General Synod Elections

The Diocese of Southwark is pleased to announce its newly-elected General Synod members. This by-election was held to fill the casual vacancy caused by the resignation of the Reverend Canon Simon Butler. During the election process for the first casual vacancy, a second casual vacancy arose, caused by the resignation of the Reverend Carol Bates. Under rule 45 of the Clergy Election Rules 2020, the voting data collected as part of this by-election will also be used to identify the successful candidate for the second vacancy (together with other vacancies, if any, which are to be filled within two years).

Proctors in Convocation

The Revd Dr Charlie Bell                            The Revd Nicholas Lebey

Below are the formal, signed returns from the Presiding Officer, following scrutiny, as well as the calculations performed by Civica.

The General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England. It came into being in 1970 under the Synodical Government Measure 1969, replacing an earlier body known as the Church Assembly.
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.
There are 483 members of General Synod. Members are arranged into three Houses: The House of Bishops, The House of Clergy, and The House of Laity. Elections to The House of Clergy and The House of Laity are to be conducted by Civica on behalf of the Dioceses of this country. Each Diocese can nominate and elect members to provide fair representation. They come together to lead the Diocese, enable mission and serve the people of God. The number of clergy and lay members in Diocesan Synod are broadly equal.
It is a statutory institution which serves not only our Diocese but influences and helps to direct the National Church on matters of Church, public and Government policy. It also includes some mandatory governance items such as approval of the budget and the annual accounts.

General Synods exist to serve the mission of the wider Church, to make strategic decisions, and to encourage the growth of mission and ministry in our Diocese. It is important that General Synod, as any representative body, broadly reflects the diversity of all our church members in gender, ethnic origin, age, experience, and church tradition, and we welcome and encourage membership across all these groups.

We also need people to stand who have:

Vision: Do you have a vision for a flourishing Church and a passion to work with others to share your Christian faith and deepen the discipleship of those around you?

Commitment: Are you ready to seek God’s will through prayer and theological reflection, with a heart for growth, mission, and engagement across boundaries?

Openness: Are you open to trying new approaches while learning from others, embracing change and the bigger picture and to sharing inspiring feedback with your Diocese, Deanery, PCC, and wider church family?

Enthusiasm: Members of Synod are encouraged to speak and challenge confidently, enabling change whilst leading and encouraging others.

Good communication: Do you have a listening ear? Are you receptive and open-minded and do you have the ability to share your passion? Members of Synod are ambassadors, both amongst themselves and as a bridge between the wider Church, Diocese, and the parishes.

Following two vacancies (one in the House of Laity and one in the Proctors in Convocation), a re-count of the votes has been conducted in accordance with the General Synod Standing Orders (Paragraph 134). The Diocese of Southwark is, therefore, pleased to announce its newly-elected General Synod members.

Below are the formal, signed returns from the Presiding Officer, following scrutiny, as well as the calculations performed at Civica, in both descriptive text and spreadsheet form.

The Diocese of Southwark is pleased to announce its newly-elected General Synod members. Out of 24 Clergy and 27 Laity that put themselves forward for election, seven have been elected in each of the House of Laity and Proctors in Convocation (House of Clergy). The formal vote count took place on the morning of Thursday 14 October 2021.  The results of the election are:

Below are the formal, signed returns from the Presiding Officer, following scrutiny, as well as the calculations performed at Civica, in both descriptive text and spreadsheet form.