The Scottish Episcopal Church has announced[*] that its General Synod will meet for a second time in 2025 for the specific purpose of making an amendment to the Canon for electing bishops in time for use during a forthcoming episcopal vacancy. The on-line meeting will take place on Tuesday 9 September and is expected to be held in the evening. An extract from the Press Release is reproduced below.

Press Release

Canon 4 – Of The Calling And Election of Bishops To Vacant Sees went through a process of revision which was approved by the 2023 meeting of the General Synod. Subsequent Episcopal elections have taken place under this revised process in the Diocese of Argyll & The Isles and the Diocese of Glasgow & Galloway.  Feedback on the experiences of people involved in the process in those Dioceses has led to a further round of minor but important amendments to the revised canon.

Amendments were put to the General Synod meeting in June 2025, where they passed first reading. To be put into effect, they require to be passed at a second reading, which is normally at the following year’s General Synod. The decision to hold an additional meeting of the General Synod this calendar year rather than wait until General Synod 2026 is to ensure that, should members approve the amendments, they will be in place ahead of the Episcopal election due to take place in the Diocese of Edinburgh, following the announcement of the retirement of Bishop John Armes in August this year.

The agenda and papers are to be sent to Synod members and published on the Scottish Episcopal Church website. The proceedings of the Synod will be live streamed to members, and as at previous online Synod meetings, votes will be cast via an online facility.

[*] One we missed, the announcement was on 23 June 2025.