General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Election statement Deborah Kidd

When I saw an email from the Oxford Diocese which read that it was time to elect lay
representatives to the General Synod, I experienced a curious thrill of excitement. The
chance to watch and participate in debates and votes in the church that I have been a
member of for more than 60 years. A chance to see democracy at work and a chance to
pray about and help guide its future direction. Was God calling me to this? I don’t know
but it seemed as if I was supposed to apply.
My childhood church, which was very middle of the road in terms of churchmanship,
taught me the faith that I love and provided me with a grounding which has steadied me
ever since. At university I worshipped at an ecumenical chapel which was part of a Local
Ecumenical Project. This was my first prolonged encounter with Christian traditions
beyond my own and I benefitted from the richness of listening and discussing with others.
My twenties were spent moving around as is common with many young people and the
churches I found were both familiar in terms of service and new in terms of setting and
music.
Since 1992 I have lived in Stony Stratford in Milton Keynes which happens to be an Anglo
Catholic parish. This was a new tradition for me but God’s faithfulness was of course
assured and I continued to grow as a Christian. We cannot out give God and it is in service
that we find Him. Particular highlights were participating in the music of the church and
taking our youth group to the annual youth pilgrimage camping at the Anglican shrine in
Walsingham which it was my huge privilege to do many times.
When our priest retired, I was one of the church wardens and our interregnum started,
During that time I was one of a team who, after much prayer and deliberation, changed
the orientation of the parish from one which could not accept the ministry of women to a
church which welcomed them. It took much prayer, thoughtfulness and care for those
who were unhappy with the direction we were going in. We did not realise then that the
interregnum would last 5 years and it took a team of several of us to keep everything
going. I am still church warden and at our last APCM I was asked to be the parish
safeguarding officer too.
So, I have a wealth of experience at parish level but have always watched what is
happening at national level too. The two things which I am most passionate about are
safeguarding and the environment.
Safeguarding unfortunately is an area which in the past the church has made severe
mistakes. Now at least these are out in the open and there is a real desire to avoid new
ones and to recognise the pain of survivors. The more recent endeavours show a real
commitment to make the church a safe place for all. The training which I have recently
undertaken to become PSO has been of very high quality and sharing this with the PCC

and congregation will help make our church a place it should be. Safeguarding really is
Gospel work and should be part of the ministry that Christ has given all of us. An
emphasis on prevention and victim support should be constantly in our minds.
In this hot summer that we are experiencing, we are seeing the effects of climate daily. It
can seem strange that as a society we are not caring enough for the beautiful planet that
God has given to us. I am heartened that so many young people are leading the way on
this and the church must play its part both local and nationally.
The church should lead the way in demonstrating good personal relationships. My
background has given me some insight understanding various groups of people whose
needs may fall outside what is considered the mainstream. In the 1980s I did a degree in
Psychology and this was followed by a few years of working as a Psychology assistant in
the NHS, specialising in learning disability, adult mental health services and
psychological support required after neurological illness or injury. My teaching career
started in 1990 and so my psychological training has been invaluable and my hopes to
understand and meet different needs has continued. I have sponsored and lived
alongside refugees after the war began in Ukraine.
So it is important for me that Synod considers the needs of all, including neurodiversity,
the LGBTQL+ community and the recognition of same sex unions. The motions in July’s
Synod understanding the needs of people in both Israel and Palestine were moving. I am
learning and benefitting from participation in the Milton Keynes Interfaith Forum, where
listening to the experience of people from different faith traditions has helped me reflect
on my own.
Thank you for reading my statement. If I were lucky enough to be elected, I would hope to
bring my local experience to the national stage, to pray, listen and take part in shaping the
church of the future in line with God’s expectations.

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