disciples,discipleship,gospel,isolation,mission,other faiths,prayer,safeguarding,tradition,young adults

ELECTION ADDRESS
Sangeetha Malladi
I am 26, originally from India, where I trained and worked in
anaesthesia and operating theatre technology before coming to the UK
to pursue an MSc in Global Health at De Montfort University.
I was raised in a Christian family, but at 14, during a time of fasting and
prayer, I encountered God personally and chose to follow Christ. Since
then, I have grown in faith through serving alongside my father and
learning what it means to follow Jesus and help others grow as disciples.
After coming to the UK, I began exploring my calling further through my local church and MES
internship. Serving in an intercultural church, through Young Adults ministry, the IWC steering
group, small groups and wider church activities, has shaped my understanding of Christian
leadership. It has taught me that leadership is not simply about having a voice, but about
making space for others.
Through our diocesan relationship with Tanzania, I have also had the opportunity to serve and
learn from another Christian community, reminding me that the Church is much larger than
any one culture, congregation or country.
Why I am standing for General Synod
Young adults are not simply the future of the Church; we are part of the Church today.
Through journeying alongside young adults, I have seen their enthusiasm, creativity and
desire to contribute, alongside the questions and challenges that can sometimes make it
difficult to find a lasting place within the Church.
If elected,
I would seek to:
•
Bring young adults into wider conversations about discipleship, vocation, mission, worship,
leadership, safeguarding and the future direction of the Church.
•
Build bridges between generations, recognising the wisdom of older generations alongside
the energy and perspectives of younger people.
•
Listen carefully to experiences that differ from my own and bring them faithfully into
Synod.
•
Encourage a Church where people can encounter Christ, grow in faith and discover their
calling.
I do not want to represent young adults in isolation. I want to serve the whole Church.
What I would bring to Synod
My experience has given me several perspectives that I would bring to Synod:
•
Young adult: from walking alongside young adults and hearing their hopes, questions and
concerns.
•
Intercultural: from worshipping and serving alongside people from different cultural and
ethnic backgrounds.
•
Global: from opportunities to learn from the worldwide Church, including through our
relationship with Tanzania.

•
Leadership and vocation: from discovering gifts and possibilities I had not previously
imagined.
•
Listening: because I believe representation begins with listening, not speaking. I cannot
claim to represent every young adult, woman, cultural group or theological perspective.
What I can do is listen carefully, remain teachable and faithfully bring what I hear into the
conversations of Synod.
Courage to listen and engage
Some of the most important conversations facing the Church are also the most sensitive,
including questions around gender, race, culture, identity, theology and tradition. I
believe these conversations require both conviction and humility.
We should be able to hold strong Christian convictions while treating one another with dignity.
We should be able to disagree without becoming adversaries and listen carefully when
another person's experience is very different from our own.
My own journey has challenged me in this area. I come from a background where women
were not permitted to preach in church, and I never imagined that I would one day explore
preaching myself. Through God's grace and encouragement, I joined the Preaching Well
course, grew in confidence and theological understanding, and began sharing short sermons
in my church.
This taught me that growth requires humility: the humility to learn, the courage to ask difficult
questions and the wisdom to listen before reaching conclusions. That is the approach I would
seek to bring to Synod.
My hope for the wider Church
I hope to contribute to a Church that:
•
Is confident in Christ and faithful to the Gospel.
•
Is courageous in difficult conversations while remaining generous and compassionate.
•
Gives young adults opportunities not only to participate, but to lead and serve.
•
Welcomes people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and allows them to help
shape the Church.
•
Creates space for honest, prayerful and respectful questions.
•
Builds bridges across disagreement rather than allowing difference to become division.
•
Looks beyond itself to serve Christ and share Christ in the world.
•
Welcomes people of faith, fragile faith, other faiths or no faith, creating opportunities for
them to encounter the living God, discover the hope of Christ and learn what it means to
follow Jesus.
I know I still have much to learn about General Synod, but I would bring energy, curiosity,
humility, prayerfulness and a willingness to work hard. I am not standing because I have all
the answers. I am standing because I am willing to listen, learn, serve and speak with
courage.
It would be an honour to serve on General Synod, build bridges across differences and help
ensure that the voices and experiences of our diverse Church are heard.
If you are able to support me, please give me a high preference in your STV vote.