New members are being elected to General Synod this year – and you are invited to stand as a candidate.
General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England. It shapes and approves laws that affect the whole of the Church of England. It agrees new forms of worship, debates matters of national and international importance, and approves the annual budget for the work of the Church at national level.
In Autumn 2026, elections are happening for new General Synod members. Those elected will serve for five years. Members are a mixture of bishops, clergy and lay people.
Joining General Synod is a fantastic opportunity to represent the concerns of your community and your diocese at a national level.
They are looking for candidates who represent the whole range of people and churches in the Church of England, and particularly welcome people whose background may currently be underrepresented.
There is a supportive induction programme to help new members in their roles.
If you are interested in standing for election, please use the eligibility checker cofe.io/StandForSynod as a guide and then contact Andy Brockbank, Director of Operations and Governance at the Diocese of Leicester on Andy.Brockbank@LeicesterCofE.org for more information and to confirm your eligibility.
You will need to fill out a nomination using the online portal (paper forms will be available for those who need them). You can request a code for the portal from Andy Brockbank at the email address given above.
If you are standing as a lay member, you need two people who are lay members of a Deanery Synod to nominate you.
If you are clergy, you need two other clergy to nominate you.
Nominations open on 14 August and close on 7 September.
- More information about the Synod elections will be available on our diocesan website very soon.
Find out more about Standing for Synod on the Church of England website.