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Advent

Advent means ‘coming’ and is the special four-week period leading up to Christmas. It is a time to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’s birth but also for his coming in glory at the end of time.

Anglican

Anglicans form the family of Christians closely related to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Whilst tracing their inheritance back to Christ and the earliest Christians and to the ancient Roman Catholic church, the sixteenth century Reformation was a crucial moment for Anglicanism.

Bishop

‘Bishop’ comes from the Greek word for ‘overseer’. So a bishop is a senior Christian minister authorised to have oversight for God’s people. As well as duties given to deacons and priests, bishops confirm and ordain.

Holy Communion

At Holy Communion blessed bread and wine is shared, by which we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The congregation gives thanks for Jesus’ life, his death and resurrection and his continuing presence. See also Eucharist.

Home News Governing Body Meeting – September 18-19

Governing Body Meeting – September 18-19

Provincial news Posted: 12 September 2025

The twice-yearly Governing Body of the Church in Wales will meet this month to discuss a range of issues, including blessing of same-sex relationships and the Middle East conflict.

The two-day meeting at the International Conference Centre in Newport on September 18 and 19 will bring together up to 144 elected clergy and lay people from across Wales, representing all the Church’s six dioceses, and all diocesan bishops.

The agenda will include a keynote address by the new Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Cherry Vann, as President of the Governing Body. Archbishop Cherry was elected as the 15th Archbishop of Wales on July 30 this year.

The Archbishop will also lead a general discussion about the culture of the Church in Wales.

Another major element of the meeting will be a discussion on same-sex relationships. The Church in Wales currently allows for the blessing of same-sex civil marriages and civil partnerships in its churches, a provision authorized by the Governing Body in September 2021 for an experimental five-year period, which is set to expire in September 2026. The Church is currently in a period of discernment to determine the future of this provision, with potential paths forward including allowing the provision to expire, extending the authorisation of the current services of blessing, or introducing formal same-sex marriage services. Decisions on this rest with the Governing Body, which requires a two-thirds majority in all three orders – Bishops, Clergy, and Laity – to implement changes.

At the meeting on September 19th, in a process led by the Rt Revd Mary Stallard, Bishop of Llandaff, members will be asked to share their views on the proposals. These views will then be considered in October by the Bench of Bishops, as they decide whether to bring forward formal proposals to a future Governing Body.

The Very Revd. Ian Black, Dean of Newport, will give a presentation on a new online Lent Course for 2026, entitled ‘From Pancakes to Palm Crosses’.

A discussion and vote will also be held on a new code of conduct to be added to the terms of service for clergy and licensed ministers.

Against the backdrop of continuing conflict in the Middle East, the Governing Body will be addressed by Jamie Eyre, CEO of the Christian Development Charity Embrace the Middle East.

The meeting will also be live-streamed via a link on the Church in Wales website at www.churchinwales.org.uk and YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/churchinwales

Governing Body agenda and papers

Access here