General Synod
General Synod
The General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England. The General Synod considers and approves legislation affecting the whole of the Church of England, formulates new forms of worship, debates matters of national and international importance, and approves the annual budget for the work of the Church at national level.
Find information about the General Synod here.
General Synod Election 2026
Full elections are taking place this summer for the 2026 – 2031 quinquennium. Five lay and five clergy representatives will be elected. Find more information here
Timetable
Tuesday 14th July
General Synod is dissolved marking the end of the current quinquennium
Friday 14th August
Invitations to nominate are issued from [email protected]
Monday 7th September
Closing date for receipt of nominations and deadline for receipt of election addresses
Monday 21st September
Invitations to vote are issued and the voting period opens
Monday 12th October
Voting period for voting by paper closes
Tuesday 13th October
Voting period for voting by using elections portal closes
Friday 16th October
Day of the count
Monday 19th October
Deadline for declaration of result
Voters and Candidates
For information about who qualifies as a voter and who can stand for election please follow this link Who can stand and who can vote in the General Synod election?
The qualifications for standing as a candidate are widely drawn. In the lay election in particular a person does not need to be a member of a deanery synod to put themselves forward as a candidate.
For those considering standing for election, it is important to know that General Synod members will be able to claim travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses. There are two or three ‘groups of sessions’ of the General Synod per annum, each lasting 4 or 5 days. The February (and November, if held) sessions are in London and the July sessions are in York.
Information for potential candidates who are not qualified electors
During the voting period, candidates’ names and electoral statements will be available on this page.
Diocesan Synod has approved the following code of conduct for the elections to General Synod. It is for candidates and other participants in the electoral process – please do give it careful consideration.
Diocesan Code of Conduct for Elections
If you have any concerns about the conduct of any aspect of the elections, please contact the Presiding Officer at [email protected] A formal appeals process is available and details can be found in the election rules of each of the houses of clergy and laity, available on the national General Synod elections website.
For the Diocesan Privacy Notice, please click here
