Stand for Diocesan Synod

Elections of members of the House of Clergy and House of Laity of the London Diocesan Synod are being held for each deanery in the Diocese of London.

The timetable for the elections is as follows:

What is the London Diocesan Synod?

The Diocesan Synod and Diocesan Bishop’s Council are the key governance bodies of the Diocese, and they are at the very heart of supporting the mission and growth of the church in London.

The Diocesan Synod is the body of representatives of the clergy and lay people in the Diocese, which meets together with the bishops, archdeacons and other senior post holders in the Diocese to discuss matters of concern to the Diocese of London, and to make provision for those things that require some form of action or statement. The Synod’s membership is about 200.

The Bishop of London consults the Synod about matters when it is appropriate to do so.

The Synod also has a role in representing the views of the Diocese of London to the General Synod and wider national Church, particularly when asked to do so by the General Synod or Archbishops’ Council. The Synod receives the accounts of the Diocesan administrative body, the London Diocesan Fund, and approves the total amount of Common Fund to be collected each year.

It is important that the Synod reflects the range of views and opinions present in our churches, and that it goes about its business prayerfully and faithfully. However, the Diocesan Synod may not make any statement on the doctrine of the Church – this is one of the roles of the General Synod.

How does the Diocesan Synod work?

The Diocesan Synod is made up of three Houses – that is, three sets of members. These are referred to as the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy, and the House of Laity. (If it is appropriate to do so the Houses may meet separately).

Meetings of the Synod are normally held three times each year in the evenings, normally between 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and usually at St Mellitus College, St Jude’s Church, SW5.

Saturday Synods are held at the start of each triennium. At meetings of the Synod presentations are made on matters of concern to members, and debates held and motions voted on as required. A motion is a statement that, if a majority of the members at a meeting of Synod vote in favour of it, will be taken as indicating the view of the Synod at that time.

Who can be elected?

Details of the full requirements can be found on the nomination forms. However, the position in brief is as follows:

Clergy

To be eligible to stand for election to the Diocesan Synod a clergy man or woman must be:

• a Clerk in Holy Orders; and
• a member of the deanery synod of the deanery entered on the front of the nomination form.

Laity

To be eligible to stand for election to the Diocesan Synod a lay person must be:

• an actual communicant; and
• confirmed, or ready and wanting to be confirmed, or receiving communion as a baptized communicant member in good standing of another Church which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity under the provisions of Canon B 15A paragraph 1(b); and
• at least sixteen years of age; and
• entered on the electoral roll of a parish in the deanery, or (in the case of the City Deanery only) is on the community roll of St Paul’s Cathedral or, declared by the Dean of Westminster to be a habitual worshipper at Westminster Abbey.

How to stand

Candidates must come forward during the 3 weeks of the nomination period in June. If you would like to stand, please contact Monica Bolley, Synodical Secretary or Gabriel March, Synodical Officer who will be able to send you the relevant nomination forms.

Note that the methods by which nomination forms are passed for completion between the candidate, and the candidate’s proposer and seconder may include the use of email.

Diocesan Bishop’s Council

A new Diocesan Bishop’s Council will be elected from the membership of the new Diocesan Synod. The Bishop’s Council is also the Council of the London Diocesan Fund, a registered charity and a charitable company responsible for managing the Diocesan Common Fund and diocesan investments; maintaining parsonage houses and many other duties.

Candidates for the Diocesan Synod are therefore invited who could contribute experience and skills to the wide range required by the Bishop’s Council. Please visit the Bishop’s Council page if you require further information. The Council would be strengthened if new members could bring greater diversity to its membership – ethnicity, gender, age, disability etc.