The Church of England’ General Synod will meet in London from 9 to 13 February 2026. Links to the agenda and papers were included in our post here. Below are further links to the House of Laity of the General Synod, and the Convocations of Canterbury and York which will meet on the afternoon of 9 February 2026.
There are two sessions scheduled for Questions on the afternoons of Monday and Tuesday:
House of Laity of the General Synod and Convocations of Canterbury and York
House of Laity
- HL(26)A1 Agenda
- HL(26)01 SO 13 Report 2026
- HL(26)02 Membership of the House of Bishops
- HL(26)03 Legal Note on HoB membership
Convocation of Canterbury
- Convocation of Canterbury Agenda 9 February 2026
- Convocation covering paper Conv. Cant. FS(26)1a
- Prof Guidelines for the Clergy Conv. Cant. FS(26)1
- EJM Panel Conv. Cant. FS(26)2
- Membership of the House of Bishops Conv. Cant. LH(26)1
- New members Conv. Cant. LH(26)2
Convocation of York
- York Convocation Agenda 09.02.26
- York Convocation Minutes 6th Feb 2023
- York Convocation Minutes 5th July 2024
- York. Conv 26 (01) Standing Orders Amendment
- York. Conv 26 (02) Guidelines for Conduct for the Clergy
- York. Conv 26 (03) Professional Guidelines
- York. Conv 26 (04) EJM Panel
With thanks to Thinking Anglicans for highlighting the above papers.
Cite this article as: David Pocklington, "Further papers for February General Synod" in Law & Religion UK, 7 February 2026, https://lawandreligionuk.com/2026/02/07/further-papers-for-february-general-synod/
The draft revised Guidelines for the Professional Conduct of the Clergy linked above say:
Funerals
5.40. It is the duty of every minister to officiate at the funerals or interment of those who die within their cure, or any parishioners or persons whose names are entered on the church electoral roll of their parish whether deceased within their cure or elsewhere. This obligation includes not only funeral services which take place at the parish church, but those which are held in a crematorium or cemetery which may or may not be in the minister’s parish.
However, this seems to me to be stating the duty more widely than is indicated by the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 1992 s2(4). Only if the area of the benefice is chargeable with the expenses of a cemetery; or for the use of which a crematorium or cemetery has been designated by the bishop of the diocese concerned, is there an obligation for the minister of a parish to officiate at the funeral service and only in such cemeteries and crematoria. As written, the Guidelines would suggest an obligation to officiate at the funeral of a parishioner at any cemetery or crematorium in England, and that’s not what the Measure says.