General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Candidate for the House of Laity – General Synod 2026–2031
Dear General Synod Lay Elector,
I am standing for General Synod because I believe God has given me an opportunity — and
responsibility — to help the Church of England move forward into more of what he has for us.
My life has increasingly been about helping people and organisations move forward: as a
foster carer, church leader, teacher and school leader, charity trustee, and COO of HOPE
Coventry. At the heart of all I do is a conviction that prayer must come first. We cannot simply
plan our way into the future God has for us. We need to listen to God, pray together, discern his
leading and then faithfully act, whilst continuing to pray His Kingdom come. Prayer precedes and
changes things.
My story
I am married to Susie and we have three boys, aged 4, 13 and 14. We are foster carers and have
welcomed 15 children into our home. It is a privilege to play whatever part we can in their journeys
and has helped shape my understanding of calling: sometimes our role is simply to help someone
take their next step - invest, nurture, help grow and then release into what is next for them.
I am the Lay Leader of St John’s Westwood. Before joining St John’s, I led Hope Springs
Church, a non-denominational church with a particular calling to be “a church for churches” —
using what God had given us to resource and encourage others. Just over two years ago, following
prayer and a strong sense of God’s leading, we planted the “seed” of Hope Springs into St John’s,
guided by Jesus’ words in John 12:24. Hope Springs ceased to exist as a church, and we became
part of St John’s - believing that the DNA of Hope Springs would fuse with that of St Johns leading
to multiplication!
We fell in love with St John’s. It felt like home and, importantly, we discovered a very similar calling:
to resource, enable and encourage others so that the wider Church can flourish. Serving as
Lay Leader has given me the privilege of seeing what can happen when lay leadership is trusted,
empowered and properly accountable within the Church of England. Over the last two years we
have seen:
•
around 30 additional students, with student numbers increasing at least threefold;
•
a new football ministry, with more than 50 young men, many with no previous connection to
church, involved and showing a hunger for community and to discover more about Jesus;
•
multiple baptisms; and people returning to faith and church after many years away;
•
many missional events such as our Easter Adventure, Christmas Quiz, Summer Festival and
Fireworks community event, which saw a combined attendance of around 1000 people;
and
•
St John’s having the privilege of increasingly supporting other churches with worship, mission
and practical resources.
I do not claim these as personal achievements. They are the fruit of many people faithfully playing
their part and, ultimately, God's grace. What they have demonstrated to me is the potential of lay
and ordained leadership working together in partnership. This growth has happened with the
accountability to, support and empowerment of ordained clergy.
For me, empowered lay leadership is not about replacing ordained ministry. It is about releasing
the gifts of the whole people of God, with appropriate oversight and accountability, so that there
is a mutual support and enabling of clergy and lay. I believe this has real potential across the
Church of England, particularly as more people appear open and hungry for the Gospel. We need
structures that provide safety and good governance while also being agile enough to respond to
missional opportunities, which includes the growing and releasing of leaders (lay and ordained),
to meet the God inspired missional opportunities proactively. I hope modelling empowered lay
leadership myself will help inspire others to step forward as well.

What I hope to bring
Prior to my current roles at St Johns and with HOPE, I spent 15 years teaching and leading in
three secondary schools, including as a Director of Sixth Form. I have served as a governor of
Templars Primary School and as a trustee of Street Pastors and Coventry City Mission, giving
me experience of governance, accountability and working through complex structures.
Alongside my current role at St Johns, I am the COO of HOPE Coventry, where I work with
churches, denominations and communities across the denominational spectrum. I am passionate
about church unity and about helping each part of the Church be all God has called it to be. Within
this role I have the joy to help facilitate spaces for churches to pray, worship, build relationships
and work together, including involvement in leading City Praise & Prayer, HOPE Leaders
gatherings, youth initiatives, Youth Leaders and Wellbeing Hubs, and projects such as Good
Neighbours, CAP and Healing on the Streets.
I am particularly excited by what God is doing among young people across our city and nation.
Through initiatives including Youth City Praise & Prayer, Coventry Youth Conference and No More
Knives tours, I have seen the Church work together to create space for young people to lead, pray
and encounter Jesus. I have also worked with churches across Coventry to see almost 5,000
Gospels of Mark placed into people's hands, alongside partnerships with organisations including
Lighthouse, Foodbank, Feed the Hungry, Hope into Action and Embrace.
Why General Synod?
General Synod carries significant responsibility as the Church of England's national legislative and
representative body. I want to bring a perspective shaped by experience across the church
spectrum, with a particular commitment to:
Prayer and mission — keeping prayer and listening to God at the heart of our national life, and
ensuring our structures serve our calling to proclaim Jesus and serve our communities.
Empowered lay leadership — releasing the gifts of lay people and leaders alongside strong
ordained leadership, accountability and good governance.
Unity — building relationships across theological, denominational and cultural differences, seeking
consensus where possible and learning to disagree graciously where necessary. I also believe that
people with differing convictions must be treated with dignity, listened to carefully and engaged with
graciously and truthfully.
Children, young people and families — ensuring they are not simply the future of the Church but
an important part of its life and mission now.
Healthy governance and safeguarding — ensuring that good structures protect people and
create the confidence in which healthy mission can flourish.
If elected
I will seek to represent all lay people across Coventry Diocese, not simply those who share my
views. I will listen, be accessible and communicate regularly about what is happening at Synod. I
will seek your views and be willing to attend Deanery gatherings and meet with electors. I do not
have all the answers. I do bring a willingness to pray, listen, learn, work hard, build relationships
and help the Church move forward. I believe God has given the Church of England an
extraordinary opportunity in this season. I would be honoured to serve you and the wider Church
on General Synod.
Many thanks
Steve Elton

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