philip alvert

GENERAL SYNOD ELECTION ADDRESS

PHILIP CALVERT

Biography: I was born in 1962 and grew up in a mining village outside

Barnsley in God’s own county of Yorkshire. I have been married to Tracey

for 36 years and we have 2 grown-up daughters. We have 5 cats and 3

chickens (and no, the two do not mix, as cats soon learn that chickens peck

first and ask questions later!)

Prior to being ordained deacon in 2002 I worked in the tyre industry in

Barnsley for several years. I trained at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, from

2000 to 2002 and served my title in the diocese of Coventry before moving

to my present post as parish priest of St Mark’s, Kingstanding in 2006.

In my spare time (when not being sat on by one of the cats) I enjoy Nordic

walking, reading (anything - I am presently working my way through the

novels of Nancy Mitford), gardening and knitting (which I taught myself -

with a great deal of help from my wife during lockdown last year). I am a

big F1 fan and recently had the chance to drive a Ferrari around the Silver-

stone Grand Prix circuit—a lifetime’s ambition fulfilled.

The importance of the parish system in the life of the Church:

“May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out

and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like

sheep without a shepherd.” - Book of Numbers 27:16-17. NIV.

With fifteen years’ experience of ministry in a poor, urban parish on the outskirts of a large, multicultural city I

believe I have much to offer in helping the Church to address the issues it faces at this time.

There is an existential threat to the parish-system in which clergy and the people we serve have invested a great

deal over many years, both from outside the Church in an increasing secular society and from within due to the

desire to micro-manage from above every detail of what goes on in our parishes. The Anglo-catholic movement,

of which I am a part, made it’s name in parish ministry through dedicated clergy serving in hard-up parishes. Our

missionary focus has it’s foundation in the Sacraments and the centrality of worship in the life of the Church, and

on integrating the Church into the life of the wider community. The parish is the base-unit of the church, it’s

voice needs to be heard, our people listened to and valued and their clergy supported if we are to have confi-

dence in taking Christ’s Gospel beyond the walls of our churches and into our communities . There is a worrying

focus on ‘success’ and ‘failure’ in the business-model style of management increasingly being adopted in the

Church, which is diametrically opposed to what Jesus did. He was out in the community ministering to the needs

of the people. He called us as priests to be faithful, not to be ‘successful’ . In a fragmented community such as the

one in which I serve, gentle, long-term ministry is needed to gain the trust of the people not short term

‘initiatives’. Do they want their child baptised in your church? Do they ask for you to conduct their loved one’s

funeral? Do they knock on the door of the vicarage and ask for the vicar when they are in need? These are the

measures of success, not numbers on a balance-sheet. There is a God-shaped hole at the heart of these commu-

nities which parish churches and faithful, dedicated clergy are called to fill by bringing people to a knowledge and

love of Christ.

On a walking holiday in the Outer Hebrides in February of

2019.

What issues are important to me?

• Defending the doctrines of the Church - The

absolute duty of confidentiality with regard to

what is disclosed in sacramental confession.

We have no right to alter the sacraments which

belong to the whole Church.

• The importance of those who minister in the

Church of England to have been ordained by a

bishop (there are proposals to allow Methodist

ministers who have not been Episcopally

ordained to be appointed as priests).

• The traditional model of marriage as defined in

the Book of Common Prayer and the canons, as

the union of one man with one woman for life.

• Whilst much good and important work has

been done in online worship during the pan-

demic, the traditional model of face-to-face

worship and the administration of the

Sacraments must continue to be the norm. This

means keeping our churches open.

• Eliminating racism in the Church and in society.

• Balancing the simplification agenda with the

rights and privileges of parishoners and clergy.

The increasingly top-down, bureaucratic style

in which the Church is administered risks

alientating the people and bypasses the

clergy who faithfully serve them.

I served as Area Dean of Handsworth from May

2014 to July 20129 and as co-Area Dean of the

newly united deanery of Handsworth and Central

Deanery from August 2019 to March 2020. Many

of my fellow clergy will know me through these

roles. I wholeheartedly support the Five Guiding

Principles and the need for mutual flourishing

which they support. I do my best to treat all those

alongside whom I serve the Church with respect

and courtesy and I hope to be able to serve this

diocese of Birmingham on General Synod with

your support.

Please consider giving me your first preference

vote.

Conducting my daughter’s wedding in October of 2018.