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GENERAL SYNOD ELECTION ADDRESS
PHILIP CALVERT
Biography: I was born in 1962 and grew up in a mining village outside
Barnsley in God’s own county of Yorkshire. I have been married to Tracey
for 36 years and we have 2 grown-up daughters. We have 5 cats and 3
chickens (and no, the two do not mix, as cats soon learn that chickens peck
first and ask questions later!)
Prior to being ordained deacon in 2002 I worked in the tyre industry in
Barnsley for several years. I trained at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, from
2000 to 2002 and served my title in the diocese of Coventry before moving
to my present post as parish priest of St Mark’s, Kingstanding in 2006.
In my spare time (when not being sat on by one of the cats) I enjoy Nordic
walking, reading (anything - I am presently working my way through the
novels of Nancy Mitford), gardening and knitting (which I taught myself -
with a great deal of help from my wife during lockdown last year). I am a
big F1 fan and recently had the chance to drive a Ferrari around the Silver-
stone Grand Prix circuit—a lifetime’s ambition fulfilled.
The importance of the parish system in the life of the Church:
“May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out
and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like
sheep without a shepherd.” - Book of Numbers 27:16-17. NIV.
With fifteen years’ experience of ministry in a poor, urban parish on the outskirts of a large, multicultural city I
believe I have much to offer in helping the Church to address the issues it faces at this time.
There is an existential threat to the parish-system in which clergy and the people we serve have invested a great
deal over many years, both from outside the Church in an increasing secular society and from within due to the
desire to micro-manage from above every detail of what goes on in our parishes. The Anglo-catholic movement,
of which I am a part, made it’s name in parish ministry through dedicated clergy serving in hard-up parishes. Our
missionary focus has it’s foundation in the Sacraments and the centrality of worship in the life of the Church, and
on integrating the Church into the life of the wider community. The parish is the base-unit of the church, it’s
voice needs to be heard, our people listened to and valued and their clergy supported if we are to have confi-
dence in taking Christ’s Gospel beyond the walls of our churches and into our communities . There is a worrying
focus on ‘success’ and ‘failure’ in the business-model style of management increasingly being adopted in the
Church, which is diametrically opposed to what Jesus did. He was out in the community ministering to the needs
of the people. He called us as priests to be faithful, not to be ‘successful’ . In a fragmented community such as the
one in which I serve, gentle, long-term ministry is needed to gain the trust of the people not short term
‘initiatives’. Do they want their child baptised in your church? Do they ask for you to conduct their loved one’s
funeral? Do they knock on the door of the vicarage and ask for the vicar when they are in need? These are the
measures of success, not numbers on a balance-sheet. There is a God-shaped hole at the heart of these commu-
nities which parish churches and faithful, dedicated clergy are called to fill by bringing people to a knowledge and
love of Christ.
On a walking holiday in the Outer Hebrides in February of
2019.
What issues are important to me?
• Defending the doctrines of the Church - The
absolute duty of confidentiality with regard to
what is disclosed in sacramental confession.
We have no right to alter the sacraments which
belong to the whole Church.
• The importance of those who minister in the
Church of England to have been ordained by a
bishop (there are proposals to allow Methodist
ministers who have not been Episcopally
ordained to be appointed as priests).
• The traditional model of marriage as defined in
the Book of Common Prayer and the canons, as
the union of one man with one woman for life.
• Whilst much good and important work has
been done in online worship during the pan-
demic, the traditional model of face-to-face
worship and the administration of the
Sacraments must continue to be the norm. This
means keeping our churches open.
• Eliminating racism in the Church and in society.
• Balancing the simplification agenda with the
rights and privileges of parishoners and clergy.
The increasingly top-down, bureaucratic style
in which the Church is administered risks
alientating the people and bypasses the
clergy who faithfully serve them.
I served as Area Dean of Handsworth from May
2014 to July 20129 and as co-Area Dean of the
newly united deanery of Handsworth and Central
Deanery from August 2019 to March 2020. Many
of my fellow clergy will know me through these
roles. I wholeheartedly support the Five Guiding
Principles and the need for mutual flourishing
which they support. I do my best to treat all those
alongside whom I serve the Church with respect
and courtesy and I hope to be able to serve this
diocese of Birmingham on General Synod with
your support.
Please consider giving me your first preference
vote.
Conducting my daughter’s wedding in October of 2018.