NOMINATIONS FOR ELECTIONS 2021

CHAIRMAN

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER Elizabeth Wilson Frances Godden The Rt Rev’d Stephen Conway Statement

Elizabeth Wilson is standing as Chair of the ELS, having been invited to do so by the trustees. Elizabeth has a wide experience of the practice of ecclesiastical law. She has been a partner at Wrigleys Solicitors LLP in Yorkshire since 2009, a firm with a history of advising dioceses and Church of England Patrons. Elizabeth’s practice now includes acting for Church of England and Roman Catholic dioceses, Anglican and Roman Catholic Religious Communities, independent Churches and charitable trusts with religious purposes. Elizabeth has been a trustee of the ELS since 2016 (initially of the unincorporated charity and latterly the CIO) and has served on the standing committee since 2018. She was instrumental in the recent incorporation of the Society, having chaired the governance sub-committee. In 2018 Elizabeth initiated and continues to convene the Northern Province lecture series.

As a result of her involvement with the ELS to date, Elizabeth considers that she is well-placed, if elected, to build on the considerable progress made over the last six years, and lead the Society through the next chapter of its life as a fully-fledged CIO. She has experience of chairing a charity, having chaired Tariro UK, which under her tenure has grown from a kitchen table charity to a thriving charity supporting disadvantaged youth in Zimbabwe (run out of The Community of the Resurrection, Mirfield). If elected Chair of the ELS, Elizabeth will bring a commitment to furthering the principles of the Society, namely those of service to the Church by way of raising awareness of issues of ecclesiastical law and the provision of legal education to clergy and laity, whilst also ensuring that the Society continues to provide mutual support and encouragement as we together face the challenges of keeping the Christian faith alive in the 21st Century.

TRUSTEE

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER The Rev’d David Adamson Luke Tatam The Ven. Jane Steen Statement

I was ordained in 2018, after studying at the College of the Resurrection, and served my title at , St Hugh’s Bermondsey, and St George the Martyr, Southwark. I have just been appointed Associate Priest in the Parish of Croydon. Although I have no formal legal training, I have become very enthusiastic about ecclesiastical law, and the work of the ELS. I became a member shortly after my , and have found the lectures and online resources very formative.

My time at Mirfield embedded in me a sense of order in the life of the Church, and throughout my studies and my curacy have become more engrossed in Law as, to borrow Rowan William’s phrase, ‘practical ecclesiology.’ Prior to ordination I was an engineer at Rolls Royce, and still have a strong sense of the practical as creative and life giving, and ecclesiastical law and order has been a new and exciting outworking of this in my life. Thus, my reasons for standing would be:

• To help encourage the appreciation of the Church’s Law as a hands on, and practical way, of enabling our mission: something relevant at the ‘coal face.’ • To help propagate a sense of enthusiasm and joy in the law of the Church, and of it’s study at all levels, particularly for ordinands, , and new incumbents.

I hope you consider me as a trustee

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER The Rev’d Raymond Baudon Luke Tatam The Ven. Jane Steen Statement

I was born in Scotland to a Scottish mother and French father and I was brought up near Edinburgh. I studied for an LLB(Hons) in Scots Law at Glasgow University and graduated in 2003. I studied for my Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice at Edinburgh University before starting my traineeship in one of the big four Scottish commercial firms. In practice, I specialised in Corporate Finance, mainly doing transactional work for corporate clients. I also developed a speciality in providing legal opinions on Scottish securities for ‘foreign’ firms, mostly in the City.

At the same time, I became the chair of one of the Edinburgh festivals whilst also being heavily involved in my church, which was part of the Scottish Episcopal Church. I also volunteered as a Samaritan.

I moved to London to begin discerning my vocation to ordained ministry in the Church of England and worked in the Chaplaincy at King’s College London before going to Ripon College Cuddesdon to train for ordained ministry. I was ordained in 2018 and priest the year later. I have served my title at St John the Evangelist East Dulwich. After Easter I will take up the full-time post of Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands and Deputy Director of Vocations in the Diocese of Southwark. I will continue to exercise my priestly ministry as an Honorary Minor Canon of Southwark Cathedral. In 2019 I enrolled on the LLM in Canon Law and one of my essays, which focused on the reforms of the CDM, was published in the Ecclesiastical Law Journal last year. My dissertation will look at governance within the Church of England with a particular focus on discernment and the exercise of discretion by decision makers.

As a trustee, I would be honoured to contribute to the work of the Society and I hope to be able to offer my skills and experience as the Society continues to grow and develop. I believe that, as the Church of England grapples with many complex issues, it is crucial for the Church to hear a clear and well-respected voice presenting the legal aspects of these debates. I also value the Society’s role in providing education on ecclesiastical law matters. In my new diocesan role, I will be building relationships with theological colleges and so would hope to be able to further the educational work of the Society by, for example, encouraging theological colleges to ensure that ecclesiastical law is on the curriculum for ordinands in training.

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER The Rev’d Paul Benfield The Rev’d Christopher Smith The Rev’d Neil Patterson Statement

Barrister, Priest, Synodal Secretary of the Convocation of York, Member of General Synod, Vice-Chair of the Dioceses Commission, Member of the Legislative Committee.

I have acted as chaplain to two residential conferences of the Society, the most recent being at Windsor in 2019. Living in Burnley, I am an active supporter of the Northern lectures

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER The Rev’d Andrew Birks Norman Doe The Rev’d Stephen Coleman Statement

I was born and raised in Northumberland. After leaving sixth form I had a career in retail management. In 2001 I joined Cambridgeshire Constabulary which included response work and being a Staff Officer for the Soham Murder Investigation, which gave me my first real experience and exposure to legal preparation and court processes. I moved to The City of London Police in 2004, working again as a staff officer for the command team at Bishopsgate Police Station with responsibility for complaints, policy and performance and Court Warrants. I transferred to the Metropolitan Police Service in 2008, working in Brixton and Croydon Boroughs as well as a period working on CID investigating serious crime, including probate fraud, kidnapping, and managing the London Riots Investigation Teams. In relation to fraud, I conducted enquiries in the Caribbean and represented the service in Courts in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

Although most of my working time has been focused on criminal law, my love of ‘the law’ and legal issues would continue beyond the police! I became more aware of Ecclesiastical Law shortly after being selected for training for the Priesthood in 2011. I was licensed as a Lay Worker in 2014; ordained Deacon in December 2016 and Priest in June 2017. I completed a BA in : Mission and Ministry (Common Awards) with Durham University in 2017, and I am now studying for a Master’s Degree (LLM) Canon Law at Cardiff University, where I am in my 2nd year. If elected to become one of the Trustees for ELS, I will work hard to ensure that the role of ELS is promoted and protected at every opportunity so that all those interested in Ecclesiastical Law are brought together to learn from one another and to develop and scrutinise certain aspects of law which concern church life today. In addition, I hope that together we will be able to further the work and membership of the ELS. As a student on the Canon Law course at Cardiff, I would seek to encourage all to join the ELS where they would have access to the vast and varied support of not just it’s library but its members too; where we have the opportunity to network and develop support from one another – something I have found incredibly supportive during my own studies.

I am passionate about training of clergy and laity in matters of legality within their roles in the church today – an area which I believe will ensure that all those who hold office within the church should be prepared for in areas such as Faculty and Clergy Discipline amongst others – especially at an early stage of their ministry. Ecclesiastical Law is important to each and every person who holds a role in the church today, and I hope that as a Trustee I will be able to continue the work of the ELS in supporting all those who work within its jurisdiction, or simply have an interest in this area of law, ensuring it remains inclusive to all.

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER Lee Coley Frances Godden Frances Reynolds Statement

Lee is Registrar and Legal Advisor to the Bishop and Diocese of Leicester. He was previously the Registrar of the and Joint Registrar of the Diocese of Guildford. As a result, Lee is well-used to dealing with the day-to-day legal activities of a Church of England diocese as well as giving advice on more contentious issues to senior staff and others on such issues as clergy discipline, safeguarding and data protection. He has acted for individual clergy and parochial church councils on property and purely ecclesiastical matters.

The ELS is embarking on an exciting new chapter in its life following its incorporation. I believe passionately that the ELS needs to continue to play an important role in the life of the Church and to act as a significant voice in the changes that are coming to the Church as a result of the pandemic. Its mix of academic and theological rigour with practical understanding of the issues the Church faces means the ELS has a unique role in these conversations. If elected I would want to continue to promote this role and to seek to ensure the ELS remains relevant to the life of the Church in all it does.

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER Edward Dobson The Rev’d Stephen Coleman The Rev’d George Bush Statement

I was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 2011, where I was a Tancred Scholar (open to those who are a communicant member of the Church of England with an interest in ecclesiastical law). I undertook a common law pupillage at 5 Pump Court, taking tenancy and practising firstly in crime and then in property and licencing. In January 2020 I joined the Legal Office at Church House as a Senior Advisory Lawyer and Designated Officer under the Clergy Discipline Measure. Additionally, I act as the legal advisor to the House of Laity of General Synod. I have been a member of the ELS since my law school days. Most recently I have been part of the ELS reading group on the Canons and was a speaker on clergy discipline at the ELS training day for in London. I write the annual General Synod reports for the Journal and am a Churchwarden of a central London Parish.

There are two main reasons why I am seeking election as a Trustee. The first is a simple desire to play a role in the management of the affairs of the Society, offering up what skills I have to assist the charity. The second, perhaps more fundamental, is to help shape the future work as a trustee, in particular relating to clergy education on discipline and conduct, which in the coming years will be vital as aspect of the Society’s work.

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER David Knight The Rev’d Alexander McGregor Mark Hill Statement

My interest and experience in Ecclesiastical Law has been developed through engagement with the faculty jurisdiction and more widely with ecclesiastical jurisdiction and the care of churches. I have experienced this jurisdiction as part of the Rule Committee that produced the 2019 Faculty Jurisdiction Amendment Rules and am now part of the Dean of Arches’ working party to review how the faculty rules could support the aspiration of net-zero carbon for the Church of England by 2030. More widely I have regular engagement with the operation of the faculty system through my close working relationship with Diocesan Advisory Committee Secretaries and the advisory work of the Church Buildings Council. I am currently the Senior Church Buildings Officer in the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division, having previously served in other roles there.

An efficient and effective system of Ecclesiastical Law provides a safe and equitable place for the church to manage its business. I would bring to the Trustee body a commitment to making Ecclesiastical Law better appreciated by those who it is there to serve. I would be interested to explore how the society could increase its presence and educational role among Ecclesiastical Law users who are not legally trained and who may need particular encouragement to turn to the ELS for the guidance and training it is so well placed to provide.

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER The Rev’d Sam Maginnis The Rev’d Stephen Coleman Peter Collier Statement

I was Called to the Bar in 2009 and first worked in-house in civil and commercial litigation, then for the national competition regulator (the CMA), before leaving full-time legal practice to pursue a vocation to ministry. Having completed theological study and training at St Stephen's House I am now a second-year Pioneer in the Diocese of Chelmsford, leading the development of a community hub and worship space on the Debden housing estate on the London/Essex border. Over the past year I have also served as secretary to the ELS Working Party on the Clergy Discipline Measure chaired by HH Peter Collier QC.

I joined the ELS in 2016 to develop my awareness and understanding of ecclesiastical law with a view to utilising my legal knowledge and skills in future service of the Church. Alongside my role on the CDM Working Party, the Society's fortnightly reading group looking at the Canons of the Church of England has been a highlight of my lockdown experience and I am looking forward to discussing the law and theology of marriage at our annual conference later this month. Active involvement in the Society has given me real insight into its important role in education and training, furthering scholarship in ecclesiastical law, and providing an invaluable contribution to the most pressing debates on law and religion affecting Church and society. I also bring the practical experience of managing my community project in Debden with responsibility for developing and implementing policy, finance and sustainability, stakeholder engagement and project marketing, and legal and regulatory compliance.

I am confident that the above reflects my commitment and ability to fulfil the role of charity trustee to the benefit of the Society. It would be an honour to serve you in this way and to ensure that the management and activities of the ELS continue to further its vital aims and objectives.

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER The Rev’d Neil Patterson The Rev’d Stephen Coleman The Rev’d Stephen Trott Statement

Neil Patterson read PPE at Brasenose, Oxford, and Theology at Cuddesdon before ordination in Hereford in 2004. He has remained in the diocese since then, as an incumbent near Ross-on-Wye after curacy (where in a bit of non-ecclesiastical law he discovered how to evict sheep from a church field) and since 2015 as Director of Vocations & Ordinands. He joined the Society in about 2012 when it was suggested to him by Stephen Borton when training as a Surrogate, and has found it an interesting and sociable fellowship ever since. At about the same time he was first elected to General Synod, and has contributed to legislation including the recent Cathedrals Measure. His thesis for a BD, since published by Routledge, is a history of the interaction of discipline and law in the Church of England, and owes much to the support of the ELS, and the personal help of Norman Doe. Most recently he has joined the Canterbury Provincial Panel for the CDM, and expects to sit for the second time in a few weeks. With a responsibility for curate training and as a governor at Cuddesdon, he is keen to promote the study and better understanding of ecclesiastical law throughout the Church.

CANDIDATE PROPOSER SECONDER Augur Pearce Jon Baldwin The Rev’d Michael Hopkins Statement

I am a retired academic and non-practising solicitor. Though I have dealt frequently with charity and governance issues, I can see the Society already has recourse to sufficient expertise in those areas, so I am offering myself chiefly as someone in whose life ecclesiastical law is a dominant interest, who sees education in that field as something fascinating and worth working to support.

My biography can be summed up in decades. In the 1980s I practised ecclesiastical law, becoming a salaried partner in Lee Bolton & Lee, and in effect a Deputy Registrar before such a position was officially created. In the 1990s I studied ecclesiastical law, alongside theology, in greater depth than I could have done ‘on the job’, comparing the legal systems of other Protestant traditions (British and German) and working towards a doctoral thesis. In the 2000s I taught ecclesiastical law, on the LL.M. programme in Cardiff and on that University’s undergraduate module in Law & Religion. Then, having joined the United Reformed Church in the 2000s, my time in the 2010s was devoted to work on that denomination’s rules and structures – in particular the relationship between trustees and councils of the church, legal aspects of the union of local churches, and the ministerial disciplinary procedure.

As well as being my first full year of pensioned retirement, 2021 happens to be the year in which several long-term projects for the URC (and for a grant-making charity of which I am a director) reach fulfilment, and my time-limited term of office as a serving Elder in my local church comes to an end. This leaves me free to take on fresh commitments, and I should be glad to return to active involvement with the ELS, on whose Executive Committee I served when it was first founded. I should now be in a position to give a large proportion of my time to its work and should find it very rewarding to do so. I was a regular participant in one of the Canons reading groups run by the Society in 2020, and found that experience fascinating.

Although I should now be returning as what might be called an ‘ecumenical trustee’, I appreciate the Society’s focus on ecclesiastical law implies a focus on the life of, and rules governing, the Church of England: something with which I have no problem. The historical development of English ecclesiastical law from the 1530s to the mid-20th century is indeed one of my main subjects of study.