Synodical Government Measure 1969

24 (1) A diocesan synod shall consist of [F1 a house of bishops], a house of clergy and a house of laity.

[F2 (1A) The members of the house of bishops shall consist of the bishop of the diocese, every suffragan bishop of the diocese and such other person or persons, being a person or persons in episcopal orders working in the diocese, as the bishop of the diocese, with the concurrence of the archbishop of the province, may nominate.

(1B) The bishop of the diocese shall be the president of the diocesan synod.]

(2) The members of the house of clergy shall consist of—

(a) the following ex-officio members, that is to say:—

[F3 (i) any person or persons in episcopal orders nominated by the bishop of the diocese, other than a suffragan bishop or a person nominated under paragraph (1A) of this rule;]

(ii) the dean or provost of the cathedral (including in appropriate dioceses, the Dean of Westminster, the Dean of Windsor and the Deans of Jersey and Guernsey);

(iii) the archdeacons;

(iv) the proctors elected from the diocese or from any university in the diocese (the University of London being [F4 treated for this purpose as being] wholly in the diocese of London) to the Lower House of the Convocation of the Province, excluding the registrar of the diocese (if so elected);

[F5 (v) any other member of that House, being the person chosen by and from among the clerical members of religious communities in the Province, who resides in the diocese;]

[F6 (vi)] the chancellor of the diocese (if in Holy Orders); and

[F6 (vii)] the chairman of the diocesan board of finance [F7 and the chairman of the diocesan advisory committee](if in Holy Orders);

(b) members elected by the houses of clergy of the deanery synods in the diocese in accordance with the next following rules; and

(c) not more than five members (being clerks in Holy Orders) co-opted by the house of clergy of the diocesan synod.

(3) The members of the house of laity shall consist of:—

(a) the following ex-officio members, that is to say:—

(i) the chancellor of the diocese (if not in Holy Orders);

(ii) the chairman of the diocesan board of finance [F7 and the chairman of the diocesan advisory committee](if not in Holy Orders);

(iii) the members elected from the diocese to the House of Laity of the General Synod, excluding the registrar of the diocese (if so elected);

[F8 (iv) any other member of that House, being [F9 an ex officio or co-opted member of the House of Laity of the General Synod or a] person chosen by and from among the lay members of religious communities in the Province, who resides in the diocese;]

(b) members elected by the houses of laity of the deanery synods in the diocese in accordance with the next following rules; and

(c) not more than five members co-opted by the house of laity of the diocesan synod, who shall be actual communicant members of the Church of England of age to vote at a Parliamentary election.

(4) The bishop of the diocese may nominate ten additional members of the diocesan synod, who may be of the clergy or the laity and shall be members of the appropriate house. [F10 Except in regard to their appointment the nominated members shall have the same rights and be subject to the same rules as elected members. Where necessary the bishop’s council and standing committee shall designate the deanary synod of which the nominated member shall be a member and, where a nominated lay person is on more than one electoral roll, he shall choose the parochial council of which he is to be a member.]

[F11 (5) No person, other than the chancellor of a diocese, shall be entitled to be a member of more than one diocesan synod at the same time.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted by S.I. 1980/178, para. 8(1)

F2 Rule 24(1A)(1B) inserted by S.I. 1980/178, para. 8(1)

F3 Rule 24(2)(a)(i) substituted by S.I. 1980/178, para. 8(2)

F4 Words substituted by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 14(2)

F5 Rule 24(2)(a)(v) inserted by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 14(3)

F6 Rule 24(2)(a)(vi)(vii) (originally (a)(v)(vi)) re-numbered by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 14(3)

F7 Words in Sch. 3 rules 24(2)(a)(vii) and (3)(a)(ii) inserted (1.3.1993) by Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1991 (No. 1, SIF 21:8), s. 32(1), Sch. 7 para. 4(b) (with s. 31(6));Instrument dated 16.2.1993 made by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York

F8 Rule 24(3)(a)(iv) added by S.I. 1973/1865, para. 14(4)

F9 Words substituted by S.I. 1984/1039, para. 16(1)

F10 Words inserted by S.I. 1984/1039, para. 16(2)

F11 Rule 24(5) inserted by S.I. 1980/178, para. 8(3)