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.
Diocesan representatives are elected to the Houses of Clergy and Laity and vote on the issues presented at Synod.
2025 GENERAL SYNOD BY-ELECTION FOR ONE CLERGY PLACE
Following the resignation of the Venerable Luke Irvine-Capel to become the Bishop of Richborough, a vacancy arose for one clergy member of General Synod from Chichester diocese for the remaining term of office (until the general election anticipated in the latter half of 2026).
By-election time-table
10 July 2025 - Nominations open online
7 August at 5.30pm - Nominations close
14 August at 5.30pm - Deadline for candidates to submit election address
21 August - Voting opens (Civica to email electors with a link)
11 September at 5.30pm - Voting closes
12 September - Election count
Electors (those eligible to propose/second candidates and to vote):
In general terms, a qualified elector is either:
- a Clergy member of Deanery Synod (not a co-opted member) as at 6am on 28 February 2025 or
- an Assistant Bishop as at 6am on 28 February 2025
However, there are exceptions so please see the full Qualificationslist.
Electors will be sent an email from Civica Electoral Services (CES) on Thursday 10 July, which includes a personalised link to the election portal and online nomination form.
Qualifications of candidates generally include:
- Clergy members of Deanery Synod as at 6am on 28 February 2025 (except co-opted members)
- Ordained priests or deacons with Permission to Officiate in the diocese as at 6am on 28 February 2025 that are not on Deanery Synod.
NB Assistant bishops, suffragan and other bishops who are members of the house of bishops of the diocesan synod are excluded. Please see the full Qualifications list which includes details of all those that are excluded.
Encouraging candidates to stand for General Synod
It is important that our Diocese is appropriately represented in General Synod by a full complement of members, of all ages and backgrounds, who represent the rich diversity of our communities and church traditions. If eligible, please do seriously consider standing yourself or approaching someone eligible who you think would have the right kind of gifts and ask them to offer themselves for election.
Nominations
Invitations to nominate will be emailed on 10 July to electors (see above). It will only be possible for electors to nominate themselves online. If you are not an elector but you would like to stand and are eligible please contact Anne-Marie.Mizler@chichester.anglican.org or on 01273 421021 who will give you an access code so that you can nominate yourself online. Each candidate will need to have the agreement of a proposer and a seconder. Proposers and seconders must be clergy electors (see above) and their details will need to be entered on the online nomination form.
NB no one may vote or stand as a candidate in more than one diocese.
Provision / Publication of Electors’ and Candidates’ details
Please note that the Presiding Officer of the General Synod election is required to provide the electors’ names, addresses and email addresses to candidates standing for the General Synod election if they request them. The election rules require that: candidates’ names, addresses and years of birth appear on the voting form; election addresses appear on the diocesan website and election portal; and the successfully elected candidate’s name, address, email address and year of birth appear on the diocesan website.
General Synod member time commitments and expense claims
Please see this link to details of meetings and time commitments and to the Summary of claimable General Synod expenses and expenses policy, detailing the expenses, including overnight stays and lost earnings etc, that can be claimed.
Election Addresses
Each nominated candidate is entitled to supply an election address, equivalent to not more than two sides of one sheet of A4 paper, which will be made available to all the electors when invitations to vote are issued. Please note that these will be published in colour via the Elections Portal and the Diocesan website but circulated in printed form in black & white only to those electors who are unable to access the online portal. Please see the further election address guidance and other electoral material.
Candidates should provide an election address, if desired, by no later than 5.30pm on Thursday 14th August 2025. The Presiding Officer is under no obligation to agree to the circulation of addresses received after the due date or which contain any material which in their opinion is defamatory or otherwise unlawful in some way. It is advised that election addresses are submitted via the Elections Portal at the same time as, or as soon as possible after, completing a nomination. If you election addresses cannot be submitted via the Elections Portal, it may be sent by email or post to anne-marie.mizler@chichester.anglican.org (Church House 211 New Church Road Hove BN3 4ED) so that it arrives no later than 5.30pm on Thursday 14th August 2025.
For further information please see the links in the Related Resources section below.
For any queries please contact anne-marie.mizler@chichester.anglican.org or on 01273 421 021.
Current Membership
House of Bishops
The Rt Revd Dr Martin Warner
The following have been elected to represent the Diocese of Chichester on General Synod.
Proctors in Convocation
Revd Steve Burston
Canon Andrew Cornes
Revd Arwen Folkes
Ven Luke Irvine-Capel
Revd Martin Poole
House of Laity
Mr Martin Auton-Lloyd
Mrs Catherine Butcher
Mr Bob Chambers
Dr Simon Eyre
Mrs Mary Nagel
Mrs Tina Nay
Mr Bradley Smith
Mr Jacob Vince