Following the dissolution of the current General Synod on 14 July, preparations for the elections for the next five-year term are now underway, providing an opportunity to help shape the future direction of the Church. Nomination information will be sent to eligible electors across the Diocese of Guildford on 14 August, with voting taking place in September.
As a diocese, we are committed to becoming more diverse and inclusive in every aspect of our life, including increasing the representation of younger people in the Church's governance and decision-making. We particularly encourage younger members of our congregations to consider standing for election and invite clergy and lay leaders to identify, encourage and support those with gifts for leadership, representation and service.
Full details of the election timetable, nomination process and voting arrangements can be found below.
Standing for election
Please note that you do not need to be an eligible elector to stand for election to General Synod. Full eligibility criteria and information about the nomination process are available below. Please consider prayerfully whether you, or someone you know, may be called to represent the Diocese of Guildford in the next General Synod.
Nomination information
If you are considering standing for election to the General Synod, please read the information below carefully before submitting your nomination. Information about time commitments and General Synod meetings can be found here.
There are 4 seats in the House of Clergy (see eligibility criteria for clerical candidates).
There are 4 seats in the House of Laity (see eligibility criteria for lay candidates). Laity may also check their eligibility to stand on the Church of England website (or see above).
If you are an elector and would like to stand
On 14 August, all eligible electors will receive an email inviting them to complete a nomination form through the Civica Election Portal.
As part of the nomination process, you will be asked to provide information about yourself and the individuals who have agreed to nominate you. Once submitted, the system will generate an automated email to both the candidate and the nominated proposers.
To help ensure the integrity of the process, the Governance Team will also contact the individuals named as your nominators to confirm that they are happy for their names to have been submitted in support of your nomination.
If you are not an elector and would like to stand
Candidates who are not electors will not have access to Civica Election Portal, so will need to download a paper nomination form.
From 14 August, those who are eligible to stand for election (see eligibility criteria for clerical candidates and lay candidates above) may download a nomination form from this webpage. The paper form will require details about them as the candidate as well as about the two eligible electors who are nominating them.
The paper form will need to be returned to synod@cofeguildford.org.uk along with an election address (should they wish to submit one) by 5pm on 7 September. But it should be noted that the Governance Team will need to check the eligibility of candidates and to confirm with the nominators that they are content to support the nomination. We therefore encourage that forms are submitted with time to spare.
Nomination deadline
The deadline for submitting nominations is 5.00pm on 7 September.
For nominations submitted through the online portal, forms must be completed and submitted by this deadline. However, we strongly encourage all candidates to submit their nominations well in advance to allow sufficient time for eligibility checks and confirmation of nominators before the closing date.
All information about the General Synod elections, including eligibility requirements and the national timetable, is available on the Church of England website.
Key dates for the election are:
- 14 August 2026 – nominations open
- 7 September 2026 – nominations close
- 21 September 2026 – voting opens
- 19 October 2026 – results declared.
Next steps
If you have any further questions, information is available from synod@cofeguildford.org.uk