The Church needs more working-class leaders

Fr Alex Frost left school at 15 and enjoyed a successful career in retail. But when he wanted to retrain as a CofE priest, his lack of academic qualifications was a huge problem. Now, he campaigning to get that changed

I have never received a standing ovation before.

I didn’t expect that my first one would come at the Church of England General Synod. But that is exactly what happened after I addressed the gathered archbishops, bishops, clergy and laity in London recently, on the subject of working-class priests.

I’d like to think it wasn’t just light relief, wedged in between the sobering debates about safeguarding on one side and dry discussions on church processes on the other. Maybe – hopefully - I had struck a chord about how and who we recruit to work in our churches.