In my 10 years on General Synod, I found I could use the "Devices" of Questions and Private Members Motions to raise issues which were not expected to be debated in the foreseeable future. It seemed to me looking at Forward Business that there were areas of interest to the wider church which the Politburo didn't want to be debated. Over time, I found that was not necessarily policy, but it was left mainly to lay members to raise issues not being dealt with by the Boards and Councils in reports and debates.

"Questions" can be used to extract speedy answers on current church (and secular) topics and I recall one of my first questions producing a face-to-face confrontation with the Bishop of London, who went on to become a regular sounding board and a friendly colleague. Another Question, answered in +Richard‘s place by Graeme Knowles, needed an explanation of toilet waste in "trench arches". Neither of us knew that the ++Canterbury was to make an important political statement immediately before Questions and mine was number one. +Graeme answered with grace and humorous anticipation, "This is like following the Lord Mayor‘s Show. We are looking into it!" As a result of this he became the Dean of St Paul‘s!

I have managed to secure three PMMs in my time, each one on some aspect of church buildings, so many that +John Packer thinks that, like Leeds buses, another one will be coming along behind. Raising 100 signatures to be past the benchmark in time is hard work (bishops rarely sign PMMs) and especially so now with a smaller synod, but it is one valuable way of obtaining a debate which has popular (i.e. the wider church) interest. Leading the debate can be scary; my first was called just before lunch when I had been told it would not come on until the next afternoon at the earliest. When it was called, I was in the gallery and the chair, the +London, was on the rostrum before I was! My second was also in London and formed a composite motion, so I was told I would be called sometime after the +London‘s opening speech. I was called about sixth, by which time all the main points had been made. I then tore up my script and delivered, I believe, my best speech ever!

My third PMM debate, in York this time, involved a great deal of media interest, including TV shot on location and pre-recorded and live radio,
most of which were ditched because another world war or something like it started on the Sunday night called the Wimbledon Men's Final. The thrust
of the motion was to raise the profile of Church Tourism including extended uses of church buildings and over the two years from the
successful debate to the Report a great deal of progress was made back stage around the Dioceses, helped by the Church Buildings Council and the
Churches Tourism Association.

It is possible to be an ordinary lay member of Synod and have a small hand in the governance of the Church of England. There are many ways and I
have highlighted but two. Networking through a Board or Council and through a "fringe" group like Open Synod Group can also provide a great
deal of work, satisfaction and fun. Just don't expect it to be easy!

Roy Thompson, Secretary OSG