- approved a motion to establish a task force that will review the role, duties and functions of the primate (national archbishop) and recommend changes to General Synod in 2010; the task force will include two members of the house of bishops, two members of the clergy and two members of the laity;
- reached consensus that it would determine the church’s priorities for the triennium at its next meeting in the spring. CoGS also agreed to lead a strategic planning process over the triennium to guide the work of General Synod from 2010 to 2019;
- approved by consensus a motion referring to the handbook concerns committee and the faith, worship, and ministry committee a possible revision of the marriage canon (church law) to allow priests to marry all legally qualified persons. This was in response to a resolution from last General Synod requesting CoGS to “consider a revision of Canon XXI (on marriage) including (a) theological rationale to allow marriage of all legally qualified persons and to report back to General Synod 2010.”
- accepted the invitation to participate in a special service marking the 300th anniversary of the first Anglican eucharist in Canada from the diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island during the meeting of General Synod scheduled there in 2010;
- approved a motion asking the Anglican Consultative Council to add a sixth mark of its mission to include concerns relating to peace, conflict transformation and reconciliation;
- elected Peter Townsend, from the diocese of Nova Scotia and PEI, as the Anglican church’s representative to the Canadian Council of Churches;
- approved the election (by acclamation) of Dorothy Davies-Flindall, of the diocese of Ontario, as CoGS’ alternate partner to the Episcopal Church (the regular partner is Bishop Michael Ingham of the diocese of New Westminster);
- heard from Archdeacon Michael Pollesel, general secretary of the national church, that a planning study examining how the national office is operating was to be completed and presented to staff by December;
- approved a motion put forward by the Anglican Journal board to adopt an open meeting policy for use in the Anglican Church of Canada; the policy, which defines “the circumstances under which the ministry of the church is exercised in a close session,” was adopted with some revisions.
