children's ministry,clergy wellbeing,ordination,witness,youth,youth ministry

Candidate for General Synod
Rev’d Elise Peterson
Vicar of the Parish of Rainham and Wennington
Women’s Ministry Adviser for the Diocese of Chelmsford

About Me
I spent most of my life in America before moving to the UK thirteen years ago. I can’t
remember a time when my Christian faith and involvement in my local church was not a central focus of my
life. I had long felt called to full-time ministry, which became a reality when I moved to UK in 2013 to discern
my sense of God’s calling on my life to ordained ministry in the Church of England. With lots of
encouragement and affirmation whilst I studied at Trinity College Bristol that ﬁrst year, I took the leap of faith
to move here permanently. I was ordained deacon in the Diocese of Chelmsford in 2017 and priest in 2018. I
became a UK citizen in 2025 and consider the UK my home for the long term.
In addition to serving as Vicar in the Parish of Rainham and Wennington, I am currently the Women’s Ministry
Adviser for the diocese and also a member of the Wellbeing Implementation Team.
Prior to ordination I worked in public relations and publishing for the tech industry, and also worked as
Director of Operations at All Saints Woodford Wells, which was also my sending church.
Why am I standing for General Synod
I love the Church of England in all her diversity, and I believe it is one of her great strengths. In the American
church where we are much quicker to divide over a variety of issues, I am thankful that the Church of
England has managed to hold together. However, I am also well aware of her challenges, ﬂaws and the deep
divisions that exist today. I hope and pray that despite her challenges and ﬂaws and the divisions that exist,
we can ﬁnd a way forward to maintain unity.
I long to see the CofE be the best witness to the UK it can be and General Synod has the opportunity to bring
clarity and focus. I come with a commitment to thoughtfully and prayerfully consider all issues and
opportunities we face and vote upon and to listen well to all the perspectives.
Issues Close to My Heart
Clergy Wellbeing – Clergy wellbeing is a much-discussed topic, but there seem to be few practical solutions
put forward that provide genuine support. There is more and more discussion of clergy as ‘CEOs of a small
charity’ which takes most clergy far from the pastoral and teaching ministry to which they were called. As
part of the diocesan Wellbeing Implementation Team this is something we will be exploring but I believe the
conversation needs to change at a national level and steps taken to make parish ministry sustainable and
joyful.
Women’s Ministry – For the last two years I’ve had the privilege to serve as the Women’s Ministry Adviser for
the diocese, working with the team to advise the Bishops Leadership Team and support ordained women in
their ministries. I also am able to collaborate with Women’s Ministry Advisers across the Church of England,
which has given me experience at a national church level. Whilst there has been much progress, I am aware
there are still unique challenges that women face as they seek to fulﬁl God’s calling on their lives.
Youth and Children’s Ministry – My own ministry began whilst I was a teenager and for many years I served
in paid and volunteer roles in youth ministry, and it continues to be a passion of mine. The CofE has
expressed a desire to make Youth and Children’s ministry a high priority, but we also need to make it a
ﬁnancially sustainable role for those we employ.