There are a variety of groups within Synod which meet on the fringe as pressure groups to argue for particular policies and directions.  The Open Synod Group is a bit different.  We are a forum where all strands of opinion are welcome, and our meetings are a safe haven to discuss the issues before us rather than trying to find a party line.

I am one of those who has found the Open Synod Group a place where I can test opinions and listen to those with a different viewpoint from mine.  It is a place where I have felt drawn closer to God by being drawn closer to fellow Synod members.  I can share doubts as well as certainties, away from the more formal atmosphere of the debating chamber itself.

Many of us have also found the Open Synod Group a place where we can make friendships and discover new insights, not least from different parts of the country!  This newsletter gives an idea of what OSG means to us.  Sometimes we will have speakers exploring a contentious issue such as the Ordination of Women to the Episcopate, and gaining from an unexpected viewpoint!  Sometimes we will be the start of a campaign – the pressure on water companies to charge only reasonable water rates for churches and community buildings was tested at Open Synod Group meetings.  Often the value of a meeting is found in personal conversations.

Do come and see if this appeals to you.  For me it has given insights and food for thought I have not found elsewhere – and been a still moment in the    whirlpool of Synod activity.

+John Packer: Ripon & Leeds