Motion No 8 has been approved, setting out the objectives of the Hard Gospel Implementation Group for the next two years in the areas of gender imbalance, youth participation and pastoral issues affecting gay and lesbian Christians.

The motion also asks members of the General Synod to commit themselves to encouraging the parish, diocesan and central bodies on which they serve to seek actively the inclusion of greater numbers of young adults and women in their membership and programme of work.

Speaking in proposal of Motion No 8, the Rt Rev Trevor Williams, Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, gave a brief presentation on the issue of gender imbalance in the structures of the Church, with statistical illustrations.

Seconding the motion, Mrs Ethne Harkness (Diocese of Armagh and Honorary Secretary of the General Synod) addressed the issue of youth participation and spoke of the necessity to make changes in the way in which Church bodies do their business in order to attract the participation of young people. In relation to the issues affecting gay and lesbian Christians, Mrs Harkness reported that the Hard Gospel Implementation Group's report had begun addressing this issue and that the Group proposed to take this work forward. The Group wished to make it clear that its remit in this area was limited to issues of pastoral provision in the context of the Hard Gospel report.

Debate on the report was welcoming of the proposed objectives for the Group and also covered practical issues such as the availability of young people to attend meetings of Church bodies and the need for childcare for women attending meetings.