Eleanor Motion and Alfie Rendell from Bath and Wells were among a group of young people who travelled to York to speak to synod members. Addressing synod Eleanor spoke about the impact of Movement on young people in our diocese and shared her own experience,"I realise how important it is that young people are given space to belong, grow and worship, not just serve. It's encouraging to see the church beginning to invest more intentionally in young people and young leaders."
Alfie joined the panel of a fringe meeting discussing the recent report from the BibleSociety, 'The Quiet Revival' which talks about Gen Z leading a turnaround in church attendance. He spoke about why it's important to listen to young people."So many young people are passionate about the Church of England. Many young people have got no stability in life and the Church offers them something that is stable. We don’t want a Church that changes its morality. We want something concrete."
In February 2025 General Synod voted to strengthen the role of young adults in shaping the Church’s future, passing a motion to embed their voices more systematically in national decision-making.
The motion, brought by The National Society for Education, outlined plans to establish a group of up to 200 young adults (ages 18-25) from across all dioceses, who it is hoped will contribute directly to Synod’s discussions through surveys, reports, and presentations. Up to five representatives from the group will attend each Synod session, ensuring that young adults’ perspectives are heard in a structured and sustained way. The initiative also seeks to encourage more young adults to stand for election to Synod in the future.