General Synod

The General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England, commonly referred to as the 'Church's Parliament'.

It considers and approves legislation affecting the whole of the Church of England, authorises new forms of worship, debates matters of religious and public interest, and approves the annual budget for the work of the Church at national level. Find out more about General Synod on the Church of England website.

Stand for Synod

In Autumn 2026, elections are happening for new General Synod members. Those elected will serve for five years. Members are a mixture of bishops, clergy and lay people. 

Joining General Synod is a fantastic opportunity to represent the concerns of your community and your diocese at a national level. Almost anyone who attends church regularly is likely to be eligible to stand for election as a lay member. There is a supportive induction programme to help new members in their roles.

We are looking for candidates who represent the whole range of people and churches in the Church of England. We particularly welcome candidates whose background may currently be underrepresented.

Nominations open on 14 August and close on 7 September.

If you are interested in standing for election, please use the eligibility checker on the Church of England website before getting in contact with the Diocese. You will need to fill out a nomination form (available here soon) and have it signed by the people who are nominating you. If you are standing as a lay member, you need two people who are members of a Deanery Synod to nominate you. If you are clergy, you need two other clergy to nominate you.

The present General Synod will be dissolved on Tuesday 14 July 2026, and the inauguration of the twelfth General Synod will take place on Monday 16 November 2026.

This dissolution will be followed by an election for new representatives to the Lower House of Convocation (House of Clergy) and House of Laity.

You can find the dates of Future meetings of General Synod on the Church of England website.

General Synod Election 2026 Timetable

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have approved the following timetable for the election of the new General Synod.

Who is eligible to vote?

Proctorial (clergy) electors in the Diocese are:

• Assistant Bishops (they are not eligible to stand for election)
• Archdeacons
• Beneficed clergy
• Clergy holding office in the Cathedral
• Clergy licensed under the seal of the Bishop of Ely (including clergy resident outside the Diocese but holding the licence of the Bishop of Ely)
• Clergy with PTO who are also members of a Deanery Synod (including clergy not licensed under seal as they have retired from full-time ministry)

House of Laity electors are:

• Members of the House of Laity of each Deanery Synod, at 6.00am on Tuesday 14 July 2026, are lay electors. (This does not include those members who are co-opted to a House of Laity of a Deanery Synod.)

Seat Allocations and votes

• The seat allocation for the Diocese of Ely is four Proctors (clergy) and three Laity.
• A person may not vote in more than one electoral area.
• Guidance and documents for the General Synod elections can be found on the Church of England website, together with further information and details for those considering standing for election.

Online Voting

• The 2026 elections to each of the three Houses of the General Synod will be conducted online and this is the preferred method to use. This is being administered by Civica Election Services, on behalf of the Church of England. 
• Each candidate’s election address will be uploaded to the Diocesan website below in advance of the start of the voting period (21 September).
• The online portal will enable eligible voters to make nominations and cast votes, and this will be run by the Presiding Officer (with the assistance of Civica Election Services).
• The Diocesan Secretary and CEO, Dr George Woods, will be the Presiding Officer for these elections.
• If you have an email address, you should use this online portal. If you do not have an email address, you may use the paper-based system, which will then be uploaded centrally to the online portal.
• Those eligible to vote will be contacted by email direcly with the voting instructions. If you have not been contacted by the week ending 25 September, please email elections@elydiocese.org to let us know. (Please remember to check your email spam folder in the first instance).

Hustings

Hustings for the House of Laity and the House of Clergy will be advised if they are to take place.