Synod

1. Q. When is Synod 2026?
A. Synod officially begins with the Synod Eucharist on Thursday, October 22, 2026. The business portion of Synod takes place on Friday, October 23 – Saturday, October 24, 2026.

2. Q. What is the date/time/place of the Synod Eucharist?
A. Thursday, October 22, 2026
7:00 p.m.
Christ Church Cathedral Ottawa

3. Q. Who can attend the Synod Eucharist?
A. All can attend. It is not restricted to synod members.

4. Q. Will the Synod Eucharist be available for viewing online?
A. Yes, on the Christ Church Cathedral website: https://www.ottawacathedral.ca/

5. Q. Who can attend the Synod business meetings?
A. Synod meetings can be attended only by those who have pre-registered. People eligible to register include:

• Clergy
• Ascension House staff
• Members of Diocesan Council
• Bishop’s appointees
• Guests approved by the Secretaries of Synod
• Laypeople who were elected by their parish to serve as a Synod member

6. Q. Where will the Synod 2026 meetings take place?
A. St. Elias Centre
750 Ridgewood Ave.
Ottawa, Ontario
K1V 6N1

7. Q. How is registration being handled in 2026?
A. Online only

8. Q. When does registration occur?
A. Registration opens on Friday, September 25, 2026, and ends Sunday, October 11, 2026.

9. Q. Who is responsible for registering parish lay Synod members and parish clergy?
A. The parish incumbent or someone delegated by them. Where the parish doesn’t have an incumbent, the churchwardens or parish administrator is responsible for registration.

10. Q. Who registers Ascension House staff, Guests of Synod, and Bishop’s Appointees?
A. The Bishop’s office.

11. Q. Who registers Diocesan Council members/postulants?
A. Diocesan Council members and postulants register themselves UNLESS they are being registered by the parish incumbent as a Synod parish representative.

12. Q. How much is the Synod registration fee per person?
A. The fee per person is $100 plus a processing fee.

13. Q. Who pays the Synod registration fee?
A. Elected Synod parish members and parish clergy have their fees paid by their parish. Other members of synod have their fees paid by the office of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa.

14. Q. How and when should Synod fees be paid?
A. Fees should be paid online at the time of registration. Those parishes unable to pay online can pay the registration fee by cheque. Please make cheques payable to The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, with a notation on the cheque that the payment is for Synod registration. Include the name of the parish and the names of the registrants the payment is covering. Cheques should be sent to Ascension House.

15. Q. When will the business portions of Synod take place?
A. Friday, October 23, 2026 – 9:00 a.m. to approximately 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24, 2026 – 8:30 a.m. to approximately 12:00 p.m.

16. How do attendees check-in for Synod?
A. Check-in begins on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 7:30 a.m. It takes place in the lobby of the St. Elias Centre and will be staffed with volunteers to help attendees with nametags, documents, and directions.

17. Q. What if I am new to Synod?
A. There will be a new member orientation session on October 23, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., St. Elias Centre in the downstairs hall. This orientation session will brief new members on Synod procedures and protocols.

18. Q. Will catering be provided?
A. Yes. Catering will be provided for registered attendees on Friday for the morning break, lunch and afternoon break. On Saturday, light refreshments are available for the morning break.

19. Q. Does each person who attends Synod require a credential form?
A. Yes, including clergy and Ascension House staff. These will be collected at the check-in desk on the Friday morning of Synod. Please note that the parish incumbent must sign the form for all lay parish members.

20. Q. Where can I find a Synod credential form?
A. A link to Synod credential forms is supplied in an email sent to registrants and will also be available in the synod section of the diocesan website.

21. Q. Who needs to sign the credential form?
A. Each person must sign their own form. In addition, lay parish members must have their forms signed by the parish incumbent. In parishes without an incumbent, parish lay members should have their form signed by one of the churchwardens.

22. Q. Where can I find the 2026 Synod Circular?
A. The circular will be available by accessing a link in the Synod section of the diocesan website. It will not be a singular document, but a series of files, which can be downloaded. These files will be updated regularly, so it is important to check the latest version immediately prior to Synod. The internet capacity of the Synod venue is limited, so we advise all members to download their copy of the circular prior to arrival.

23. Q. Will paper copies of the Synod Circular be provided to each person attending Synod?
A. No. Each attendee should download a copy prior to arrival at Synod. However, if they have cellular data on their device they can access the documents of the circular during Synod using their electronic device. Alternatively, they can print the circular documents and bring them to the meetings.

24. Q. Will there be a pre-Synod information session via Zoom?
A. Yes. The date and time will be provided soon. The pre-Synod session will preview topics which will come up at Synod.

25. Q. Who should attend the pre-Synod meeting?
A. All Synod members, including alternate members. Churchwardens and treasurers are welcome to join as well, and would benefit from being present.