General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Revd Kevin Parks

E: [email protected]
T: 07961 916 021
A: 258 Milton Road, Cambs, CB4 1LQ

Candidate for House of Clergy

Biography

| offer myself as a candidate for General Synod to serve the Diocese of Ely and the wider
Church. A little about me... | am currently Assistant Curate to the Parishes of Girton and
Madingley. | have been appointed as the next Vicar of Melbourn and Meldreth in South
Cambridgeshire where | hope to be installed in January. Prior to ordination | served 22
years as a Police officer with the Metropolitan Police, most of which | spent in front line
operational policing roles as a Sergeant. | have two sons, Thomas (19) and Lewis (15). | am
married to Joanne, who was a Detective for 16 years but retrained and is now a mental
health nurse. We live with our cat, ‘Bungle’ and our Labrador ‘Bella’ who keep us all very
busy. |am an avid collector of books, and especially enjoy reading poetry, particularly from
the romantic period. | love music, playing piano, travel, and walking through our beautiful
countryside.

My ministry has been shaped by two main strands of Christian tradition. In terms of
churchmanship, I’ve grown up within the Anglo-Catholic tradition, and | continue to value
its sacramental depth, its sense of beauty in worship, and its conviction that the liturgy
forms the Christian life. At the same time, my theological instincts are firmly Reformed: I’m
shaped by a strong commitment to the authority of Scripture, the centrality of grace, anda
desire for evangelism that is both doctrinally clear and pastorally grounded.

Living in that intersection has given me a ministry that is sacramentally rooted, biblically
serious, and pastorally attentive. | feel most at ease today in that middle space; drawing on
the richness of the Catholic tradition while remaining anchored in Reformed theology. |
feelit’s a place where Word and Sacrament, beauty and truth, tradition and reform all
meet in a way that feels both faithful and life-giving. | passionately believe that in
justification the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer, so that there is no sense
in which a believer contributes to their own righteousness in order to be justified. Rather,
the Christian life is a response to God’s free justification, not part of it. And as such, in
response to that free gift, | offer myself to serve on General Synod.

My priorities on General Synod

1: Mission

Jesus Christ and the mission of the church must be at the heart of all that we do.
Evangelism is foundational. | want the church to be confident in sharing the good news,
both through intentional outreach and through everyday relationships. Therefore,
evangelism, conversion, discipleship and prayer must be front and centre of national
strategy. | aim to see that every initiative in General Synod is challenged by the
following question: Will this help local churches proclaim and live the Gospel?

2: Parish Ministry

Growth cannot be assumed to flow from centralised systems and initiatives. National
policy needs to be designed around the realities of parish clergy and volunteers. It is
essential that we sustain a thriving, cradle-to-grave, parish system with well trained
clergy providing regular worship, pastoral care, and sacraments, fully embedded in and
serving their local communities. This model must continue to serve rural, deprived and
sparsely populated communities. | aim to see that every initiative in General Synod is
challenged by the following question: How will this serve and sustain parish ministry
across the whole Church?

3: Human sexuality and marriage

General Synod will inevitably continue to debate sexuality. | uphold the biblical and historic
Christian understanding of marriage and | will seek to defend it. | will work towards a
settlement that permits faithful ministry without pretending that contradictory theological
positions are equally true. | wish to bring the current ambiguity to an end. But in doing so, |
promise to defend the freedom of conscience and ministry of clergy who hold different
theological convictions. | promise to represent my Diocese, and not merely factions within
it. On this issue | will always ask the the following questions: Does this uphold the churches
current teaching? And... does this treat people with dignity, charity and respect?

4: Supporting clergy and vocations

Healthy churches require healthy leaders. My convictions around priesthood and lay
ministry are shaped by a strong belief in the shared vocation of the whole people of God. |
am passionate about ministry for both men and women, and | value the diversity of gifts,
backgrounds, and theological perspectives that enrich the Church. | will advocate
sustainable workloads, proper rest, good pastoral support, sound theological formation
and a renewed confidence in ordained and lay vocation. | will always challenge national
strategy with the following question: Does this help support and release the gifts of the
whole people of God?

Final thought

| want to serve on General Synod not as the representative of a faction, but as a priest of
the Diocese of Ely: listening carefully, arguing clearly, voting conscientiously and reporting
honestly to those who elect me. | seek to faithfully represent you all. | would be grateful for
your support and your prayers.

Nominated: Revd Michael Bigg, Rector of Girton and Madingley: Seconded: Revd Ben Barton, Assistant curate, Histon

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