church commissioners,dioceses,discrimination,gay,lgbti,same sex

The Very Revd Dr Mandy Ford, Dean of Bristol
It has been my privilege to represent the Deans constituency in
General Synod for the past ﬁve years. During that time I have been
actively involved in advocating for Cathedrals, in particular as a
member of the Programme Board for the Church of England
Governance Measure. I have built up good relationships with key
individuals, including the Church Commissioners and staff of the
NCI’s. I have a strong proﬁle within Synod as one of the Synod
chairs, but also because I am committed to participating and speaking regularly.
I hope that my track record will encourage you to vote for me in the General Synod
election for the next Quinquennium.
Looking forward, as a Dean of one of the smaller urban cathedrals sharing the ﬁnancial
challenges facing many of us, I am committed to ensuring that the proﬁle of cathedrals
and their importance to the life of the Church of England are recognised, strengthened
and supported ﬁnancially.
We anticipate that the Governance Measure will return to Synod during this
Quinquennium and it is vital that cathedrals are properly represented and supported by
the proposed new structures. I would do this building on my previous experience with
the Measure and its Revision Committee.
I am a passionate believer in the breadth of the Church of England and value of church
where different views can be expressed. I recognise that Cathedrals belong to the whole
of the church, their bishops and dioceses, and as such they should be places of
welcome to all. For this reason, I will continue to advocate for greater inclusion and
recognition for LGBTI+ people, and particularly LGBTI+ clergy, as the next phase of work
begins to enable stand alone blessings for gay couples and to stop discrimination
against clergy entering same sex marriages.
Please do vote for me, and please use the many opportunities that we have to meet
collegially to ensure that I know what you want to be heard in General Synod in the next
ﬁve years.
Thank you for your support.