evangelical,finances,inclusive,inclusive church,llf,pcc,self supporting,sunday school,young adults,youth

Pip Collins White
Member of St Mary’s Church, Portsea,
previously Co-Opted Young Adult in General Synod

Proposed By:
Lucy Docherty,
previous General Synod Member
Seconded By:
Eugene Organ,
St Mary’s Portsea’s Deanery Synod Rep

Who Am I?
I am a lifelong member of St Mary’s Church, Portsea: I attended our Sunday School, served
during worship and have starred in many of our pantomimes. I care deeply about the community,
both the people who attend church on a Sunday and the wider area, including pockets of high
deprivation and vulnerability, which benefits from the church’s cultural and charitable engagement
with the community.
I have the right skillset for, and an interest in, understanding public policy. I have started an MA
course in Politics, Governance and Public Policy. This was inspired by the placement year I
completed working for the House of Commons’ cross-party Culture, Media and Sport
Committee. During this time, I learnt how to evaluate national policies, weighing up the validity of
arguments made and considering the opportunities and costs they proposed to the public good.
Since it began two years ago, I have been involved with the Young Voices scheme in General
Synod. The programme has held monthly meetings, some of which I’ve co-chaired, to inform and
engage young adults aged 18-25 with the work of General Synod. As part of this programme, I
have been a co-opted member of General Synod for the past two groups of sessions and
spoke during February’s session in London. Additionally, I have sat, as a co-opted member, on
Diocesan Synod. I am aware of the challenges and opportunities the Diocese faces.
While studying at university, I have been heavily involved in a medium-sized parish church, which
attracts around 30 congregants each week. In a church mostly attended by people aged 70+ and
led by a self-supporting minister, I am aware of the increasing burden placed on volunteers to
help churches worship and engage in the wider community. I help out most Sundays – so much
so that I’ve twice been asked whether I’m a new priest!
Not many people want to stand for General Synod when they are 22. That’s partly because we
are not given the encouragement to do so; I am keen to empower young voices in General
Synod. I have an inclusive set of beliefs, but I wish to engage in constructive conversations
across the church instead of sticking to factional lines. Having worshipped in a small parish
church at university, I am aware of the pressures that face congregations mainly supported by
volunteers. Finally, as a lifelong member of St Mary’s Portsea, I care deeply about my local
community and Diocese. I believe I could effectively represent us: I have experience on
General and Diocesan Synod and my work in the House of Commons and an MA course in
Public Policy will allow me to effectively evaluate and improve national policies.

I also sit on the PCC and the Joint Committee with the evangelical church we share the building
with. Additionally, I will soon be the new chair of a charity that runs a Christian residential
community. Good governance is important to me; I want to make sure that our church remains
ambitious and our work effective, without overstretching our finances, staff or volunteers.
What do I care about?
While my theology and politics bend towards an inclusive church, I reject the factionalism
which has overcome Synod over the last two quinquennia. During my placement year in London, I
lived in a Christian community. I witnessed how a true diversity of perspectives, from different
religious traditions, political beliefs and upbringings; could co-exist in one space. I believe a more
inclusive church can be reached through open-minded conversation that seeks to greater
understand one another’s positions and our relationship to God. As I said in my speech to General
Synod, at the end of February’s concluding debate on LLF:
‘I do have hope that, in the future, our Church will no longer feel the pain of this faultline. I
hope that, soon, we can be fully united as one Body of Christ.’
To be frank, I am more interested in some of the less prominent but just as important issues that
the national church faces. During my work on the CMS Committee’s Protecting built heritage
inquiry, I heard about the increasing challenges of looking after the fabric of our historic
churches: the difficulties of accessing funding and the shortage of skilled craftspeople. I am
eager to make sure that the Church of England provides churches, particularly smaller, rural
parishes, with more support to protect and promote these historic assets.
I also know the challenges churches face around volunteers. There is a tension between the
decreasing sizes of congregations and an increasing demand to be self-sufficient. If elected, I will
keep the experience of volunteers at the front of my mind, making sure that General Synod’s
decisions are workable not just for big parishes with plenty of clergy, but also smaller churches
facing administrative challenges.
Contact:
I would be happy to talk to you further about my
positions and answer any questions that you have
about my candidacy. Please contact me at
[email protected]
or 07341 335 781.
I believe in empowering young voices in the national church. If you weren’t planning
on voting for me generally, please consider giving me your second preference vote to increase
the representation of young voices in General Synod. Despite around 35% of the wider
population being under 30, only 3% of elected members in the last quinquennia begun their
term under 30.
On a recent trip to the Anglican Church in Canada, I learnt about the provincial and national
work they do to empower young voices. I am determined to develop General Synod’s
model of youth representation to allow for greater and more meaningful contributions
from young adults.