Will you stand for election to General Synod?

This autumn clergy and lay members will have the opportunity to be elected to General Synod, people across the Diocese of Hereford are invited to consider standing. General Synod is…

July 1, 2026 September 21, 2026

This autumn clergy and lay members will have the opportunity to be elected to General Synod, people across the Diocese of Hereford are invited to consider standing.

General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England. It helps shape the life of the Church by making decisions that affect parishes, chaplaincies, schools, and communities across the country. It agrees new forms of worship, considers matters of national and international importance, approves Church legislation, and agrees the annual budget for national Church work.

Those elected in 2026 will serve for five years until 2031. General Synod includes bishops, clergy, and lay people.

We are keen to encourage candidates who reflect the full breadth of people, places, and churches across diocese and the wider Church of England. We particularly welcome interest from people whose voices and experiences may currently be underrepresented.

New members are supported through an induction programme, so you do not need to know everything about General Synod before standing. Serving on General Synod is a meaningful way to contribute to the governance, vision, and future direction of the Church of England. If you feel called to take part, we warmly encourage you to explore the process and consider standing. If you would like further information, please email our governance officer

You can learn more about the detailed timetable for each house elections by reading these two documents and find out who our current elected general synod representatives are for the current triennium, ending July 2026.

Click Here to view the timetable for the House of Clergy Elections

Click Here to view the timetable for the House of Laity Election

What is the General Synod and what does it do?

House of Laity

You may be eligible to stand for election to the House of Laity even if you are not eligible to vote in the House of Laity elections.

To stand for election to the House of Laity of the General Synod, a person must:

Have received Holy Communion in accordance with the practice of the Church of England, or a Church in communion with it, at least three times in the twelve months preceding the date of the dissolution of the General Synod.
Be confirmed (or ready and willing to be confirmed), or be a communicant member of a Church that subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
Be 18 years of age or older on the date of the dissolution of the General Synod (expected July 2026).

In addition, the person’s name must either:

Be on the electoral roll of a parish within the Diocese, or
Be on the community roll of the Cathedral Church of the Diocese.

House of Clergy

To be eligible to stand for election to the House of Clergy in the Diocese or other electoral area, a person must:

Have been ordained as a priest or deacon;
Not be in episcopal orders; and
Fall into one of the following categories:
- A qualified elector in the Diocese or other electoral area; or
- A person who has written permission from the Bishop to officiate in the Diocese and who would be a qualified elector if they were:
  - a member of a deanery synod in the Diocese or other electoral area; or
  - in the Diocese in Europe, a member of a deanery or archdeaconry synod; or
  - in the Diocese of Sodor and Man, a member of the Diocesan Synod.

A person may stand for election if they are normally a qualified elector in the universities and TEIs constituency, provided that:

They choose to stand in the Diocese or electoral area instead of the universities and TEIs constituency
If they decide to stand in the Diocese/area rather than in the universities and TEIs constituency, they must inform both:
- the Presiding Officer for the Diocese, and
- the Presiding Officer for the universities and TEIs constituency
They are beneficed in, or licensed to, a parish in the Diocese or other electoral area
They are licensed to serve as a vicar in a team ministry in a benefice in the Diocese or other electoral area
They would otherwise be eligible to vote in the Diocese or electoral area (they meet all the usual requirements to be an elector in that Diocese except that they are currently registered as an elector in the universities and TEIs constituency).

The National Society for Education is hosting an evening for young adults interested in participating in General Synod. The sessions are free to sign up to and will take place over Zoom.

Wednesday 22nd July 2026

Inside Synod: Highlights, Hopes and Next Steps

Post-Synod debrief and feedback

The nomination and election process will be managed by Civica, an external election platform used for General Elections in the UK.

Electors will be invited to submit written questions for candidates between 14 August 2026 and 9 September 2026 (5pm).

Candidates will then be invited to provide written answers to these questions. All responses will be published online and circulated to the electorate by email on 17 September 2026.

All candidates for general synod will be invited to submit an election address, which will be made available to electors through the elections portal.

Election addresses submitted by the deadline of Monday 7 September will be published on our website. Addresses received after the deadline may be uploaded at the discretion of the Presiding Officer.

The timetable and deadlines for Deanery Synod elections are governed by the Church Representation Rules, whereas the timetable and deadlines for General Synod elections are set nationally and outlined in General Synod Elections 2026: Notes for the Guidance of Dioceses.

The Deanery Synod House of Laity forms the electorate for the General Synod House of Laity. It is therefore essential that both election timetables are followed precisely to ensure all eligible electors are properly included and able to vote.

Key Dates for 2026

To ensure each qualified elector is eligible to vote in the General Synod elections, please note the following essential deadlines:

By 31 May 2026