This summer, elections will take place for the next General Synod of the Church of England.
General Synod brings together bishops, clergy and lay people from across the country to help shape the life, mission and governance of the Church of England. Members elected this year will serve for the next five-year Synod.
For the House of Laity elections, voting is carried out by members of Deanery Synods. For the House of Clergy elections, voting is carried out by assistant bishops, archdeacons, beneficed clergy, cathedral clergy holding office in the diocese, clergy licensed under seal by the diocesan bishop, and clergy with Permission to Officiate who are members of a deanery synod in Guildford diocese.
If you are one of the above, please look out for further information later in July when the formal election process begins.
Standing for election
If you are interested in standing for election, it is worth noting that you do not need to be a member of a Deanery Synod to be nominated as a candidate for the House of Laity. Any lay person who meets the eligibility requirements may stand. Please see the Church of England website for more information, especially if you think you may like to stand for election.
There are 4 seats in the House of Clergy and 4 seats in the House of Laity.
Nominations and timetable
The formal call for nominations will be issued in August, with nominations closing in early September. In the meantime, further information about the General Synod elections, including eligibility requirements and the national timetable, is available on the Church of England website. Guildford Diocese will share further details when the formal election process begins.
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
Please keep an eye on diocesan communications over the coming weeks if you are interested either in standing for election or participating as an elector.
Further information is available from synod@cofeguildford.org.uk