Anglican Church of Australia holds 12^th General Synod

The Anglican Church of Australia will hold its 12^th General Synod at the Carlton Crest Hotel in Brisbane from July 21-27, 2001.

It is the first General Synod to be held in Brisbane and only the third to be held outside Sydney in the church's history.

About 250 lay and clerical representatives from 23 dioceses will form the three "houses" of Bishops, Clergy and Laity at the General Synod.

The General Synod, which meets every three years, is responsible for the governance of the Anglican Church of Australia, and providing leadership in matters of faith and Christian life.

The 2001 General Synod will discuss a wide range of current social and religious issues, including:

- Building reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Exploring the consecration of women bishops  
- Improving the church's response to sexual abuse  
- Discerning the future of ordained and lay ministry  
- Reaching out with the Gospel to the Australian community in an age of anxiety

General Secretary of General Synod, the Reverend Dr Bruce Kaye, said the General Synod was a way for Anglicans to come together and share the concerns they had about Christian faith and practice and seek God's will for the church.

"What we do in General Synod is essentially the means to achieve three ends: being Christian within our Anglican context, being faithful and active in society, and relating positively to other Christian bodies," Dr Kaye said.