First Synod of Church of England (673AD) Hertford
Posted by: 
bill&ben
N 51° 47.721 W 000° 04.826
30U E 701322 N 5742309
In the grounds of Hertford Castle is a monument to the first Synod of the Church of England, notable for setting the calculation of the date for Easter.
Waymark Code: WM7H74
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/26/2009
Views: 4
Theodore of Canterbury called a Synod of bishops and teachers of the Church in 673 AD. The Synod included all the Bishops except Wilfrid of Northumbria who sent proxies in his stead. At this stage there was no political entity of England and thus it can be fairly said that the Church of England pre-dated the creation of the English nation by about 150 years.
The meeting was held in Hertford. Amongst ten canons governing the duties of clerics, marriage and divorce the church leaders issued instructions for deciding upon the date for celebrating Easter Sunday. It was agreed that Easter was to be held on the first Sunday following the first full moon after March 21st.
It was the first time that the representatives of the various churches had deliberated and acted as one body. It laid the foundation for a united church and for ending the disputes between the old Celtic traditions introduced by missionaries from Ireland and the form of Christianity such as introduced by St Augustine and Rome. Just as importantly the convention for de terming Easter was later universally accepted by all Western Christianity.
Such a significant event was not officially commemorated until the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1934 a stone was laid in the grounds of Hertford Castle, which stands in the middle of the county town.
The stone reads: Near this spot was held the first General Synod of the English
Church on 24 September 673 AD under the presidency of Theodore, Seventh Archbishop of Canterbury and first Primate of All England. There was present Bisi,
Bishop of East Anglia, Putta, Bishop of Rochester, Eleutherius, Bishop of Wessex,
Winfred, Bishop of Mercia, Wilfred, Bishop of Northumbria.
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