Church of England to Vote on Safeguarding Reforms and Address Abuse Scandal at February Synod

The Church of England's Safeguarding Crisis and Upcoming Synod

The Church of England will face a crucial vote next month on how to address its safeguarding failures, following a damning report exposing a "conspiracy of silence" about the abuse of children and young men by barrister John Smyth.

The General Synod, the Church's parliament, will debate and vote on changes in February. This comes after the resignation of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby last month over safeguarding failures.

The Synod will consider two options for outsourcing safeguarding to an independent watchdog. The first option would see all safeguarding officers transferred to a new independent organization, while the second would see most national staff move to a new watchdog, with other officers remaining with their current church employers. Both options would involve external scrutiny of safeguarding work.

The Church's lead bishop for safeguarding, Bishop of Stepney Joanne Grenfell, backs the first option, believing it will bring about the necessary fundamental change.

Other Synod Matters

The Synod will also discuss encouraging people from working-class backgrounds to join the ministry and the ongoing use of prayers to bless same-sex couples' relationships. A vote on whether the Church of England should allow clergy to enter into same-sex civil marriages has been pushed back to a later date for further theological study.

Finally, the Synod will consider proposed measures to make it easier to appoint Bishops, including removing the anonymous voting system. These changes could affect the process to select a new Archbishop of Canterbury.