I don’t know how much of an “out” the final clause gives you, but the clear intent of the declaration is that the Book of Common Prayer will be used to conduct church. As we all know, very few of our services actually use the BCP, and some could suggest that this declaration is often made in bad faith. A friend of mine actually declined candidacy over this issue - he is a Presbyterian minister now.

It’s proposed to replace the declaration with the following -

I…............solemnly promise only to conduct -

(a) authorised services, including those contained in the Book of Common Prayer, or

(b) services authorised by ordinance of the Synod for use in the Diocese, or

(c) other services of public worship which are agreeable to the Word of God and consistent with the doctrine of the Anglican Church of Australia…

I’m very pleased that our laws are finally catching up with our practice, and everyone can now make the “solemn promise” in perfectly good faith. One nagging doubt, though… The last option, (c), seems almost infinitely flexible.

Does it spell the end of a distinctly Anglican worship in our diocese?