General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Jenni Crewes
Nominated by:
The Rev’d Canon Louise Shaw
Seconded by:
The Rev’d Paul Hinton

I feel called to serve on General Synod because I love
God and care deeply about the church both now and
what it looks like in the future. I feel I have the
experience, time and skill to do so at this point in my
life and I am committed to be a voice for the Diocese of
Birmingham. I would welcome your first preference
vote.
Who am I?
Having recently turned 40 I thought life might slow
down, however I have so much energy and joy in
ministry, friendships and riding my bike or hitting the
trails for a long run! I was baptised in my parish church
as a baby and have been part of the Anglican church
since, including the Scottish Episcopal Church whilst I
was a student. Since I was a child, my faith has grown
and developed, and I have always found the breadth of
the Church of England to be an enabling body for my
trust in God to be challenged, deepen and develop. I
have worshipped in churches of various traditions and
styles, always finding space to use my gifts and skills in
various activities, such as in youthwork, serving on
PCC, leading and preaching. I have been in the Diocese
of Birmingham most of my adult life, arriving in 2009 as
a theology graduate to work for The Feast, doing
interfaith work with young people. Through helping
young people live well
with difference and
working closely with
churches of many
traditions I felt a calling
to leadership and
sacramental ministry. I
trained for this at the
Queen’s Foundation
and was ordained in
1.

I have been the incumbent at St Hilda, Warley Woods a
little over 6 years. I came to this post after serving
curacy in an outer estate parish in East Birmingham
which was a real joy. I am passionate about parish
ministry and enjoy the challenges and privileges of
many occasional offices, working with schools and
being part of a diverse community. It has been a
privilege to see this church grow both numerically and
in love for Jesus and others. Many of our new members
have joined as a result of funeral and wedding ministry,
and have found the church to be a place of peace,
hope and a community to safely explore what it means
to follow Jesus. Since curacy I have continued to
support the diocese in interfaith work, working closely
with Canon Dr Andrew Smith, whose work through The
Feast first bought me to the region. I have also been
part of a team offering training for Curates, Lay
Readers and I currently have the joy of serving as a
training incumbent.

Why Synod?
The church is called to proclaim the gospel to every
generation and I feel a privilege to be a part of that.
Being a priest in God’s church has taught me so much
about the value of the parish church and faithfulness of
its members, and I am convinced God works through
us. By serving on Synod I feel I can listen and gain
insight from the work of God’s Spirit across the
dioceses as well as bring my own experience and
expertise. Having worked across traditions and in
interfaith I am able to sit with difference whilst holding
my own convictions and sharing them with respect.
Colleagues tell me I am courageous and not afraid to
speak up against injustice; if elected I will use my voice
to advocate for those people who are often excluded;
working class, LGBT community members and BME
amongst others.
Those nominating me say ….

I am committed to equality for everyone, at all levels
and roles within the church, regardless of disability,
economic power, ethnicity, sex, gender identity,
learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or
sexuality. It grieves me that as a church we historically
and currently we do not always do this well and I am
deeply committed to learning from every story and
working towards a church that really does reflect this. I
am always transparent with my theological views on
this and am happy to answer any questions you have
before you vote.

Over the next 5 years Synod will have a lot to work on;
continuing discussions on our ecological mission and
responsibility, supporting and encouraging vocations
from working class backgrounds and the next steps
following Living in Love and Faith. We need to work
together on Safeguarding, continuing to transform the
culture of the church. I bring both passion and
experience to these areas of ministry, having been
involved in training Lay Readers and Curates, leading
my current church to join Inclusive Church and
becoming a Silver Eco Church. If elected I would also
be keen to be involved in conversations around how
we continue to work alongside neighbours of other
faiths, particularly as we see more polarisation and the
rise of islamophobia and antisemitism. I am also very
open to other areas and responsibilities that God might
call me into.
‘I have no hesitation in proposing Jenni to
serve on General Synod. I have always
found her to be a person of integrity;
combining strong values with a caring and
listening attitude. Jenni has at her core love
for God. I believe Jenni will bring energy,
depth of thinking and significant
ministerial experience to Synod.’

Rev’d Canon Louise Shaw
Area Dean - Coleshill and Polesworth
‘Jenni brings a life-giving, serious-minded and
open-hearted commitment to the Church of
England. She has demonstrated throughout
her ministry, both lay and ordained, a profound
and courageous determination to learn with
humility from others as well as to use her voice
fearlessly. I commend her to you,’

Rev’d Paul Hinton
Head of Ministry Formation
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions and would like to know more about my views.
You can call, WhatsApp or email: [email protected] / 07377 363915

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