Dear synod members, dear church councils of our communities, dear comrades-in-arms,

As an attachment to the invitation to this year's Synodal Assembly you will receive a statement on the current situation of the Synod. Many of you probably remember the year 2018 when we discussed a detailed document at the SV - Quo Vadis. Back then it was about our identity, our vision and our common goals.

This year there is an additional message: We as a community cannot, under our current structure, provide the support that our communities need and demand.

The world has changed. This starts with the increased workload due to the visa system since Brexit, but does not stop there: the Synod, as the sole employer of all pastors in Great Britain, is responsible for all employer obligations. Voluntary commitment and additional workload on our pastors are not enough for the effective and legally compliant implementation of our vision.

The changes that we can make in the long term in the future will affect us all and should be decided by all of us. We therefore recommend our statement to you. We ask you to pass this on to your KVs and also to interested community members.
There will be space for exchange at the Synodal Assembly. We ask that community delegates prepare to actively represent the range of opinions and interests of their respective communities.

Best wishes,

Hildegard O'Kane

President of the Synod