General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Sam Wilson
General Synod 2026 election address
Proposer: Esme Hammer, Parish of Broadheath (Bowdon Deanery)
Seconder: Alan Dowen, Parish of Ashton Hayes (Chester Deanery)
Dear electors,
I am standing in the 2026 General Synod elections, and I
would love to have your support and your vote to be able to
continue to represent our Diocese on the national stage!
About me
I’m 28 and I work as Parish Missioner for Youth & Discipleship for the Parish of Bowdon here in the
Diocese of Chester. I have been involved in youth work since I first became a Christian at 16, and I
am blessed to have been working full time in lay ministry for the last seven years. From leading
services, to running the messiest youth group activities, to serving on Bishops’ Council, there is not
an area of church life nor excuse to talk about Jesus I will not get involved in!
I work for a very vibrant church with a real mixture of the modern and the traditional, bringing
people together of many different backgrounds – children and young people included! From messy
church to robed choir BCP, I have loved being involved in every part of our worship and seeing how
these different styles all praise God in different ways. Throughout my journey of faith, I have
worshipped in churches of all shapes and sizes, from the inner-city to the rural, and the high to the
low, which has helped me to recognise that although there is one path to God through Jesus, that
path can look and feel different to everyone. This is one of the greatest strengths of our Church of
England, and I want to continue to help every parish thrive. I will do this for you on General Synod.
My record
In 2021, you chose to elect me as one of your General Synod representatives. I was the second-
youngest, having never served even on a deanery synod. I attempted to repay your faith by
working hard, getting involved in every area of Synod. In just five years I have:

Submitted countless questions, scrutinising national bodies and raising important issues.

Successfully brought a motion that has enabled young people to be more involved in the
national leadership of our church, not just as fodder for glossy brochures!

Revised and steered legislation that has strengthened our safeguarding arrangements and
reduced bureaucracy for the average parish so they can get on with raising disciples.

Cast hundreds of votes, spoken dozens of times, and engaged with a wider range of people
than I ever thought possible. I have attended every session and read every paper.

Served as one of the twelve chairs of General Synod, the youngest in its history, in a role
that requires fairness and engagement with every part of our Church. I have a solid
understanding of the processes and how to best effect change in a complicated institution.
I see, amongst all the detail and debates, that God continues to be at work in our Church. I hope I
can continue to be someone who engages with everyone, who works across divides, and uses a seat
on General Synod to continue to address the sorts of problems churches across our diocese face,
particularly from a lay perspective. We must honour both our over-burdened clergy and our
hardworking volunteers who hold our parishes together. We must continue to pray.
When I stood five years ago, I promised I would campaign for more support to be given to poorer
parishes with national funds deployed well, for young people to be better engaged with, for a
more inclusive Church, whose doors are open to all, especially LGBT+ Christians. These issues
remain key as I stand again, with the support of both Inclusive Church and Save the Parish.
28 of 31

What do I believe?
A Missional Church

Equipping every parish – not every parish can afford children or
youth workers, nor well-maintained and resourced buildings. The
Church should do more to properly deploy Church Commissioners’
funds so that poorer or smaller parishes aren’t left behind. Often the
parishes with the smallest numbers on the electoral roll have the
hardest-working people, and they should be equipped and supported,
not left to burn out. I supported our Diocesan Motion to review this
funding and would continue to campaign for a fairer Church.

Working more with young people – with three-quarters of practising Christians today reporting
that they came to faith before the age of 18, for our Church to grow, we must look outwards to
young people who have a deep desire to explore the big questions of life yet feel they have
nowhere to go. I believe the Church should use its wealth to invest in the next generation. If
elected, I would remain one of the youngest members of Synod and bring a perspective that
continues to not be seen or heard enough at a national level.

Supporting the most vulnerable – the vast majority of our churches are involved in running or
supporting a food bank or other similar services, responding to the deep need throughout our
communities. I believe the Church should push for this work to continue where it is badly
needed and equip parishes. This also includes protecting our own clergy, guarding them from
poverty. I voted for better pensions and stipends, but more action is needed.

Using our church buildings – many beautiful churches across the country sit empty for the
majority of the time. Our churches should serve as tools for mission and be set free with the
resources needed to make this happen. We act surprised when we struggle to fill vacancies for
both clergy and lay positions – we must support hard-working volunteers.
An Inclusive and Safe Church

Creating accessible spaces – disabilities come in many different forms, but all of us are
created in the image of God and no one should feel excluded. The Church should help parishes
be more accessible not just physically, but also in our ministry.

Promoting ministers of different backgrounds – for our parishes to welcome people of all
backgrounds, our parishes ought to be led by people of all backgrounds, especially those of
working-class backgrounds or from minority ethnic groups. I believe the Church should help
more clergy candidates and lay leaders who have a calling to minister feel free to step
forward.

Improving safeguarding – the reports over recent years have demonstrated that we have a
huge way to go in ensuring all children and vulnerable adults are protected within our Church. I
voted for and continue to call for oversight of our safeguarding procedures to be placed into a
fully independent body that has the power to step in where needed. We cannot delay.

Supporting LGBT+ Christians – as a youth worker, I have unfortunately seen many young
people under the assumption that the Church today continues to see LGBT+ people as sinful
and irreversibly broken and that we are no home for them. It is hard to reassure people of our
willingness to welcome them fully when our view as a Church on this issue can be cold and
convoluted. Often LGBT+ issues are seen as an academic topic for argument rather than
something that deeply touches the lives of real people.
The Church must do more to help LGBT+ people feel loved
and supported whatever specific parishes may believe. My
experience of being part of the national LLF working groups,
of engaging constructively with those I disagree with, is
something I would continue to bring to General Synod.
If you would like to talk to me further, please email me at [email protected].
29 of 31

bcp,church commissioners,disciples,discipleship,electoral roll,food bank,inclusive,inclusive church,lgbt,llf,messy church,mission,missional,next generation,poverty,safeguarding,save the parish,traditional,working class,young people,youth,youth group,youth work,youth worker,youth workers