Alicia Sandham: “Putting It Into the Context of Algoma”

Alicia Sandham, a congregant at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Thunder Bay and a representative of the Thunder Bay–North Shore Deanery, is one of the Diocese of Algoma’s youngest General Synod delegates at age 27. While not officially a youth delegate, Alicia has been warmly embraced into the fellowship and opportunities offered to youth participants at Synod 2025—including a treasured opportunity for one-on-one conversations with the nominees for Primate.

This is Alicia’s first General Synod, and she describes it as nothing short of “mind-blowing.” “I’ve never been to something this big before,” she said. “The biggest thing I’ve attended was Provincial Synod—and that was just Ontario. Being here has made me realize just how diverse Canada really is, coast to coast to coast.”

What’s stood out to her most is the tone of the conversations. “If I disagree with someone at my table, nobody’s aggressive about it. We talk. And that’s a really positive thing.” The respectful, Spirit-filled dialogue taking place among delegates has left a strong impression on her.

When asked about her top highlights so far, Alicia names Bishop Michael Curry’s sermon at the opening worship service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. “Without a pulpit to hold him down,” she said, “he put his whole heart, mind, soul, and body into his sermon.” It was an electrifying moment that reminded many in the congregation of the power of passionate preaching rooted in love and justice.

Alicia also deeply appreciated the youth delegates’ time with the nominees for Primate. “We asked them what they do for fun, and the answers were amazing,” she recalled. “There are video gamers, Star Trekkers, guitar players, and Lord of the Rings fans. They’re all very cool people, and the vote is going to be extremely challenging. Any one of them would bring something unique to the Church.”

Looking ahead, Alicia is already thinking about how to bring her experiences back home to the Diocese of Algoma—and especially how to interpret what’s happening nationally through a local, Algoma-specific lens. “I’m hoping that when actionable motions are brought forward, they’ll be thought through in a way that makes them adaptable to all kinds of parishes.”

One of Alicia’s hopes is that the Algoma delegation will be able to collaborate on how to contextualize key decisions and ideas. “We’ve got a lot of rural churches, multi-point parishes, and communities that feel disconnected. That’s not unique to Algoma, but we see it in particular ways. My hope is that what we bring back from Synod will be translated into something real and workable for us.”

While she’s fully engaged in the complexity of church governance, Alicia hasn’t lost sight of the joy that comes with simply being part of something bigger. “It’ll be fun to go home and share the news—especially about the election of our new Primate. Honestly, all the nominees are cool, so no matter who it is, it’ll be exciting.”

For Alicia Sandham, General Synod has offered a crash course in national church life, a space for intergenerational friendship and formation, and a moment of hope. “There’s something really powerful about being in a space where people are listening, learning, and thinking deeply about the future of the Church,” she said. “It’s been a gift to be part of that.”