What history refers to as the Brimmingstone Convocation was in fact a series of meetings held between
297 and 313 that was to have a momentous effect on the Church of Pelor within
Cambria and indeed on Cambrian culture in general. Only the first three convocations were in fact held in
Brimmingstone and the last two,
after the Reetland delegation had withdrawn, were actually held in
Pell's Hold.
Many tend to forget that the original purpose of the meetings was not in fact the reform of the Cambrian
Church but was a Cambrian response to the diplomacy of the Church of Reetland which was anxious that
the Pelorean Churches of the two countries should not grow apart. It is also forgotten that the
Cambrian Church was not at first hostile to the idea that the two churches should unite even if that
meant passing some authority back to the Reetlanders. The first Convocation in 297 was largely
exploratory with both churches seeking to realise their differences and the Reetlanders tentatively
putting forward ideas as to how they might be resolved.
It was during the second meeting in 299 that it became clear that a possible sticking point
was likely to be the position of
St. James,
St. Olwyn, and
St. Erin within the theology of the Pelorean Church. The
Reetlanders acknowledged that the even in Reetland it was the custom for people to pray to the saints
(all three were acknowledged as saints in Reetland) rather than
Pelor but not to the extent that was common in Cambria. Furthermore
the Reetlanders considered it inappropriate for clerics to dedicate themselves to a particular saint
rather than Pelor. There was also some concern within the Reetland delegation that the followers
of St. Erin were just putting a Pelorean gloss on the ideas of the
Old Religion.
Although the meeting in 299 had broken up with both sides realising that there was a lot of work
to do they met again in 305 with some optimism that compromises could be reached. Initially the Reetlanders
agreed to recognise the unique status of St. James but not of St. Olwyn or St. Erin which seemed to
the Cambrian clerics to indicate that further progress could be made. It was at that point that
King Penda intervened and asked to address the Convocation as was his right. The motivation
of the King was not known although in the light of subsequent events it might have been to reform
the Cambrian Church without surrendering any authority to the Reetlanders. In his speech he agreed that
the Church needed reform and also that the two churches should not be allowed to grow apart but he was
adamant that the reform should happen first.
The next Convocation was therefore an all-Cambrian affair held in 309 in Pell's Hold. The
King again addressed the assembled clerics and stated that he was willing to see the
Church reform around the Reetland idea of the unique status of St. James and also adopt
more standardised liturgy as the Reetlanders wished. He, however, hinted broadly that he
wished to see the Cambrian church have a measure on independence from the Reetland
church fearing with some foresight that the Pelorean Church might become a political
tool for the Reetlanders at some future date.
At the next Great Synod in 310 it became apparent that the majority of clerics within the
church were not at all happy with downgrading the role of St. Olwyn and St. Erin and there followed
three years of intensive negotiations within the church and between the church and the King. The final
position was set out in 313 with churches of
St. Olwyn and St. Erin
splitting from the Church of St. James which was now the
only established church. At the time it is safe to say that this solution was not seem as terribly
satisfactory by any of those involved but when it became apparent that the party most discomforted were the
Reetlanders the King was most pleased. The Archbishop of the Reetland Church was reported to have said,
'We tried to prevent chaos in the Cambrian Church; instead they have formalised it.' In retrospect,
however, the reformation of the Cambrian Church has contributed enormously to the unique culture of
Cambria and served its people well.