The ideal of democracy is that elected bodies reflect the interests and views of the electorate, but this can only happen if people who share those values stand for election and turn out to vote. In recent years the turn-out in most dioceses of deanery synod members to vote for their diocesan representatives has hovered around 50% or less, and in some dioceses there have been too few candidates to trigger an election at all.
The 2010 elections will be fought largely on whether the Church of England should consecrate women as bishops, and if so, what provision should be made for those who in conscience believe we should not do this. Those who are opposed to the ordination of women obviously have a strong motivation to stand, and those who support them will make sure that they turn out to vote. Around a third of the current House of Laity in Synod consistently votes against the proposals to enable women to be bishops – a far higher proportion than my experience would suggest exists in our parish churches.
The General Synod has voted repeatedly since 2005 to move towards the admission of women to the episcopate – but without the reliable 2/3 majority which will be needed for final approval of the legislation. If we believe that this development is of God, and that the overwhelming majority of Anglicans in our land thinks so too, each of us needs to work to enable it to happen. We need firstly to encourage able people to stand for election and then to nag our fellow members of deanery synods until they have voted. A high turn-out with a good range of credible candidates should make for a Synod representative of its electorate.
General Synod is of course more than a single-issue body: we must also make sure that those elected are willing and able to engage with the whole range of Synod business and that they are fully able to reflect the views and concerns of the majority of those who worship with us week by week.
This is seriously important and will not happen if we all rely on someone else to do the leg-work. So keep praying and start talking! It?s up to each one of us.
Caroline Spencer
