General Synod – watch the best speeches – The Campaign For Equal Marriage in the Church of England

Here are some of the best speeches at General Synod last week by progressive and inclusive speakers. They are all about 3 minutes long, as that was the limit throughout the debate. Enjoy!

If you think we have missed out a good inclusive speech, which might well have happened inadvertently, please let us know using the contact form and we will consider your recommendation. We will need the item number and the speaker’s name.

Each video is identified by the speaker’s name and the Synod item number. If the speaker’s name is in bold type, it was the speaker who moved the amendment; otherwise the speaker was responding to the amendment.

If you hover over the Synod item number (in dark red with a dotted underline), the text of the amendment will be displayed in a bubble.

In case of problems with the ‘Watch video’ buttons, we have added text links to the videos as well; these will open the videos in a new tab or window. On a phone or tablet it is best to switch to the Desktop view in landscape mode (turn the device sideways).

Item no.	Name	Video
4545 Leave out paragraph (a).	Ms Jayne Ozanne	Watch video Video link
5151 Before paragraph (d), insert “( ) request the Secretary General of the Synod to consult personally the Primate of each Province of the Anglican Communion about the potential impact of the proposals in GS 2289 on its relationship to the Church of England, the life of the Province and the effectiveness of their mission, and report on the outcome of those consultations for consideration by this synod before the prayers are commended.”.	The Revd Canon Andy Salmon	Watch video Video link
5252 Leave out paragraph (d).	The Very Revd Joe Hawes	Watch video Video link
5656 In paragraph (d) at the end insert “and request a draft be brought to General Synod for approval prior to publication”.	The Revd Chantal Noppen	Watch video Video link
5757 Leave out paragraphs (e) and (f) and insert: “( ) request the House of Bishops to give further legal, theological, and practical consideration to the Prayers of Love and Faith, and to ensure that proper legal and theological consideration is given to the new pastoral guidance; and to provide the General Synod with the opportunity to assess the Prayers together with the new pastoral guidance at the earliest point reasonably possible.".	The Revd Canon Dr Rachel Mann	Watch video Video link
5858 Leave out paragraph (e) and insert: “( ) Invite the College and House of Bishops to offer a full theological rationale for the proposed Prayers of Love and Faith, grounded in the Scriptures and the formularies of the Church, and which engages with the previous statements made by the House on the nature of marriage.”.	The Revd Canon Dr Anderson Jeremiah	Watch video Video link
6464 Leave out paragraph (f) and insert: “( ) ask the House of Bishops to end discrimination on the grounds of sexuality by bringing forward proposals to the July 2023 group of sessions that will provide for equal marriage in church.”.	Ms Jayne Ozanne	Watch video Video link
6565 In paragraph (f) leave out “and response to” to the end, and insert “the commended resources, and provide for an opportunity to test the mind of Synod on the principle of equal marriage within the next two years.”	Mrs Vicky Brett	Watch video Video link
6767 At the end insert: “( ) Endorse the decision of the College and House of Bishops not to propose any change to the doctrine of marriage, and their intention that the final version of the Prayers of Love and Faith should not be contrary to or indicative of a departure from the doctrine of the Church of England”.	The Revd Miranda Threlfall-Holmes	Watch video Video link

GS 2289: the main motion (item 11)

LIVING IN LOVE AND FAITH (GS 2289)

The Bishop of London to move:

11 ‘That this Synod, recognising the commitment to learning and deep listening to God and to each other of the Living in Love and Faith process, and desiring with God’s help to journey together while acknowledging the different deeply held convictions within the Church:

(a) lament and repent of the failure of the Church to be welcoming to LGBTQI+ people and the harm that LGBTQI+ people have experienced and continue to experience in the life of the Church;

(b) recommit to our shared witness to God’s love for and acceptance of every person by continuing to embed the Pastoral Principles in our life together locally and nationally;

(c) commend the continued learning together enabled by the Living in Love and Faith process and resources in relation to identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage;

(d) welcome the decision of the House of Bishops to replace Issues in Human Sexuality with new pastoral guidance;

(e) welcome the response from the College of Bishops and look forward to the House of Bishops further refining, commending and issuing the Prayers of Love and Faith described in GS 2289 and its Annexes;

(f) invite the House of Bishops to monitor the Church’s use of and response to the Prayers of Love and Faith, once they have been commended and published, and to report back to Synod in five years’ time.’