Much has been made in recent years of the role of 'orthodoxy' or 'conservatism' within church institutions and their accompanying doctrines, often accompanied by suggestions that to move from such a position is to derail ethics and betray the fundamentals of faith. Little attention has been paid, however, to the complexity, and power dynamics, inherent in any choice about what - and why - to conserve. Discerning the centralities and peripherals of a faith is not a neutral act, and yet simplistic narratives of 'conservatism' have been utilised to silence dissent and associated authentic development of doctrine. Using the Anglican Communion as an example, and particularly the entangled notions of 'human dignity', sin, and ecclesial belonging, this paper seeks to identify the dynamics of discernment and highlights the conscious and unconscious processes and decisions that might lead to a plethora of different 'conservative' outcomes.