The General Synod, which comprises a House of Bishops, a House of Clergy and a House of Laity, with representatives from all English Dioceses, meets two to three times a year to consider legislation for the Church of England, along with worship and matters of national and international importance.
Each diocese is represented by its diocesan Bishop, in our case the Bishop of Hereford and by clergy representatives elected by the clergy of the diocese, together with lay representatives elected by deanery synod members. Members of Synod are elected for a three year term (triennium).
July 2026 marks the final meeting of the current triennium for General Synod, with elections for the next triennium 2026 to 2028 opening shortly. To find out more about the timetable for this year's elections and to learn about standing for election, visit the Church of England website.
Click here to view the election timetable for the House of Clergy
Click here to view the election timetable for the House of Laity
You can learn more about the process and rules on our news section
Our current Representatives hold seats in the three houses:
House of Bishops
- Rt Revd Richard Jackson
House of Clergy
- Currently vacant (following the departure of Ven Dr Fiona Gibson)
- Revd Chris Moore
- Revd Kina Robertshaw
House of Laity
- Wendy Coombey
- Charles Houston
- Emily Hill
Other Governance Committees and Groups
Each area across England is divided into what are called a diocese. These are areas that have their own separate structures of governance, finance and organisation. In Hereford Diocese, we cover a geographic area that goes beyond county boundaries and takes in parts of Powys, Monmouthshire, Worcestershire as well as south Shropshire and the whole of the county of Herefordshire. There are a total of 42 dioceses across the whole of the Church of England. With a diocese, the areas are broken down into archdeaconry, deanery, benefice and parishes. Each diocese has its own diocesan synod of governance, which is supported by the Bishop's Council, Finance Committee, Diocesan Advisory Committee (Planning) and Mission and Pastoral Committee.