On Sunday 1^st February a small group will be leaving Bahrain to take part in the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf Annual Diocesan Synod at the Lordos Heach Hotel in Larnaca, Cyprus, from Monday 2^nd – Friday 6^th February.

What mysterious wonders do we get up to during that time away and what is the point of it all?

The Anglican Church worldwide is split into Dioceses, each diocese overseen by its Bishop. Our bishop is the Right Reverend Clive Handford Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf of which we at St Christopher’s Cathedral Bahrain are just one of a number of other chaplaincies or parishes which make up the diocese.

But a diocese is not run solely by the bishop. The Anglican Church worldwide is governed  by a synod or council that meets regularly to oversee the life of the whole diocese in all its details.

Who makes up the synod? The synod comprises 3 ‘houses’ or voting groups. The bishops have one ‘house,’ the clergy another, and  the lay people the third. Our diocese only has one bishop so we assume sometimes he ‘sits’ by himself! All the clergy with a licence to officiate in the diocese make up the house of clergy and each chaplaincy or parish sends two lay delegates who have the power to vote on behalf of the folks back home.

In England most Diocesan Synods meet 3 or 4 times a year. Things are different in our Diocese. Many delegates have long distances to travel wherever the synod meets.

Therefore our Synod must be residential over 4 days giving the parish representatives the opportunity to keep up to date with each other finding out what is going on elsewhere in the diocese and helping to support and encourage each other. Important policy decisions are debated, the financial situation monitored and current  issues of doctrinal or theological are examined. Most important of all we pray and worship together.

The synod is the control tower of the diocese but few synods have the great advantage we have of giving delegates from around the diocese time and space to be together with their bishop.