General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church

The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) met in virtual form on 10 and 11 June 2021. In his charge to Synod, the Most Rev'd Dr Mark Strange, Primus, encouraged Synod members not to place their light under a bushel. The COVID-19 pandemic had denied people opportunities normally available to them to make their light shine and, at times, the bushel had felt very close. He reminded Synod members that in the valley of the shadow of death one need fear no evil. The evils of child poverty, the plight of refugees and unwarranted attacks on individuals in the public eye were all current evils to be confronted. Despite everything, the place of quiet waters and the comfort of the Shepherd's rod and staff still brought hope and joy, even in a pandemic.

The Episcopal Church

Recent data provide cause for concern in areas of decline for mainline denominations generally, and the Episcopal Church in particular. There are also significant opportunities evident from trends in the data. Information gleaned from the 2020 FACT survey, particularly the qualitative data that focus on sources of concern and pride, can help to illuminate the complexity of the adaptive challenges we face as a church. This analysis of the data highlights the complexity of the challenges, while also pointing to hope and possibility for the future.

A theological assessment of clergy leadership capabilities in the Ethiopian Episcopal Church in South Africa

That theological training, only, may not be in itself adequate to prepare priests for their leadership roles, is a subject which many in the church circles, prefer to avoid. Using Mumford’s Leadership Capabilities and Osmer’s Practical Theology theories, this study sought to assess the clergy’s leadership capabilities in the Ethiopian Episcopal Church in South Africa, and to suggest solutions that could be implemented to mitigate the leadership competency gaps, should such be identified. The authors opted for a mixed-methods approach to the study, intending to first expose the respondents to information about what capabilities leaders needed to possess, to be effective. Following self-assessment, they were requested to suggest what might be done to improve their leadership capabilities and their capacity to lead the church. The most compelling findings were that the clergy largely confirmed the inadequacy of clerical training as well as their incapacity and supported the idea of additional capacitation to augment their theological training. This includes a crossdisciplinary approach to clergy development, interdenominational collaboration, formalisation of clergy development programmes and open discussions on the church’s doctrine, vision and values. The study also found sizeable support for the regulation of admission to the priesthood and the setting of minimum entry qualifications for such admission to be effected.

Too deep for words alone: principles for liturgical and Prayer Book revision

As the Episcopal Church undertakes Prayer Book and liturgical revision, it is important to focus not only on liturgical language but also on nonverbal elements of liturgy, especially symbolism, the public nature of services, and racial justice.

Episcopacy

Chapter 7 analyses the Reformed Conformist attitude to the Church’s hierarchy. It opens by underlining that the British delegates at Dort had specifically asserted the superiority of the episcopal Church order maintained in the British Isles. It then uses Carleton’s Consensus to establish the high regard in which Reformed Conformists held episcopacy, and reinforces that point through the writings of Ward and Davenant. On that basis, it presents Hall’s notorious work, Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted, as in fundamental continuity with the Reformed Conformist tradition, despite the editorial interventions of William Laud and Matthew Wren. The chapter then establishes, through Downame’s Two Sermons and Prideaux’s 1624 Oratio, that episcopal ordination played a significant role within Reformed Conformist soteriology.