THE “prophetically uncomfortable” voices of young people must become a strong part of the General Synod’s future deliberations, members agreed on Thursday.
Before being carried, the motion to commit the Church to becoming “younger and more diverse” was amended to specifically include under-18s as well as young adults.
The main motion, moved by Kenson Li, who was co-opted on to the Synod three years ago, asked the Synod to request “at least three and up to five young adults” as representatives of a group of up to 200 young adults from across the dioceses to succeed the Church of England Youth Council, which was disbanded in 2019, owing in part to lack of funding (News, 18 February 2022).
An amendment from Clare Williams (Norwich) went further to “ensuring that links are made with the opportunities provided for the voices of active disciples who are under 18 to be heard in a way that feeds into Synod”.
Introducing the main motion, Mr Li said that the average age of Synod members was currently 58, “with only five of us under the age of 30, and one under 25. Sixty-five are in their seventies.” In contrast, the average age of MPs was 51, “with as many under 30 as above 70”.
He expressed a strong desire for inclusivity and diversity in the selection of the 200 young people. “We need you,” he said. “We want to hear your voice. We want to be challenged about the assumptions we make in your absence.” Mr Li is due to be ordained in June, and will start his curacy at Manchester Cathedral. Synod had shaped his vocation, he said. He had found it “a place of grace, where Christian discernment is public and held accountable”.
The Revd Millie Cork (Leeds) joined the Synod in 2015, at the age of 23 — was she now the youngest clergy member, she wondered. “As a fully-fledged, democratically elected lay member, my voice was heard,” she said. “If we want to take young people seriously, we want to give them the power of the vote.”
While she was very grateful to all those who had helped her to understand the system, “the culture of this place for young people is not great,” she said. “I hope we can actually make General Synod less of an unfriendly beast. Let’s demystify it.”
The Bishop of Portsmouth, Dr Jonathan Frost, alluded to this, too: the proposal would enable young adults to be supported, properly safeguarded, and “able to express their views and navigate the complex processes of Synod”.
Geoff Crawford/Church TimesClare Williams (Norwich) moves her amendment
An amendment from Clive Scowen (London), which sought to specify three representatives rather than “at least three and up to five”, on the grounds that “we can have them here without delay”, was lost. The general feeling was that the provision would enable this anyway, and that the five could be worked towards.
Moving her amendment, Ms Williams said that she wished to prevent the Synod from “offering tokenistic ways of including young adults”. She wanted these proposals joined with those set up for the under-18s: “If we put the groundwork in before 18, we will see them naturally. Be careful not to perpetuate the narrative that your voice won’t be heard until you’re 18,” she said.
This had Mr Li’s approval. “We do want to ensure a pathway for under-18s to progress,” he said, and called for bishops and dioceses to think about who those under-18s might be.
Resuming a debate on the main motion, as amended, Jennifer Fellows (Gloucester) said that she had come to the Synod, aged 28, out of “a passionate love for the Church of England”, and that the experience had made her “deeply probe” her theology. She wanted the voice of young adults to be “one that challenges us in our seats. Young people don’t speak or want be forced to speak with one voice. Can we assure a system of equity that ensures all have their voices heard — not just those who come to mind? I want not just to welcome, but see, a widespread cultural change that allows [that to happen].”
Mary Bucknall (Deaf Anglicans Together) asked the Synod: “In thinking about ways of responding to 18 to 25s, don’t forget deaf children and young people among the group of 200. I want to share a concern that deaf children are falling behind in access to Religious Education as well as other subjects. They need to access it through BSL, interpreted videos, transcripts, and podcasts. . . We need to have younger deaf people as Synod representatives as a matter of urgency. Otherwise, a whole generation of young deaf people will be lost to the Church.”
Dr Gracy Crane (Oxford) said that there was a need for deliberately targeted intervention to make all this happen, querying the accessibility of the “pages of dense text” that Synod members received. “When you do get young adults, unbox them,” she said. “Get to know them for who they are.”
The Bishop of Dover, the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin (Canterbury), told the Synod that, to allow for the next generation to be present, others might have to step aside. Mr Li hoped that the Church of England would be younger and more diverse “before my own youth runs out”.
The motion was carried by a show of hands.
