Synod concluded with the passing of the motion instructing the Honorary Secretaries of the General Synod to publish the Journal of the Proceedings of the General Synod during the session.

Honorary Secretary, Sam Harper, outlined the numbers attending Synod 2013.
The attendance for the Thursday was 465, on Friday 460 and on Saturday 348.

Archbishop Richard Clarke thanked members of Synod who took part. He thanked the other bishops who took part in the chairing process and the assessor, the honorary secretaries, the staff of Church House, the Chief Officer and Secretary General and those working on Synod and in communications for Synod.

Archbishop Michael Jackson thanked the Archbishop of Armagh for chairing Synod and for the opportunities he gave his fellow bishops to take part in the process. He said Synod had broken new ground this year.

Earlier Archbishop Clarke paid tribute to Canon Michael Kennedy who was attending his last Synod after many, many years as a member. He thanked him for his contributions. The Canon received a resounding round of applause.

The Revd Ken Lindsay, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, also made a contribution to the final session and said he looked forward to bringing back news of the overwhelming support for the interchangeability of ministry. “I came as an outsider and I’m going away as one of you,” he said.

Archdeacon Shirley Griffiths made a response from the Church in Wales. She said she had found it a very interesting meeting because the Church of Ireland was grappling with the same issues as the Church in Wales – rural issues, financial issues, ministerial issues etc.