diocesan structures,dioceses,discernment,evangelism,gospel,llf,mission,ordination,outreach,plf,prayer,vocations,young people

Andrew Hammond
Vicar of Wymondham
A BIT ABOUT ME

I’ve been in Wymondham for two years. I’ve
served in one of the richest and one of the
poorest parishes in the CofE, as well as being
a minor canon at St Paul’s Cathedral and
chaplain in two Cambridge colleges.

Before ordination I worked in classical music:
first as an opera singer, then in management
(as well as many years as casting director at
the Thursford Christmas shows!) I grew up in
Nottinghamshire, where my father (a plumber)
was churchwarden for many years. I was the
first in our family to go to university.

This broad background underpins what I’d
hope to bring to General Synod. So does the
year I spent as its Chaplain (2021-22). That
came to a bruising end, as a quick google
search will tell you (only the Church Times
article is worth reading!) But it really was an
enjoyable and fascinating year.

I learned at Synod that between the noisy
partisans (some of whom I agreed with, of
course) was a quietly conscientious majority: a
cross-section of the CofE’s traditions meeting
hospitably and constructively.

My pitch is to be an energetic member of that
majority: faithful to my own views, but keen to
move forward on all fronts consensually,
generously and determined to discern and
fulfil God’s purposes for our Church. We face
some huge challenges, so we need to pull
together. And I’d be doing this as a colleague
of yours: hearing from you, reporting back,
and alert to the particular issues we face here.

SOME PRIORITIES

Mission and evangelism: our first priority is to tell of the saving love of God made known in Jesus,
and to live that out in the world. We do this best when we speak humbly and hopefully, recognising
the messy reality of life. My experience (especially with students) is that we face not resistance but
indifference and unfamiliarity. If folk have a view, it’s that our beliefs are mad, our services boring and
our ethics repressive. Some will have had a bad, maybe very bad, experience of church.

And yet we can often detect in conversation – and in public discourse – a deep hunger for meaning
and authenticity. Most green shoots of recovery are founded in ancient impulses: a sense that there
is more to life than meets the eye, that truth and beauty and love are not just noble ideas but woven
into the essence of being human together, that the very ground of our being is benevolent.

The challenge then is to recognise these contrasting realities and respond with the wisdom and
gentleness Jesus recommended, as we look to share the gospel. For me this includes:

Celebrating the CofE’s comprehensiveness, our diversity and breadth. This gift, if well
represented in Synod, can make for collaborative and constructive discussion and decision-
making.

Making best use of the CofE’s unique inheritance, the parish system. Instead of vast top-down
initiatives, resources should be devolved to parishes. There are difficult decisions to make about
the care and maintenance of no few rural churches, but the care of every soul in every parish

needs to be much more richly and imaginatively nurtured. This requires better discernment of
vocations and ordination training; and the maximum amount of funding given to dioceses for
full-time priestly ministry; and weighted towards poorer, smaller communities. Lay leaders are a
great gift to the Church, but they need clergy colleagues. A robust analysis of how diocesan
structures could see funds redirected to parochial ministry could be part of this.

Outreach, especially to young people and especially via social media, needs to be much more
savvy. The one thing you can say about Gen Z is that there is no one thing you can say about
Gen Z: except that they have sharp sincerity sensors. Every bit of outreach needs authenticity
and personality. I know this from Tiktok, where I have nearly 32,000 followers. Our mission life
must be set free, even if that means taking risks and making mistakes. Safe outreach is counter-
productively boring.

Synod reform: GS works hard and – for most members – with real integrity and faith-filled intent. But
what I saw in my year there, and heard in many conversations, suggested a few improvements could
make a big and positive difference:
The timetable could be decided by a larger, more representative group. A few people have this
responsibility, which must create invidious pressures for them.
Debates – especially the most important – can seem hampered by legalism. The lawyers are
always alongside the chair, advising. This sometimes stifles agility and imagination. Improving
this would be immensely hard, but it should be attempted.
There could be a richer provision of prayer, worship and bible reflections, and from different
traditions within the Church. I had begun this as Chaplain, but it could go further, reminding us
to be ever alert to the promptings of the Spirit in every debate and decision.

LLF/PLF: I am in favour of moving to standalone services of blessing. This should not continue to
dominate the agenda, though. We need to make progress on a whole host of issues, some of which
risk being sidelined or given insufficient time.

I hope this gives a flavour of how I might serve on Synod. I’d relish the chance to be back, part of a
body of people constructively and prayerfully devoting themselves to a proper synodal care for the
life and mission of God’s Church – ‘together on the path’.

If elected I would hope to be your representative as assiduously as possible, taking seriously our
shared concerns as Norwich clergy. Please also take advantage of the election process. Voting is by
single transferable vote: if you’re intending to vote for me, please put me high on your list,
preferably number one. Chiefly, though, please do use your votes for the candidates you like. And I
must say how grateful I am to Julie Boyd and Josh Whitnall for nominating me: that means a lot.

Thank you for considering me: and with best wishes in Christ.

                                                          [email protected]

Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be
ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to
the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Romans 12.10-17