General Synod Election Candidates 2026

WINSOME
RICHBELL-BROWN

Candidate for the House of Laity
General Synod 2026 | Diocese of Chester

Licensed Reader | HR & Governance Professional |
Chair, Can-Survive UK | Committed toa Church for All

Paaple. Faith
Gg 4 A Brighter Tomorrow

About Me 66 Belonging must mean

lam a Licensed Reader, worshipping and serving in the more than being welcomed
Parish of Cheadle, Diocese of Chester. Licensed since th hth ir tT

October 2015, I serve on the Parish PCC, St Cuthbert's roug' u te doo BeOpIe of
Committee and Parish Prayer Task Force. every ethnicity and background
Across my professional career, voluntary leadership and should be able to participate,
Christian ministry, | have sought to bring people together, 5 F
navigate complex issues constructively, exercise sound contribute, lead and flour ish. 9 9

judgement and ensure different voices are heard and valued.
Now semi-retired, I have greater capacity to offer my
experience, energy and time in service to the wider Church.

Family and home life keep me grounded. At the heart of my life
is a personal relationship with God, sustained through prayer,
occasional fasting and lifelong theological learning, reflection
and questioning.

My Faith and Church Journey

My Christian journey began in the Church of God of Prophecy, a vibrant Pentecostal denomination

that instilled in me a profound reverence for the Word of God and an expectation of the Holy Spirit's
active presence in life and worship.

I was born in the UK to Jamaican parents who came to England as young people during the Windrush era
and went on to serve as ministers. Like many of their generation, they encountered the painful reality

that Caribbean Christians were not always welcomed within established churches. Many responded

by building Christian communities in which they could worship, serve and exercise their God-given gifts.

That history has shaped my commitment to racial justice and my conviction that belonging must mean
more than being welcomed through the door: people of every ethnicity and background should be able to
participate, contribute, lead and flourish. For me, racial justice is not simply an equality agenda: it is part of
what it means to be the Body of Christ. It is particularly meaningful that my parents, following their own
early experiences of British church life, now take pride in seeing their daughter exercising ministry within
the Church of England.

Today, as an Anglican, Scripture and the historic Christian faith remain my foundation. I believe the Church
flourishes when it stands firmly on biblical truth, calls people to personal holiness, remains open to the
transforming work of the Holy Spirit and embraces the rich diversity of the global Church. Anglican worship,
sacramental life and theological engagement have enriched that foundation.

A Church for oN nil me alton,

Ministry, Professional and Wider Experience

As. a Licensed Reader, I preach, teach and lead worship. My ministry has also included children’s and young people's
groups, Alpha courses, parish prayer and governance, Unconscious Bias training for PCC members and involvement
with the Chester Diocesan Racial Justice Unit.

Before semi-retirement, | had a substantial career in Human Resources, latterly as a senior HR professional and
consultant working primarily with churches and faith-based charities. Advising senior leaders and handling complex
organisational and people matters developed experience in strategic thinking, governance, organisational change,
constructive challenge, equality and inclusion, and navigating differing perspectives with fairness and integrity.

[also serve as Chair of Can-Survive UK, a cancer-support charity working particularly with culturally diverse communities,
bringing further experience of governance, leadership, accountability and partnership working.

Lam also a wife, mother/stepmother and grandmother. My faith has been lived through joy. illness, change, responsibility
and loss, strengthening my conviction that the Church must walk alongside people through the realities of everyday life.

What Matters to Me

I want to see a Church of England that is faithful to Christ, confident in the Gospel and outward-looking.
My particular priorities are:

MISSION & DISCIPLESHIP LAY VOCATION &

Keeping the proclamation of Jesus Christ FUTURE GENERATIONS

and making disciples central. Releasing lay gifts and enabling
children and young people to

RACIAL JUSTICE, DIVERSITY & BELONGING encounter Christ and grow as disciples.

Enabling genuine participation,

representation and leadership. GOOD GOVERNANCE &
STEWARDSHIP

SAFEGUARDING & HEALTHY CHURCH CULTURE Using the Church's people and

Promoting safety, accountability and integrity. ree ey and strategically

Why I Am Standing - and What I Would Bring

lam standing because | care deeply about the present and future of the Church of England and believe my experience can be
of service at an important time.

The Church faces significant missional, theological and organisational challenges: declining participation and engagement
with younger generations; safeguarding and rebuilding trust: racial justice; changing patterns of ministry and stewardship of
resources. It must also navigate profound questions concerning human sexuality and relationships, the authority and interpretation
| of Scripture, and our identity and unity within the worldwide Anglican Communion.

I would approach these matters with biblical faithfulness, prayerful discernment and pastoral sensitivity. Faithful Christians
sometimes reach different conclusions on complex questions. We must listen carefully, speak truthfully, engage prayerfully
with Scripture and evidence, ask difficult questions and disagree respectfully without losing sight of our shared identity and
mission in Christ.

If elected, | would bring leadership and governance experience, strategic thinking, professional HR expertise, commitment to racial
justice and safeguarding, more than a decade of licensed lay ministry, independence of thought and a willingness to engage
constructively with difficult issues. | do not have all the answers. | would come prepared to listen, learn, contribute and serve.

“My hope is for a Church that is increasingly Christ-centred, prayerful, courageous and outward-facing;
that takes Scripture seriously, welcomes people generously, safeguards diligently and equips people to
become disciples; and where different generations, cultures and backgrounds genuinely belong.”

It would be a privilege and serious responsibility to represent the Diocese of Chester in the House of Laity. If entrusted with your
vote, | would seek to serve prayerfully, thoughtfully and with integrity — listening carefully to those | represent while seeking the
wisdom and guidance of God. | would be honoured to have your support.

Nominated by: Ruth Ormiston “Do Justice, love kindness,
Pastoral Worker, St Cuthbert’s Church, Cheadle :

walk humbly with your God.”
Seconded by: Jon Drayton ‘
Operations Manager, $t Mary's Church, Cheadle Parish PCC Micah 6:8

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