environment,environmental,living in love and faith,pcc,prayers of love and faith,same sex,trans

Rosemary Newman
Standing in the Diocese of Oxford for the
House of Laity of General Synod

I feel called to serve on General Synod and
believe I can bring a unique range of skills and
experience to the position. I would be honoured to
receive your first preference vote.

About Me
I am 29, and have lived in Oxford for 12 years, first
as a student and latterly as a librarian in an Oxford
college. I worship at St Barnabas’ Church, Jericho,
serving as a reader and intercessor, and sit on its
PCC as well as the Oxford Deanery Synod. Music
has been an important part of my faith from the
beginning, and I sing in the St Barnabas choir and
the Cathedral Singers of Christ Church. I also play
bass guitar in a post-punk band and am a keen
Morris dancer!

I am a transgender woman, and in a committed relationship with another woman. These
aspects of my identity are not in conflict with my Christianity but rather deeply connected
with it, and are ways in which I believe the love of God to be working itself out in my life. As
far as I know, there has never been an out trans lay member of Synod, and I feel that
representation of minority groups such as trans people at the highest level of the Church’s
governance is an important step towards inclusion. At a time when transness is an ever
greater part of the public conversation, and when the business of the next quinquennium is
likely to include discussion of trans issues, it is crucial that the Church does not make
decisions about us without us.

I have always met with a warm welcome in the Church of England, and have found it a place
where I can grow in faith and in the knowledge and love of God; ritual of real beauty,
teaching of intelligence and wisdom, and above all people whose hearts are open to the
entire span of humanity. But this is not everyone's experience; for too many, the Church is a
place of disapproval, of repression, of harm. It is the task of all of us as Christians to work
toward a future where the Church truly lives out Christ's commandment to love one another
as He has loved us, and I believe General Synod can be a way for me to play a small part in
that striving.

I have worked as a librarian for several years, and am good at organising my time well and
parsing large volumes of information quickly, useful skills for reading briefing papers. I am
also good at communicating well with people of all walks of life, including the art of polite and
respectful disagreement! I have often found that I am the first trans person someone has
met, and I enjoy being a friendly and approachable representative of my community.

Issues on Synod
Inclusion

I believe firmly that including people of every conceivable kind, at every level and in every
way, is how the Church of England continues to more perfectly represent the Body of Christ.
Although the Living in Love and Faith process has ended inconclusively, there is more
important work to be done on the use of Prayers of Love and Faith, and the situation of
clergy in same-sex civil marriages, among other crucial questions. I sit on my workplace’s
EDI Committee, and am well placed to think through these issues.

The Future of the Church

The Church of England is an amazing institution that does the work of God in our country
brilliantly and is an irreplaceable part of our national character. It is also shrinking and
fracturing, as we all try to understand what God is calling us to do in these strange times. I
don’t claim to have any good answers, but as a fairly recent convert and a (relatively!) young
Christian, I bring a perspective that is sometimes lacking - how younger people, newer to
faith, feel about the Church, what they can give it, and what it can give them.

Preserving the Parish

I feel very lucky to attend my parish church, which is five minutes’ walk from my front door.
The parish system is a beautiful iteration of the way in which the Church of England is for
everyone, in every place. I believe that more emphasis should be placed on parish life and
hearing the voices and concerns of those who are keeping it running, with far too much work
and far too little money.

Care for Creation

As the climate crisis continues to ramify, the Church will have to reckon more and more with
its spiritual and practical responsibilities to the world that God has made. I believe we must
do as much as possible with the resources and authority we have to do our part for our
environment. At the same time, the Church's primary purpose is not to be an environmental
charity, and this obligation must be balanced with our roles as worshippers of God and
stewards of ancient buildings. I have followed recent debates in Synod on flower-arranging
and rewilding of churchyards with interest, and believe that I have thoughts to offer on this
important issue.

If you would like to discuss anything further, please email me on
[email protected] - I’d be delighted to hear from you!