fresh expressions,gospel,mission,outreach,pcc,pccs,safeguarding,safeguarding officer,vacancy

Discerning God’s purpose whether as an individual or as a community of believers has been a
challenge people have been presented with since the coming of the Holy Spirit to the early Church
and across history to today and then beyond. As when you are on a journey and you pause to take
stock, to reflect on where you have been and where you might now travel, I find myself in this place.
Several significant commitments I have had are drawing to a close and I now have opportunity to
make myself available for new opportunities. I believe I may be able to make a contribution to the
continuing work of the Church through being elected to the General Synod and I am happy to test
whether this is right. If I can help in any way to spread the Gospel and bring the message of Jesus
into our world by participating in the work of the Synod, then I will do my best to listen, to learn and
to discern God’s way forward in what are challenging times for the Church and for the world.

Personal Background
Born into a family where faith was central to life, I made my own commitment as a youngster and
like many have had times of challenge and testing. After graduating from London University, I began
my teaching career – initially at a Church of England secondary school in Weymouth and then
elsewhere. My career included senior management and advisory work, yet it was for me very clearly
a vocation and a place where I had opportunity for spiritual support of colleagues and students as
well as at times challenging the morality and ethics of practice. Amongst other things I became a
child protection specialist and trainer – and this extended into work in the diocese. My wife and I
have three sons, each married, and we have five grandchildren. We belong to a very active,
outward-looking church and we are both involved with leading worship and church outreach. We
love our community here in Dorset and are well-aware of the world beyond, for example, when the
Iron Curtain came down, we were part of one of the first groups to get into Romania to provide aid
and support, with a mission that grew and adapted as circumstances changed, a mission that saw
us form relationships that have lasted for years and from which both sides of the partnership have
benefited. Active mission work continues today through our church, with several mission partners,
both global and within the UK.

Church responsibilities
As a student I was invited onto the PCC of my local Anglican church in Hounslow and ever since
then have served on PCCs and DCCs, with occasional breaks. I have been on the local Deanery
Synod. I was Safeguarding Officer for the whole of the parish, developing and maintaining
safeguarding good practice. I was chairman of the DCC for several iterations and until this year I
was Churchwarden at St Aldhelm’s, Radipole, serving 6 years which included an 18-month vacancy
where I had responsibility for leading the church. I have preached and lead services for many years,
been involved with a fresh expressions development which has seen the growth of a third
congregation at the church and encouraged many more families with children as well as the more
marginalised. I am also a Foundation Governor, and chair of governors, at our deanery school.

I am making this application to be a member of the General Synod supported by both clergy and lay
members of our parish and Deanery Synod. If elected I would do my very best to serve with integrity
and seek to bring my prior experience in church, education, management and a broad world view to
bear when considering matters before the synod. I believe this could be an exciting and valuable
work with which to be involved, particularly with internal and external pressures for the church
witnessing to Christ in the current national and international context.

Richard Sloan
02.09.26