General Synod Elections
New members are being elected to General Synod this year – and you are invited to stand as a candidate.
Members help shape the direction of the Church of England. General Synod is a fantastic opportunity to represent the concerns of your community and your diocese at a national level. Almost anyone who attends church regularly is likely to be eligible to stand as a ‘lay member.’
If you would like to stand, use the online eligibility checker as a guide, and then contact your diocese for more information and to confirm your eligibility.
2026-2031 Quinquennium
An informal notification and timetable on the forthcoming General Synod Elections for clergy and laity have been emailed today on behalf of Gary Peverley, the Diocesan Secretary, to all clergy, Deanery Synod Secretaries, Rural/Area Deans, Deanery Lay Chairs, and PCC Secretaries. The notification outlines the rules and arrangements for the process including qualification of electors, restrictions on voting and candidacy, and the nomination process. If you have not received a copy of this notification and you are in a role listed above, please email diocesan.secretary@cofesuffolk.org for help. Please also use this email if you would like any further information on these elections.
Please note that anyone who attends church regularly is likely to be eligible to stand as a lay member. You do not need to be a member of a PCC, deanery synod, or diocesan synod, and the diocese welcomes people from all backgrounds.
Timetable
| Tuesday 14 July | Diocesan electoral registration officer gives the names and addresses of electors to the secretary of each deanery synod |
| Wednesday 29 July | Presiding officer sends initial letter to each elector |
| Friday 14 August |
Nomination period starts (must not be less than 28 days) Invitations to nominate issued |
| Monday 7 September |
Close of nominations Deadline for receipt of election addresses |
| Monday 21 September |
Voting Period starts (must not be less than 21 days) Invitations to vote issued |
| Monday 12 October | Voting period for voting by paper closes |
| Tuesday 13 October | Voting period for voting by using election portal closes |
| Wednesday 14 October | Count begins (lasts three days) |
| Monday 19 October | Declaration of result and preparation of result sheet |
Further Information
General Synod Information Leaflet | PDF
Hustings Rules | PDF
Guidance for Candidates not on the Electorate | DOCX
Invitation to Nominate | DOCX
Accompanying Information for Nomination | DOCX
Nomination Paper House of Laity | DOCX
Nomination Paper House of Clergy | DOCX
Current representatives:
House of Clergy representatives:
- The Revd Canon Andrew Dotchin
- The Revd Ali Miller
- The Revd Sally Gaze
House of Laity representatives:
- Tony Allwood
- Jeanette Appleton
- Andrew Gray
Synod reports
General Synod Report July 2025 | PDF
General Synod Report July 2023 | General Synod Report February 2023 | PDF
General Synod Report February 2022 | PDF | General Synod Report July 2022 | PDF
General Synod Report November 2021 | General Synod Report July 2021 | General Synod Report April 2021 | General Synod Report February 2021 | PDF
General Synod Report November 2020 | General Synod Report July 2020 | PDF
Further information
General Synod Elections 2021 | The Church of England | weblink
General Synod is the legislative body of the Church of England, it agrees the national budget for the Church of England and debates a wide range of public and social issues from the perspective of a faith organisation.
Becoming a General Synod representative is an opportunity to represent the concerns of your community and your diocese at a national level. It is a time to pray together, think together and make decisions about the future of the Church of England together. It is an opportunity for you to raise issues and contribute to debates on the life of the church regarding topics such as poverty, education and climate change.
This is a voluntary role although your expenses are paid for by the diocese, and you will need to be happy using email and reading the considerable amount of documentation involved in the General Synod meetings. As part of the role you are also offered the opportunity to report back on proceedings at our Diocesan Synod.
Each diocese is allocated a number of seats in the Houses of Clergy and Laity, our diocese is entitled to three clergy and three lay representatives, each elected for five years. All beneficed, licensed and PTO clergy are eligible to stand for election, while to be elected to the House of Laity, a person must be a communicant member of the Church of England, at least 18 years old and have their name on the church electoral roll in a parish in the diocese. All clergy in a diocese (other than PTO, unless they are on deanery synod) may vote for clergy candidates. Lay members of deanery synods may vote for lay candidates.
In addition, the amended House of Clergy and House of Laity Election Rules have now been published here:Elections to Synod | The Church of England.
The General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England, commonly referred to as the Church’s Parliament. It considers and approves legislation affecting the whole of the Church of England, authorises new forms of worship, debates matters of religious and public interest, and approves the annual budget for the work of the Church at national level.
It came into being in 1970 under the Synodical Government Measure 1969, replacing an earlier body known as the Church Assembly.
Further information can be found at: www.churchofengland.org.
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