General Synod Election Candidates 2026

​

Amanda Robbie, Holy Trinity West Bromwich
I am quick to absorb and process information, energetic and
determined when it comes to finding solutions to all sorts of
problems and confident to ask probing questions and suggest
ideas.
I would love to continue representing the laity of Lichfield Diocese on
General Synod, making the administration and governance
structures work effectively so that the gospel can flourish in our
parishes.
I would be very grateful for your support in this election for General Synod. Please
consider giving me your first place preference. Do feel free to contact me.

About Me
●​
I serve as Lay Chair of Lichfield Diocesan Synod, and on several diocesan committees. I
am passionate about making our governance system work well for parishes and for laity
who are less familiar with central processes, people and procedures. I am also Secretary of
West Bromwich Deanery Synod and on the PCC of my parish church.
●​
I’ve been on General Synod for 5 years now. During that time I’ve spoken a few times in the
chamber, but I’ve also worked to develop legislation. I helped protect PCCs by proposing an
amendment that resulted in changes to the Church Representation Rules. I was on the Clergy
Conduct Measure Revision Committee and have also been a member of a committee of
Archbishop’s Council - the Advisory Group for the Terms and Wellbeing of Ministers, which
works to ensure that our clergy are well cared for and can thrive in parish ministry.
●​
I am also Vice Chair of our Vacancy in See Committee and have been elected to the Crown
Nominations Commission to help us find the 100th Bishop of Lichfield in the coming months.
●​
My experience of being a trustee of CPAS and Church Society helps inform my governance
work in the wider church, together with service as a governor at our church school for over
ten years, and on CEEC and Lichfield Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship.
●​
I’m married to Neil, a vicar, and we have three young adult children, and a large lurcher.
Before the children were born, I worked as a Chartered Mechanical Engineer in the water
industry in the UK and around the world, and lived in South East Asia for almost 6 years.
We’ve now been in West Bromwich for 17 years and love our intergenerational, intercultural
church - a flourishing family of believers from many nations serving one of the most deprived
communities in the diocese.

Here I am, speaking at
General Synod in York in
July 2023 on the Church
Representation
Rules
(Amendment) Resolution
1.

My General Synod Priorities:
Our Church: believing in Jesus, believing in the parish
Our parishes are the heart of the Church of England. General Synod needs to
equip and empower parishes to do their work. I want to focus on:
●​
More clergy to serve our churches. There are not enough people
stepping forward to serve the church full time as clergy. In our diocese we
see this in the vacancy rate, running at over 25% for the last few years.
General Synod can smooth the pathway for people called by God to
serve in this way.
●​
Using our money well. Our churches and our diocese are under severe financial pressure at
the moment. Decisions made in General Synod can support ministry in our diocese.
Increased Low Income Community funding in Lichfield is helping, but I will work to ensure that
national funds are always directed so that local churches can thrive.
●​
A national church that speaks clearly and confidently about God’s love for the world. I
will make every effort to support our national institution and senior leaders to be confident to
proclaim the hope we have in Jesus to our broken and needy country.
Our Communities: bringing God’s goodness to a broken world
I want to help our church reach our parishes and nation:
●​
Working with children: Many of us are involved in toddler groups, in teaching kids on
Sundays and in serving our church schools (and other local schools), or would love to reach
those groups. I want to ensure that the national church equips us well for this task, and that
there is good training for governors, youth leaders and others from our churches.
●​
Making Christ known in our parishes. I want General Synod to make the national
machinery work so that local churches can bring the good news of Jesus to every person in
their parishes. With support, lay people can be key to this work.
●​
Humbly tackling big issues: Since we know and trust God, we think differently about
national and global issues like justice, the environment, wealth and poverty, racism and
migration, class, prejudice and housing. By God’s grace, our churches can influence
communities with kindness and compassion for the good of all. Synod can help us do that.
The Future: making church work for all
I want us to face the future trusting God and displaying the love of Christ:
●​
There are still big issues to face in our church: the most critical is falling numbers in
congregations and vocations, but we also need to tackle our finances, safeguarding, trust and
trustworthiness, and the replacement for the LLF process. I have experience in working in
Synod to make changes for the benefit of all. We must start with prayer, and work together for
God’s glory and the good of our parishes, communities and country.
Proposer: John (Tug) Wilson, Lichfield deanery, former Lay Chair of Lichfield Diocesan Synod,
member of General Synod for 21 years
Seconder: Angela Bernard, Wolverhampton deanery, formerly West Bromwich deanery: Licensed
Lay Minister, All Saints, Wolverhampton, member of Diocesan Synod and Bishop’s Council
Contact me: Holy Trinity Vicarage, 1 Burlington Road, West Bromwich, B70 6LF Tel: 07770 849609
Twitter/X: @thevicarswife Email: [email protected]

archbishop,ceec,church schools,church society,clergy conduct,cpas,crown nominations,crown nominations commission,environment,evangelical,finances,good news,gospel,housing,justice,llf,pcc,pccs,poverty,prayer,racism,safeguarding,vacancy,vicarage,vocations,youth