The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church will meet for a second time this year on Tuesday 9 September.

The online-only meeting is taking place for the specific purpose of making an amendment to the Canon for electing bishops in time for use during a forthcoming episcopal vacancy.

The agenda and papers for the Synod have now been published and distributed to Synod members, and can be downloaded at this page on our website.

Canon 4, which describes the electoral process, went through a process of revision which was approved by the 2023 meeting of the General Synod. Subsequent Episcopal elections have taken place under this revised process in the Diocese of Argyll & The Isles and the Diocese of Glasgow & Galloway.  Feedback on the experiences of people involved in the process in those Dioceses has led to a further round of minor but important amendments to the revised canon.

Amendments were put to the General Synod meeting in June this year, where they passed first reading. To be put into effect, they require to be passed at a second reading, which is normally at the following year’s General Synod. The decision to hold an additional meeting of the General Synod this calendar year rather than wait until General Synod 2026 is to ensure that, should members approve the amendments, they will be in place ahead of the Episcopal election due to take place in the Diocese of Edinburgh, following the announcement of the retirement of Bishop John Armes in August this year.

Proceedings will begin with a Celebration of the Eucharist led by the Primus at St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh which will be live streamed. The proceedings of the Synod will also be live streamed, and as was the case at previous online Synod meetings, votes will be cast via an online facility.