General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Revd Canon Dave Chesney - Candidate for the House of Clergy
Vicar of Church of the Good Shepherd, Collier Row
Assistant Area Dean, Havering Deanery

e. [email protected]
t. 07506 684734
Please contact me if you have any questions.

Proposer: Revd Canon Martin Court (Vicar of St Chads, Chadwell Heath,
Barking and Dagenham Deanery)
Seconder: Ven Susan Lucas (Archdeacon of Southend)

Why I am standing
I am offering myself for election to General Synod for the first time because I believe the
voice of the local parish church matters deeply in the life of the Church of England. I
believe in a church that is rooted in Scripture and open to the power of the Holy Spirit to
transform lives. Speaking from my current context, I firmly believe in a church that
‘follows Jesus and serves our community so that tomorrow can be different for us all.’ I
would seek to bring to Synod a grounded, pastoral and mission-focused perspective,
formed in parish ministry, deanery leadership and the realities of urban mission.

About me

I am married to Sarah, and we have two grown-up daughters and a grandson who will
shortly be starting secondary school. Some years ago, I decided to walk whenever and
wherever possible. Building walking into my daily pattern helps me care for my physical
and emotional wellbeing, and it also gives me space to pray. That commitment has
taken me across the UK and along the Camino twice. I also enjoy playing pool, both with
my grandson and as part of a local league.

My own journey of faith began not with certainty or church familiarity, but through the
ordinary life of a local parish. I did not grow up in a Christian home, though I remember
school assemblies and occasional Sunday School. My first meaningful connection with
church came through the toddler group my wife attended with our daughter. An
invitation to a family service began a journey I could not have foreseen. Through Alpha,
and the welcome and witness of the local church, I came to faith and had the joy of
being baptised with my daughter. Before the call to ordination, I took great joy in leading
teams of volunteers in youth and children’s work at the local church.

What I would bring to General Synod

1. A commitment to the local church as the place where lives are changed. I believe

the parish remains one of the Church of England’s greatest gifts: rooted, present,
accessible and able to meet people where they are. We need national decision-making
that strengthens parish life and equips local churches for worship, mission, pastoral
care and service.

1. A passion for mission in communities often overlooked. Much of my ministry has

been shaped by serving in areas of significant deprivation. I want to see a Church
confident in sharing the gospel, courageous in serving its neighbours, and serious about
resourcing churches in places where need is great and capacity is often stretched.

1. A determination to encourage vocations from working-class backgrounds. I grew

up on an East End council estate and have spent much of my life and ministry in some
of the most deprived communities in London. My own story makes me attentive to
those who may assume the Church is not for them, or that leadership is for other kinds
of people. I would want to support a culture in which gifts are recognised, vocations are
nurtured, and barriers—spoken or unspoken—are challenged.

1. A concern for the flourishing of the whole people of God. Clergy, lay leaders,

volunteers, families, children, young people, older people and those on the edges of
church life all matter. The decisions Synod makes should help release the gifts of the
whole Body of Christ and build a Church that is faithful, welcoming and transformative.

Experience
Following my curacy, I served as Vicar of Ascension Church, Newham, for thirteen
years. I also served as Area Dean for six of those years during one of the most difficult
periods of life and ministry. This included responding to the challenges of COVID and
clergy restructuring. I have also served as a Mission Enabler, overseeing church planting
and the revitalisation of parishes in Newham. It was a joy to see churches growing in
number and maturity through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Since 2025, I have served as Vicar of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Collier Row,
and since 2026 as Assistant Area Dean of Havering Deanery. These roles continue to
deepen my conviction that national Church structures must serve, listen to and
resource the local church. I have served on Diocesan Synod, Bishop’s Council and the
Area Team, and have extensive trustee experience, serving on several local and national
Christian charities. Prior to ordination, I spent 20 years in banking and finance.

If elected
I would seek to listen carefully, speak honestly and vote prayerfully. I would bring the
experience of parish ministry, urban mission and deanery leadership, together with a
personal conviction formed through the ordinary welcome of a local church. I do not
believe General Synod should feel distant from the life of our parishes. I would want to
help ensure that its work strengthens mission, deepens discipleship, supports clergy
and lay leaders, and keeps before us the people who may not yet know that the Church
is for them too.

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