PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

Bishop Jonathan told us that community is not an optional aspect of Christian life but its very foundation. A Christian community must be a place of safety, wisdom, and love, capable of receiving others with open arms. Drawing from personal experiences with monastic communities, particularly Alton Abbey, Bishop Jonathan illustrated how hospitality and spiritual discipline are lived out in practice. A story about Abbot Giles creating a moment of rest and joy for weary monks highlighted the importance of caring for one another within the community.

The Rule of St Benedict, which draws heavily from Matthew 25, was cited to reinforce the idea that welcoming others is akin to welcoming Christ. Bishop Jonathan stressed that the way Christians live together is itself a proclamation of the Gospel, even before any words are spoken or scriptures read. Love, humility, and mutual respect are essential, and while community life can be challenging, the commitment to love one another as Christ has loved us remains central.

His address also raised the importance of unity in diversity. Bishop Jonathan encouraged open, respectful conversations on sensitive topics such as marriage, sexuality, and identity, recognising that individuals come from varied backgrounds and hold deeply personal beliefs. The church must be a space where all voices are heard and valued, and where honest dialogue can take place in a spirit of love and mutual support.

Safeguarding was presented as a core aspect of the gospel. The church, as a space created by God's love, must be one where everyone—survivors, victims, and even perpetrators—can find a way to coexist with accountability and compassion. Effective safeguarding must be wise, courageous, and rooted in love.

In closing, Bishop Jonathan urged participants to listen deeply to one another and to Christ, to care for each other, and to build one another up in love. The afternoon will be framed as an opportunity for meaningful conversation, grounded in the belief that welcoming one another is equivalent to welcoming Christ himself.

SAFEGUARDING

Head of Safeguarding Emily Hassan updated synod members on recent developments, including the recent safeguarding audit by consultancy INEQE. Staff from INEQE had carried out an online survey in the spring and carried out an in-person visit at the start of June. To give an idea of the scale of the audit, Emily reported that the safeguarding team had provided the auditors with 366 documents, containing more than 19,000 words. There were also 642 individuals who responded to the online survey (so thanks to all who completed these!) and 115 people were interviewed by the audit team.

She reported that the audit had gone well, and that a report would be published in September. Read more about the audit here.

NET ZERO CARBON

Net Zero Carbon programme manager Steve Collins, who covers Portsmouth, Guildford and Chichester dioceses, presented some information about our progress on becoming net zero carbon. He gave some examples of churches that had made progress in this area, including our cathedral, and gave some practical tips on how to become net zero carbon. His presentation, which includes links to some further resources, is available here.

2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

Our Head of Finance Elaine Coe presented the 2024 annual report and accounts, which you can read here. She gave an overview of the audit process, explained the budget reconciliation, and the summary of movement in our reserves. You can see her presentation here.

2025 FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Our Head of Finance, Elaine Coe, also gave an update on our 2025 finances. She presented the 2025 parish share report which you can read here. This showed a consistent improvement on the same period in 2024, with more parishes contributing.

She also presented the latest management report, which you can read here. Among other things, it provided some changes from the budget, including the fact that lay staff pension surpluses currently offset lay staff pension contributions, and an increase to some clergy housing costs. Her overall presentation is here.

CHOIR CHURCH

Synod members were invited to see members of two Choir Church projects, with schoolchildren from Havant and Fratton singing in our cathedral nave over lunchtime. The groups are being led by those from St Faith's Church, Havant, and from St Mary's Church, Fratton, respectively. There is another group based at St Michael's Church, Paulsgrove, and more Choir Church groups are planned in future.