Church council in controversy no doubt (5)

I believe the answer is:

synod

'church council' is the definition.
(type of church assembly)

'in controversy no doubt' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates a hidden word.
'SYNOD' is hidden in the letters of 'controversy no doubt'.

(Other definitions for synod that I've seen before include "Ecclesiastic council" , "Assembly of the clergy" , "Church assembly" , "Council of bishops" , "cloth gathered here" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail and The Telegraph.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.