Elections to Synod
Jump to... Candidates | Election timeline | FAQs
General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England, commonly referred to as the Church’s Parliament. Together with the Westminster Parliament, it is the only body in the land which is entitled to make national law for England. Synod 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.
Members of General Synod are arranged into three Houses: the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy (all ordained members, excluding bishops), and the House of Laity, the lay (not ordained) members from every diocese of the Church of England. Members of the Houses of Clergy and Laity are elected by the clergy and lay members respectively of the Deanery Synods.
Candidates for election
The election process takes place between 14 August and 19 October. If you'd like to stand for Synod, follow the steps below.
Candidates need to write an election address, and will be given the opportunity to respond to questions from the electorate, though this is optional. Further guidance on these processes can be found here: Election address and questions guidance.
Voting details have been emailed to eligible electors. Voting opens on 21 September 2026. If you believe you should have been contacted, please contact elections@oxford.anglican.org.
|
|
|
|
2026 election timetable
- 14 July 2026
Deadline for qualifying as an elector (for most members); Synod dissolved and election period begins - 27 July 2026
Register of electors sent by Diocesan Electoral Registration Officer to the Presiding Officer - 14 August 2026
Invitations to nominate issued - 7 September 2026
Nominations close at 5pm - 21 September 2026
If poll needed, invitations to vote issued - 13 October 2026
Voting ends
(Postal vote deadline 12 October 2026) - 14-16 October 2026
Counting takes place - 19 October 2026
Results declared
Queries: elections@oxford.anglican.org
FAQs
This is a live list of frequently asked questions - we will continue to update this as the process evolves.
Those wishing to stand for election may wish to know that Synod members will be reimbursed for travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses for meetings held in London, and travel for meetings held in York (as the diocese will be billed directly for your accommodation and meals). If you are not able to pay up front for these things, we will work with you to ensure this is not a barrier to you serving on General Synod.
Potential candidates may also wish to know that the 2025/26 rate of compensation set by the Archbishops’ Council for loss of earnings due to attendance at General Synod or at meetings of the Synod’s or Council’s subordinate bodies is the actual loss up to £210 per day of absence.
The electorate have the opportunity to submit questions to the candidates. Eligible electors have been contacted directly with a link to submit questions to candidates and the process being followed for this via the elections portal. If you have not received this information, and believe you should have, please contact elections@oxford.anglican.org.
If you are interested in standing for election, please use the national eligibility checker as a guide and then contact the diocese. You will need to fill out your diocese's nomination form and have it signed by the people who are nominating you.
If you are standing as a lay member, you need two people who are members of a Deanery Synod to nominate you. If you are clergy, you need two other clergy to nominate you.
The Election Rules for the House of Laity are avaialble here: House of Laity Election Rules 2025
The Election Rules for the House of Clergy are available here: House of Clergy Election Rules 2025
The Diocese of Oxford privacy notices, which explain how we process your personal data, can be found here.