Revd Canon Catherine Grylls !Candidate for General Synod 2015

House of Clergy !Background I was born in Yorkshire, brought up from the age of seven in rural Hampshire and came to Birmingham in 1992 to train as a secondary school teacher. I taught for four years in Bordesley Green and in Handsworth before three years of residential ordination training. During that training I spent a term at the College of the Transfiguration in South Africa and some time in Malawi. I was ordained fifteen years ago. I am married to Richard, also an ordained Anglican, who leads the multi-faith chaplaincy team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. We have two school-aged children. !In the next five years I would hope to be part of a General Synod which… • makes the most of the privilege of the Church of England to have a voice in the public arena

and maintains and strengthens the outward looking face of the Church of England. • encourages recognition of and development of leadership and ministry amongst lay people, as

well as growing vocations to ordained ministry, particularly amongst members of Black and Minority Ethnic communities, and young people.

• is affirming of partnerships with other churches, for the sake of the gospel and for the good of communities, and seeks to move forward the Anglican-Methodist Covenant.

• serves a growing and courageous church which is faithful to Christ and characterised by diversity, participation and welcome.

• acts and speaks out strongly on environmental issues, leading the church in living well with creation and working with others, of faith and no faith, in making a difference.

• demonstrates the priority of the poor by, amongst other things, honouring the commitment to prioritise resources towards ‘greatest need’ as well as towards ‘greatest opportunity’.

• treasures the diversity of expression of church locally within the Church of England as well as the diversity of the Anglican Communion.

• honours graciously the Five Guiding Principles agreed by the House of Bishops. • struggles honestly and humbly, but not hesitantly, with following up the work of the Pilling

Report • affirms developments in liturgy which value the old and welcome the new, as well as welcoming

expressions of Anglicanism that new arrivals to our communities bring from overseas. • is mindful at all times of all ages and all social contexts, listening for the quiet voices and

seeking reflectively to discern the heart of God’s will for the church and for all of creation.

In the past five years as a member of General Synod I have… • supported and encouraged the move to include more prayer, Bible study and small group

working within Synod. • communicated regularly about the work of General Synod with clergy electors within the

Diocese. • worked with others to bring a motion on Climate Change through from local PCCs to Diocesan

and then General Synod, responding to a movement within local churches across the Diocese • spoken in debates on Presence and Engagement, Chaplaincy and Climate Change • tabled questions on behalf of colleagues within the Diocese • been diligent in my attendance throughout Synod sessions • attended and supported fringe meetings, particularly those hosted by Christian Aid and by CMEAC • participated in the Regional Shared Conversations on Scripture, Mission and Human Sexuality • learned how Synod works!

ptoProposed by Revd Adrian Leahy Seconded by Revd Nigel Traynor

Appointments held since Ordination • Assistant Curate of St Peter Hall Green 2000 -2004 • In 2004 I became Priest-in-Charge of St Mary & St Ambrose Edgbaston and St Paul Balsall

Heath, leading the two parishes into a United Benefice of which I became incumbent in 2008. Last year we formed a Single Congregation Local Ecumenical Partnership with our URC partners in St Paul’s parish, after sharing a building for 34 years. We have a strong presence in the local neighbourhoods. The congregations of the two parish churches are majority black and lay leadership and ministry continues to be recognised and to grow.

• A training incumbent almost continually since 2006, with both SSM and stipendiary curates. • Area Dean of Moseley since January 2014. Moseley is a diverse deanery which stretches from

the Worcestershire countryside into the city centre ring road. • Member of General Synod 2010 - 2015 • Hon Canon of Birmingham Cathedral since April 2015 !

If elected I would continue to seek to serve prayerfully and diligently. I would continue to seek to enable ongoing consultation between the 3 members of the House of Clergy and the clergy electors of this Diocese over the whole 5 year term of Synod. I can be contacted by phone on 0121 440 2196 and via e-mail at gryllsc@btinternet.com