February 5th, 2020

Do you want the Church of England to be a forward-looking, welcoming, open and inclusive church?

Do you want a church that welcomes and celebrates everyone in the name of Jesus Christ, regardless of gender, disability, ethnicity, economic power, mental health or sexuality?

If you do you need to do three things:

Be on the Electoral Roll for your church

You can do this if you are aged 16 or over, are baptised, and either live in the parish or have worshipped for at least six months at the church.

Become a representative of your church on the local Deanery Synod

These positions are being elected at your Annual Parochial Church Meeting, held in March, April or May. You can stand if you are on the Electoral Roll, you don’t have to be already on the PCC.

Deanery Synods meet around three times a year and let Anglican churches from your area discuss how to work together, support each other and debate issues in the church locally and nationally. Having an inclusive voice at Deanery level is very important. It is a good way to meet Christians from other churches, worship together and learn more about local Anglican churches. To find out more, talk to your priest, PCC Secretary or a Deanery Synod member.

Vote in the 2020 General Synod Elections

<p”>Progress on inclusion needs the General Synod, the Church of England’s national decision-making body, to be supportive. Big changes in how the church works, such as accepting women as priests and bishops, only happen when General Synod approves the legislation. Voting for inclusive General Synod reps in 2020 will help change the future of the church. The General Synod is up for election in 2020, with voting in September. We need you to be able to vote for inclusive candidates.

<p”>You can only vote in the General Synod elections if you are a member of your local Deanery Synod. General Synod elections will take place in every diocese, and every single vote will count. These elections are always close, with many members being elected by just one or two votes, so your vote is crucial.

Remember – you can only vote in the General Synod elections if you are a member of Deanery Synod. Join your local Deanery Synod at your Annual Parochial Church Meeting this Spring.

Be on your church’s Electoral Roll

Join your Deanery Synod

Vote in the General Synod election.