The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada is the chief governing and legislative body of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), the sole Canadian representative of the Anglican Communion. The first General Synod session was held in Toronto in 1893, with the proviso that the parameters of its authority would not undermine the local independence of dioceses. [1]
Except in special instances when it may be called into session by the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada or the Council of General Synod, the General Synod meets triennially at locations across Canada.
The General Synod is composed of three Orders: Bishops, Clergy, and Laity. All bishops and archbishops of the ACC are members of General Synod; clergy and lay delegates are elected from each of the church's thirty dioceses, as well as the Canadian Forces and the religious orders. Unlike the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, the Orders are not divided into Houses which meet separately according to different rules of order. Nonetheless, voting may be done by Orders with respect to certain issues, or on demand according to the rules of order, under which conditions a given Resolution would need to be approved in all three.
The General Synod is responsible for articulating the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Anglican Church of Canada. [2] During its regular meetings, which generally span a week to nine days, members exchange information, set policy for the church, pass resolutions, and enact and amend canon law. Presently, there are twenty-two numbered canons, dealing with issues as prosaic as the name of the church, to ones touching on doctrine, such as matrimony, to judicial disciplinary proceedings.
| Session | Year | Location [3] |
|---|---|---|
| 44th | 2025 | London, Ontario |
| 43rd | 2023 | Calgary, Alberta (Meeting in Assembly together with the National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada) |
| 42nd | 2019 | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 41st | 2016 | Richmond Hill, Ontario |
| 40th | 2013 | Ottawa, Ontario (Meeting in Joint Assembly with the National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada) |
| 39th | 2010 | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 38th | 2007 | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| 37th | 2004 | St. Catharines, Ontario |
| 36th | 2001 | Waterloo, Ontario |
| 35th | 1998 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 34th | 1995 | Ottawa, Ontario |
| 33rd | 1992 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 32nd | 1989 | St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador |
| 31st | 1986 | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| 30th | 1983 | Fredericton, New Brunswick |
| 29th | 1980 | Peterborough, Ontario |
| 28th | 1977 | Calgary, Alberta |
| 27th | 1975 | Quebec City, Quebec |
| 26th | 1973 | Regina, Saskatchewan |
| 25th | 1971 | Niagara Falls, Ontario |
| 24th | 1969 | Sudbury, Ontario |
| 23rd | 1967 | Calgary, Alberta |
| 22nd | 1965 | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 21st | 1962 | Kingston, Ontario |
| 20th | 1959 | St. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec (First General Synod as the Anglican Church of Canada) |
| 19th | 1955 | Edmonton, Alberta (Last General Synod as the Church of England in Canada) |
| 18th | 1952 | London, Ontario |
| 17th | 1949 | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 16th | 1946 | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| 15th | 1943 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 14th | 1937 | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 13th | 1934 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 12th | 1931 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 11th | 1927 | Kingston, Ontario |
| 10th | 1924 | London, Ontario |
| 9th | 1921 | Hamilton, Ontario |
| 8th | 1918 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 7th | 1915 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 6th | 1911 | London, Ontario |
| 5th | 1908 | Ottawa, Ontario |
| 4th | 1905 | Quebec City, Quebec |
| 3rd | 1902 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 2nd | 1896 | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| 1st | 1893 | Toronto, Ontario |
General Synod elects three of the nine officers who maintain certain executive responsibilities at and between Synods. Of those, one - the Primate - holds office until he or she resigns, is removed, retires, or dies. The other officers, elected at each General Synod, are the Prolocutor and the Deputy Prolocutor.
The Prolocutor acts as the chief deputy to the Primate, and the second executive officer of General Synod. As such, he or she chairs sessions of General Synod and meetings of the Council of General Synod in the absence of the Primate. The current Prolocutor is Ian Alexander; the Deputy Prolocutor is Tanya Phibbs.
Between sessions of General Synod, the Council of General Synod (CoGS) administers the affairs of the ACC. [4] CoGS is composed of the Primate, the Prolocutor, the Deputy Prolocutor, the Chancellor, and representatives from the three Orders from each of the four ecclesiastical provinces, chosen by the respective delegates at General Synod, the numbers of which vary according to a complicated electoral formula. CoGS appoints four of the nine officers of General Synod:
It also elects two Officers-at-large (one Clergy, one Laity).
General Synod has six standing committees, consisting of members both elected at General Synod and appointed by the Primate:
