Stand for Synod 2026: Information for General Synod elections
New clergy and lay members will be elected for General Synod this year, with nominations open between 14th August and 7th September. Those elected will serve as General Synod members for the next five years.
General Synod members have the opportunity to represent their community and diocese on a national level and have a say in legislation that affects the whole Church of England. They attend the twice-annual General Synod meetings in person or online, with travel and accommodation expenses covered.
To find out if you’re eligible, use the Church of England’s online eligibility checker. You are likely to be eligible if you regularly attend a church in this diocese, and you do not need to be a member of a PCC, deanery synod or diocesan synod in order to qualify.
For more information, read the Church of England’s FAQs.
2026 LAY MEMBER NOMINATIONS
If you are eligible to stand as a lay member, you will need two people who are members of a Deanery Synod (‘electors’) to nominate you. Clergy need to be nominated by two other clergy. Nomination forms will be sent to Deanery Synod members on 14th August.
Anyone who wishes to stand as a lay member, but is not qualified to vote, may download a nomination form and further guidance here:
Alternatively, if you would like a hard copy of the nomination form, you may request one from the Presiding Officer, Mrs Amanda Redgate. Her contact details are: Jubilee House, Westgate, Southwell Nottinghamshire NG25 0JH or amanda.redgate@southwell.anglican.org.
Candidates are invited to supply an election address, equivalent to not more than two sides of one sheet of A4 paper, which will be made available to all the electors when invitations to vote are issued. A candidate who wishes to submit an election address must ensure that it reaches the Presiding Officer by Monday 7th September.
The election address should describe why you think you should be elected. It will be reproduced and published in the election portal as well as on the diocesan website. The Presiding Officer reserves the right to remove parts of or require changes to an election address that they judge to be defamatory or otherwise unlawful. Further information on election addresses and other electoral material can be found here.
If you do not submit an election address, the words “Election Address Not Provided” will be displayed together with your other details on the online voting site.
The closing date for nominations and the submission of election addresses is Monday 7th September at 5pm.
The voting period will then take place from 21st September to 13th October.
Hustings will be held online to allow the candidates to engage with the electorate should they choose to do so. They will be held on Monday 28th September and further details will be issued to the candidates and the electors shortly.
