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. Together with the Westminster Parliament, General Synod is the only body in the land which is entitled to make national law for England.

The General Synod has three Houses: Bishops, Clergy and Laity.

The 2026 Elections

New clergy and lay members are being elected to General Synod this year.

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.

Almost anyone who attends church regularly is likely to be eligible to stand as a lay member. You don’t need to be a member of a PCC, Deanery Synod or Diocesan Synod.

There is a supportive induction programme to help new members in their roles.

Nominations and candidates

Nominations closed on 7 September and voting closed at 5pm on 13 October. 

Results will be published on this webpage on Monday 19 October.

What does a General Synod member do?

Members speak in debates, propose and vote on motions, serve on committees and review legislation.

Why stand?

• Opportunity to represent the concerns of your community and your diocese at a national level.
• Have a say in national legislation that affects all parts of the Church of England.
• Raise issues and contribute to debates on social and policy matters.
• Can be enormously rewarding.
• Meet other Anglicans from across the country and the world.

What is the commitment?

If elected, you would be expected to attend each meeting of Synod for the next five years (dates are published here). It is possible to attend all General Synod meetings either in person or online.

Each meeting lasts five days and there are usually two meetings per year, one in London and one in York. In your first year, you would also attend an additional three-day meeting in London.

Do I get paid for this?

The role is voluntary and unpaid. Members’ travel and accommodation expenses are covered.

Where can I find more information?

There are detailed election rules for the House of Clergy and the House of Laity, available via these links. 

Further guidance is also available on the Church of England website.

How the election process works and key dates:

Will there be husting events?

The hustings events scheduled for the House of Clergy and House of Laity candidates have been cancelled. Unfortunately, despite offering a range of dates, we have been unable to identify a date on which more than two of the four clergy candidates are available to participate.

It was not considered fair or appropriate to proceed with a hustings event at which half of the candidates would be absent.

In order to ensure that candidates for both Houses are treated equally, a decision has also been made to cancel the lay hustings.

Having consulted with members of Archbishop’s Council, an alternative opportunity will be provided for candidates to introduce themselves to electors. Each candidate has been invited to submit a short optional video which will be made available to voters via the this webpage. Links to the videos will be uploaded on 1 October.

How does voting work?

The lay Deanery Synod members in our diocese vote for lay candidates, and the clergy vote for clergy candidates. The voting period is 21 September to 13 October.

Results

All results are declared by 19 October. Those elected will come to General Synod for the first time at its meeting in London this November.