ai,assisted dying,burnout,environmental,justice,liturgical,liturgy,pcc,racial justice,traditional

Phillip John Attwood.
Nominations for General Synod of the Church of England.
Election Address. 04.09.2026.
My name is Phillip Attwood, and I currently serve as an LLM in the parish of Holy Epiphany in Bournemouth Deanery, Diocese of Winchester. I am an ex-officio member of the PCC and am also a member of two Diocesan committees, Racial Justice, and the Environmental group.
I have served as an LLM for several years; first in the Diocese of Wakefield in the late 1980s and latterly in Winchester Diocese. I was for a time, an LLM at St. Mark’s, Pennington in Lyndhurst Deanery.
I have been a member of the Church of England, since my arrival in Britain from Zimbabwe as a young man of twenty-four in the late 1970’s. As I began to find my way in a new and strange country, I was thankful to find the home offered to me within the Church of England; I loved the liturgical rhythm of the services and the quietness of Evensong.
Over the years, in all the varied experiences that make up our common lives, I have continued to be nurtured and nourished by the liturgy and rhythms of the Church’s regular services; it now feels a real privilege to pass on in a small way some of that love and nourishment to those who come to me for spiritual direction.
I have been privileged to have experienced living and working alongside Church of Uganda clergy and other church leaders. These experiences over past years have given me, I believe, a deeper compassion and insight into all that makes us human which I might otherwise not have had. In January 2025, I had the honour of being installed, by the Diocesan Bishop, along with ten other Church of Uganda members, as a Lay Canon in the new Diocese of Northwest Ankole.
I do feel I could serve at a national level and contribute to the life of the wider church. My varied cultural background, my work, first as a teacher, and then as a relationship therapist, have enhanced my ability to listen and empathise at a deeper level.
I am very aware that the church today faces complex issues not least in leadership burnout and shifts in modern societal values which all create tension with traditional beliefs and practices. There will, undoubtedly, continue to be ongoing debates about AI, assisted dying, and very probably issues of transgender rights.
There will, increasingly be the need to foster and encourage growth of churches where all shapes and sizes feel welcomed and have a sense of belonging. Having spent my formative years in a racially divided society, I identify closely with the Old Testament prophets in their call to take care of the alien and marginalised.
All the issues cited above will need to be faced with courage, compassion, humility, and grace together as the Body of Christ. I will need to constantly learn to pray reflectively, to listen deeply without judgement and grace in abundance.
It is with a spirit of humility that I offer myself for election to the General Synod for a period of five years, promising to uphold the laws of the Church of England and seeking by every means to help build up and strengthen the life of the Body of Christ.
P J Attwood. Sunday, 06 September 2026