Amid the anger over the outcome of that vote last November, there were calls for Parliament to step in or even for the Synod to be dissolved.

The issue of women bishops will be top of the agenda when the Synod is meeting for three days in London next week.

But members are also being asked to debate a motion calling for a review of how the Synod itself operates including the parliamentarian way debates are conducted and whether the complex system of electing members is now "fit for purpose".

An official Synod briefing paper warns that members are now seen by many outside the Church seen as "rude and poor examples of Christians".

The motion also questions whether the Synod should meet just once a year, instead of two or three times as at present, to encourage younger people with busy careers and families to stand for election.

It points out that almost two thirds of the House of Laity are over 60 - three times the proportion of the overall population.

A string of bishops have indicated that they will support the review which will be discussed on Tuesday. On Wednesday the Synod will give its first full consideration to new legislation to allow women to become bishops as part of a fast-track process.

Moves to overhaul the Synod began three years ago when the Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam, the Bishop of Salisbury - who was then a parish priest in London - wrote a newspaper article voicing his frustration at the formal and partisan way he saw it operating.

"He saw a place where complex and sensitive matters were debated in a parliamentary way in which arguments were won, but not settled, by majority," a briefing note compiled by the Diocese of London says.

"He saw a place where party groups functioned in opposition to one another, questioning each other's legitimacy to be truly Christian.

"He saw a place that was disproportionately old, affluent, white and male that did not reflect the population at large."

It goes onto lament the way members of the Synod are now effectively elected because of their stance as liberals or conservatives or as coming from the Anglo-Catholic or evangelical wings of the Church or because of their stance on women in ministry.

"When we are elected General Synod we literally have to tick boxes to define which church background we come from," it complains.

"Is there anything we can change so that we stand to speak we all simply consider ourselves Christians?"

It goes on: "From the outside, on occasion, we can seem to be rude and poor examples of Christians.

"We have red lights, points of order, standing orders, divisions by houses and many other elements designed to help us avoid falling into anarchy.

"We need some process and order. What should that be?"

END