General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Ashleigh Hull
Youth worker
Member of PCC for St Paul’s Leamington Spa
Member of Deanery Synod for Warwick & Leamington
Trustee for True Freedom Trust
Emerging Generations Lead at Living Out (www.livingout.org)

Why I Am Standing for General Synod
I joined St Paul’s in early 2023, having moved from Surrey, where I grew up attending a
non-denominational church. I have long loved many aspects of the Anglican Church –
the ancient liturgy, the space for reflection and contemplation – and in joining one have
found even more to love.
When I learned that this election for General Synod was coming up, I was keen to throw
my hat in the ring. I have come to care deeply about the Church of England, the many
forms of worship and types of community represented within the communion, and I
would be delighted to be a voice helping to shape our future together as a church.
I joined the PCC for my local church in 2024, feeling honoured to be in the room
whether we’re discussing unglamorous things like boilers or more exciting things like
vision and missional strategy. I see it as a great privilege and responsibility to be on the
PCC, and I want to play my part in representing the wider church as fully as I am able. I
feel the same about the possibility of sitting on General Synod, and if elected, would be
keen to hear from you and those in your churches about their views, passions, and how
we can best serve the Lord Jesus together.

Particular Passions
Young people: I have been a youth worker since I was 21 (so for almost 15 years now)
and I have a particular passion for helping young people to understand the Bible and to
know Jesus for themselves.
I love the Church of England’s goal to double the number of children and young active
disciples in the Church of England by 2030, and if elected, would seek to be a voice
both for those young people and for those who serve them, whether parents, children’s
workers or youth leaders.

Church witness in sexuality: As someone who experiences same-sex attraction, I
have wrestled long and hard with the Bible’s teaching in this area. I hold to (and
consider beautiful) the traditional Christian sexual ethic, that marriage is the union of
one man and one woman and that the only context for sex is within that union.
I am passionate about seeing same-sex attracted people encouraged, single people
included, married people supported and the church as a whole able to flourish in the
area of sexuality. One way I do this is through my day job, as a part of the ministry of
Living Out (www.livingout.org). I would also love to be a voice for the many people like
me within the Anglican communion, and General Synod is an opportunity for me to be
that.

Jesus Christ: Our nation desperately needs the good news of Jesus, and we are called
to be the ones who share it. We must work together to find creative new ways to
proclaim the ancient truths of his life, death, resurrection and ascension to our ever-
shifting culture.
Through our love for one another we prove to be his disciples (John 13:35). We must
treat one another with honour, kindness, and grace. In disagreement, we must seek to
listen well and truly understand the other person’s perspective, and work to arrive at a
consensus.
Ultimately, all of this is to bring glory to the Lord Jesus. It is his church, his body, and we
have the joyous responsibility of serving one another and the world around us in
obedience to him. All of my work on General Synod will be for this ultimate goal.

Thank you for taking the time to read this address, and for considering me as your
representative in General Synod. I would be honoured if you would support me in this
election by giving me your first preference vote.

anglican communion,disciples,good news,liturgy,marriage,missional,pcc,same sex,sexuality,traditional,witness,young people,youth,youth worker