Standing for election to the General Synod of the Church of England in 2026

Key facts and dates in brief:

• General Synod is the Church of England’s ‘Parliament’, and meetings usually cover approximately ten days (encompassing both weekdays and weekends) each year, in two or three blocks. Each block is known as a ‘Group of Sessions’. Expenses can be reclaimed.
• Nominations open on Friday, 14^th August and close on Monday, 7^th September 2026. You will also need to produce a written election address (up to two sides of A4), so that candidates will know whom to vote for, by the same date. (In the past, the closing date has varied somewhat by Diocese; but this year it has been standardised across all Dioceses.)
• The election will be conducted online closing on Tuesday, 13^th October, with results announced the following week.

The Church of England has produced its own guide to standing for General Synod here.

If I am elected to the General Synod, what will the time commitment be? Will I be out of pocket?

The General Synod normally meets for four or five days in London in February, five days (spanning a weekend) at the University of York in July, and very occasionally two additional days in London in November. Every Group of Sessions is accompanied by a large bundle of papers (now distributed electronically). Between Groups of Sessions, much additional work is done in committees; membership of these is voluntary.

The Synod has recently made provision for remote attendance for those prevented from attending by illness, disability, or other reasons. It is, of course, inevitable that some members will on occasion be absent because of urgent work, family or other commitments (and no register of attendance is taken). The proceedings of the General Synod are broadcast online via the Church of England’s YouTube channel and are available for anyone to view (both live and retrospectively).

Accommodation and meals in York are laid on and paid for, but you will need to arrange and pay upfront for your own accommodation and meals in London, as well as your travel costs: these can then be reclaimed, up to a specified maximum. So long as you remain within the expense limits, you should not be out of pocket.

In addition, it is possible to claim for loss of earnings up to a current maximum of £220 per day—although employers are under no obligation to give additional leave, paid or unpaid, for attendance at General Synod meetings.

Am I eligible to stand?

For lay (non-ordained) candidates:

Any lay (non-ordained) person is eligible to stand for the House of Laity, provided that he/she is an actual Communicant of the Church of England, and that is on a church Electoral Roll*.

* To be an ‘actual Communicant’, he/she must have received Communion according to the use of the Church of England (or a Church in communion with it) at least three times in the preceding twelve months.

** Including the electoral roll of a Parish, a Guild Church in the Diocese of London, or a Chaplaincy in the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe; or the Community Roll of a Cathedral.

The Church of England website has an online eligibility checker at the bottom of its General Synod Elections page.

Contrary to popular misapprehension, you do NOT have to be a member of a Diocesan or Deanery Synod, or even of your PCC, to stand for the General Synod (although, if elected, you will automatically become an ex officio member of all these bodies).

For clergy candidates:

Any ordained priest or deacon in the Church of England is eligible to stand for the House of Clergy for his/her Diocese if he/she is beneficed or licensed, or holds Permission to Officiate (PTO) within that Diocese. Assistant bishops are not eligible to stand for the House of Clergy.

Separate rules apply for clergy who choose to be Electors in certain non-geographical constituencies, namely Cathedral Deans, Universities and Theological Education Institutions, Religious Communities and clergy serving in the Armed Forces.

How do I get nominated?

For the House of Laity, you will need to find two lay Deanery Synod members to propose and second you. (Deanery Synod members are elected by triennially by Parishes at their Annual Parish Church Meetings.) Your proposer and seconder do not have to be from within your own Parish or Deanery; but can be from any Deanery (or Deaneries) in your Diocese.

For the House of Clergy, you will need to be proposed and seconded by any two Diocesan clergy electors—i.e. licensed or beneficed clergy, or clergy with PTO who are members of a Deanery Synod—in the same Diocese.

The nomination process is now carried out online, and involves nominating yourself via a special portal, including providing details of your proposer and seconder. If you yourself are a Deanery Synod member, you will automatically receive notification from the Diocese, with a personalised link to the portal. If you are not currently a Deanery Synod member, you will need to e-mail the appropriate Diocesan contact to request access to the portal. Details of who this is should be on your Diocesan website: if you are unable to find the relevant information, please contact help@savetheparish.com for assistance.

It can be hard for those—especially the laity—who have not previously been involved with Deanery and Diocesan structures to know whom to ask (especially since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) makes it impossible to share lists of names and contact details with those who have not yet been nominated). Your own Parish or Benefice should have its own representatives on the Deanery Synod (assuming the places have been filled), so make contact with them first. STP will also be gathering details of supporters who are Deanery Synod candidates, who would be willing to nominate STP candidates. Your potential proposer and seconder may want to have a conversation with you about where you stand on various issues facing the Church before agreeing to nominate you.

Who is entitled to vote in the election, and how is it conducted?

Elections are carried out by Diocese, and the electorate consists of members of Deanery Synods (lay or clergy as applicable), acting together as an electoral college across the whole Diocese. Each Diocese elects a number of General Synod members proportional to its size; elections are carried out online (with postal provision for any electors who may not have access to the internet) by Single Transferrable Vote (STV). STV is designed to produce a spread of opinion amongst those elected.

But nobody knows me! How will they know to vote for me?

It is important to remember that even those candidates who have been members of their Deanery Synod for years will probably only be known within their own Deanery. Most of the candidates will always be unknown to most of the electorate.

They key to deciding how to vote is the election address supplied by candidates. You will need to upload this online via the nominations portal, by the close of nominations.

Dioceses will require manifestos to cover up to two sides of A4; but apart from that, it is entirely up to the candidate what to include. Save the Parish will be able to supply you with some sample election addresses from successful candidates last time around, to help you think about what you might want to say.

You are encouraged to include your contact details, in case electors want to get in touch with you, as well as a warm, smiling photograph: you want to make the voters like you!

In addition, some Dioceses will be running online videos, online question-and-answer sessions, or other opportunities for candidates to present themselves to the electorate. Your Diocesan Presiding Officer should give you details of these when your nomination is accepted, and you are encouraged to take advantage of them.

Can I canvass electors directly?

Yes—and it is a good idea to do so! Once you have been validly nominated, your Diocesan Presiding Officer will, on request, provide you with a list of the names and e-mail addresses You are encouraged to e-mail e-electors, if possible addressing them individually by name.

Whom can I contact for further advice?

For queries relating to the conduct of the election in your Diocese, the appropriate contact details should be on your Diocesan website, and also on the confirmation e-mail you will receive when your nomination is submitted.

For advice and information from Save the Parish, please contact help@savetheparish.com