Synodical Government Measure 1969

The Synodical Government Measure 1969 No. 2 is a Church of England measure passed by the National Assembly of the Church of England replacing the National Assembly with the General Synod of the Church of England.

Synodical Government Measure 1969

General Synod of the Church of England
Long title	A Measure passed by The National Assembly of the Church of England to provide for the vesting by Canon of the functions, authority, rights and privileges of the Convocations of Canterbury and York in the General Synod of the Church of England, and for the modification by Canon of the functions of the said Convocations when sitting separately for their provinces; to rename and reconstitute the Church Assembly as the General Synod, and to make further provision for the synodical government of the Church of England, and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.
Citation	1969 No. 2
Territorial extent	England
Dates
Royal assent	25th July 1969
Commencement	25th July 1969
Other legislation
Amended by	Synodical Government (Special Majorities) Measure 1971 Church of England (Worship and Doctrine) Measure 1974 Synodical Government (Amendment) Measure 1974 Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 1978 Synodical Government (Amendment) Measure 2003 Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2006 Diocese in Europe Measure 2013 Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2018 Church Representation and Ministers Measure 2019 Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2020 Cathedrals Measure 2021 Safeguarding (Code of Practice) Measure 2021 Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2024
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Synodical Government Measure 1969 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

Background

In 1919, the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed an act establishing the National Assembly of the Church of England.^[1] After the measure was passed, the previous state of arrangements was referred to as "paralysis" in the Ecclesiastical Law Journal.

Until this measure passed there were "many complications" with having the National Assembly and the Convocations side-by-side, and it was deemed that the laity had too little share of power in the National Assembly.^[2]

Provisions

Most of the powers of the Convocations of York and Canterbury were transferred to the General Synod, consisting of:^[3]

• a House of Laity
• a House of Clergy
• a House of Bishops

The measure established deanery synods which would be the lowest rung of the Church's hierarchy. To be eligible to be elected to the House of Laity you need to be elected to a deanery synod first.^[4]

Electoral roll

Originally, the measure established the voting age as 17.^[5] This has since been reduced to 16 through the passage of the Church Representation and Ministers Measure 2019.

Channel Islands

The Measure applied to the Channel Islands, through Synodical Government (Channel Islands) Order 1970.^[6]

Amendments

In 1971, the measure was amended so that "special majorities" would be required to change the relationship between the Church of England and another church.^[5]

In 1974, the measure was amended so that the constitutions of the Convocations of York and Canterbury would be required to change the relationship between the Church of England and another church.^[5]

In 2003, the measure was amended so that there would be a regular review of the arrangements for pastoral supervision.^[5]

Legislation passed by the Church must now comply with the Human Rights Act 1998.^[7]