General Synod Election Candidates 2026

KIRSTEN WATSON
Standing for House of Laity of
the General Synod
Nominator: Dr. Charlotte Labalette (Cambridge North Deanery Synod Member)
Seconder: Canon Dr. Felicity Cooke (General Synod Member 2021-2026)
I am standing for General Synod because I have
received a lot of love and care from the Church of
England. I am in my fourth year on Cambridge
North Deanery Synod, and now that my children
are older, I have more time and energy to give
back to the church.
I grew up with a Roman Catholic mother and an Anglican father, and one of my earliest faith memories
was asking my father why he, as a protestant, always said he believed in ‘one holy Catholic church’. His reply,
that catholic means universal and that the Church of England is for everyone, has always been very
influential in how I view the way Christianity should be lived. We live in love, and we live in God. I spent the
next several decades in the Roman Catholic church, occasionally worshipping in other churches, and
enjoying the differences of opinion that come from communication with people of other denominations. It
was years later, in lockdown, with a new baby, I realised that I needed a more systematically inclusive church
for my family. At that time, I worshipped at a variety of churches and feel that I learned a lot, and gained a
lot of experience in listening to people from different faith traditions. It was in this period that I started to
worship regularly at Great St Mary’s in Cambridge. I have very much found a home at Great St Mary’s and in
the Church of England.
Dear Friend
I would greatly appreciate your first choice vote.
My Faith Journey.
My Background.
I am a student, studying part time with the Open University for a BA in Arts and Humanities with
a focus on Religious Studies. I am the creche worker at Great St Mary’s, working with the very
youngest of our parish and their families, and before that I have worked as a teaching assistant at
an RC school and also in a non-denominational Christian playgroup. I have a love for knowledge
and a passion for sharing that knowledge. I have an interest in interfaith work; my partner is a
trainee rabbi, so I have a lot of experience of Bible study and worship from very different
viewpoints. I also attend the Cambridge Interfaith Connection group, which works towards a
greater understanding between people of different faith traditions. My interfaith experience allows
me to have a better understanding of people with differing worship styles and theological
positions. I am on the pastoral care committee of my church, and so I work and pray with people
from a broad spectrum of our church community. We are all members of one body, and it is an
honour and a joy to be able to be part of this body and to grow together with the whole church
community.

The importance of listening. I believe that my close connections with people of
different faiths, as well as my experience in other denominations, allows me to be
more open to listening, compromising and cooperating with people of other
viewpoints. I think that we as a church community need cooperation and good,
active listening to be able to navigate our way through the tricky issues of the
moment. The Church of England has always been a church designed to
accommodate a wide variety of views, and now, perhaps more than ever, we are
facing a variety of issues which could divide us. I believe that the strength of the
Church of England is, and has always been, the fact that within the church we
can listen to each other, pray with each other, hold space for each other, and
ultimately come to agreements. I believe the church is one of love, and that we
can lovingly move forward together as one. We live in a multicultural community,
and I believe that we as a church can celebrate that, and help to build a
community based on mutual respect and understanding. I believe that when
two differing opinions come together, there is space for cooperation, and it is in
the space around our differences that we can hear the voice of God; it is in the
respectful sharing of views that we can come together to an understanding.
There is more that unites us than divides us.
Inclusivity. My passion is for inclusivity within the church. I made a positive
choice to be a member of the Church of England because I, like my Anglican
forebears, think it is important that the Church of England be a home for
everyone, without exception. I believe that people should be celebrated in the
church, regardless of disability, economic background, ethnicity, sexuality, gender
identity and expression, learning disability, health, or neurodiversity. Everyone can
have a home in the Church of England, and I am committed to equality for all, at
all levels, and in all roles within the church. That is the beauty of our church family,
that is our strength, and that is what I promise to uphold.
Climate Change. In 2022 James Tama, Bishop of Vanuatu and New Caledonia,
addressed the Lambeth Council. “My islands are sinking,” he said, “but no one is
listening.” It was also in 2022 that General Synod approved a road map to Net Zero
by 2030. As a church, we have the capacity to make a change. We can lead public
engagement and provide educational outreach on this issue. We can improve
biodiversity in our churchyards. We can give support to communities who want to
engage through the Church of England Environment Programme. We can use
our global nature to move people, training, and resources where they might best
serve all. I believe it is imperative that we listen to the Global Majority when they
tell us what they need and that wealthier nations need to take the lead in
systemic change to save our planet. We are custodians of the earth and all that is
in it, and I believe that issues of climate justice will be key to the next few years of
the work of General Synod. We all have a lot of work to do to act justly, live
faithfully, and walk humbly with God.
I'd love to listen to you too; please be in touch at [email protected]

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