General Synod Election Candidates 2026

RICHARD MERYON
Background Rosalind and I met while we were both serving in the British Armed Forces; Rosalind was speaking at a military Christian meeting in London. Now married 46 years, we have 3 happily married children and 9 grandchildren. Moving home 33 times has exposed us to a broad experience of what ‘church’ can be, always seeing the local church as the Hope of the Nation.
For 30+ years now, we have lived on the outskirts of Bath, being members of Holy Trinity Church Combe Down since our very first Sunday in Bath. In 2006 while employed by Christian Vision for Men (CVM), we went for 4 years with a church plant to St John’s church, Peasedown St John, a rural and far less affluent parish. I then led the ministry at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem from 2010-2014. Since 2015 I have, through my 2020Vision ministry, been invited to introduce effective and efficient organisation into churches and charities, showing that excellence is far more a question of ‘effort’ than of ‘expense’.
Serving God in Bath and beyond We are quite busy in our Combe Down benefice, with its two rural village churches and the ‘mission’ church birthed from the main church into a housing estate. Regularly leading services in these four involves ministry in a Prayer Book parish (Monkton Combe) and an Affirming Catholicism parish (South Stoke). I have run the main church’s International Mission Team; we have 9 of our own church people serving overseas. I am also on the church’s prayer ministry team, regularly cook lunch for >50 mums n’ toddlers on our less well-resourced Foxhill estate, and I co-ordinate the many Small Groups. In Bath, I volunteer as a guide at Bath Abbey, and am an overnight City Street Pastor caring principally for rough sleepers and students. I visit the Middle East four or five times each year with Military Ministries International, developing Arab church ministry growth. I am a trustee/volunteer for the five Christian charities listed below.
Serving on General Synod In serving as a lay diocesan representative to the General Synod, I would want to promote the Church of England’s effectiveness as an agent for the growth of the Kingdom of God in the UK, both through its national profile and especially through the local church. Good leadership by clergy and lay will be key, as will be the pastoral care of our church leaders and her members. “There are many forms of service, but only one Lord” (1Cor12.5): until 21, I was in Anglican ‘Prayer Book’ churches, which I appreciate considerably more now that I know my Bible so much better; in recent years I myself have experienced considerable personal and church growth in the more evangelical churches. The CofE is a broad church, and it behoves us all to work shoulder to shoulder as we tackle church decline in some areas, and witness apathy and indeed positive opposition from outside. All the while we can encourage all those of the household of faith to embrace God’s presence and power among our generation. Since COVID we have had exciting ‘once in a century’ opportunities to reap all the benefits to see how ‘church’ can be done in new ways. Reducing central budgets and reducing numbers of clergy mean that we the lay must step up to the mark to be alongside our ordained leaders. Financial matters and safeguarding are surely other key issues for the CofE in the next few years.
In leading our church’s ‘Welcome’ team, I expect everyone walking in to feel warmly included both before and after any service. Recognizing in the C of E a wide variety of views on marriage and sexuality, I always want to listen and understand the views of others, holding my own views with compassion; in my 10 years leading Christian Vision for Men, I would seek the sage advice from a close friend, a celebate gay man, when handling pastoral issues on matters of human sexuality. For myself, I would not wish to see ministry and liturgy conducted outside our approved doctrines.
I pray that I will contribute to the church’s growth, for which we need God’s Word and God’s Spirit for the maturing of God’s people. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the building of the Body of Christ. So let us press on with discipleship, evangelism, social engagement and worldwide impact - all solely for God’s Glory.
Background:
1969-1999Served for 30 years in the RN
1971-1979Two Royal Navy Engineering degrees
1974Came to a living faith in the Royal Navy at 21
1999-2009Called out of the Navy to lead
Christian Vision for Men for 10 years
2004-2006Diploma in Biblical Theology at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
2010-2014Five years leading the ministry at the
Garden Tomb in east Jerusalem
2015ffPortfolio of local, national and international rôles.
Hobbies:
People and so hospitality
Grandchildren
Downhill skiing
Sailing yachts and dinghies
Hill and coastal walking
The weekly 5km Park Run (PB 27:25)
Combe Down church involvement:
Leading and preaching
at Holy Trinity Combe Down – the Benefice’s main church with its ‘Word and Spirit’ flavour.
in the Benefice using the CofE Liturgy in the two village churches of Southstoke and Monkton Combe.
Co-ordinate Home Groups, and lead ours
International Mission Team leader 2000-2005 & 2015-2021
Lead the ‘WELCOME’ team
Weekly Mission prayer meeting facilitator
Monthly Persecuted Church prayer meeting
Monthly Revival prayer meeting
Occasional children’s ministry
Cooking for 50+ low income mothers and young ones at St Andrew’s church Foxhill
PCC, by virtue of being on the Deanery and Diocesan Synods.
Bath ministry activities:
Bath Deanery member
Street Pastor, aka ‘Bath City Pastor’
Bath Abbey volunteer guide.
National Ministry Opportunities:
Founding member UK Forum for Freedom of Religion and Belief – stemming from ‘The ‘Truro’ report
Working with the UK Home Office and UN High Commissioner for Refugees on resettling 30, 000 Christian Iraqi refugees in Jordan – specifically the 5000 medically qualified ones who could fill 10% vacancies in the NHS.
Charity development with my own 2020Vision ministry.
International Ministry Opportunities:
Leader of annual skiing and sailing houseparties for Richmond Christian Holidays: https://www.richmond-holidays.com/
Trauma ministry to wounded soldiers in Ukraine with Flame International – www.flameinternational.org
Ongoing support for the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem
Teaching pastors in southern Africa on reducing the scourge of AIDS with E3 -www.e3initiative.org .
Regional Team Leader (Middle East) for Military Ministries International - see www.mmi.org.uk .
Christian Charity Trusteeships:
E31092574www.e3initiative.org
EL (Company Secretary)1107527www.emotionallogiccentre.org.uk
Flame International 1096374www.flameinternational.org
Military Ministries International 200420www.mmi.org.uk (Volunteer Middle East team leader, not trustee)
The Kingsmill Trust 802802.
I do hope you will give me your first or high preference vote: it will be absolute honour to be a lay member of the General Synod which I will serve to the best of my ability.   I will seek to represent with a listening ear all those who contact me, clergy and lay alike from across the theological breadth our diocese.
01225 840230 077 99 747035
[email protected]

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