General Synod Election Candidates 2026

General Synod Election Address: Mr Peter Sarjeant
Candidate to become an Exeter Diocese lay representative for the 2026-31 Quinquennium
My home parish is that of Dodbrooke: the parish encompasses a
residential part of Kingsbridge and the adjacent rural area, and is a
member of the Kingsbridge Estuary Churches Mission Community.
I have served as churchwarden for a 6-year term and am now the
treasurer & secretary to the PCC, and church verger. My career
was that of a merchant navy officer, latterly serving as Master for
12 years aboard NERC Royal Oceanographic Research Ships.
Alarmed at the amalgamation of rural parishes into ever-larger
benefice groupings, I am standing under the banner of ‘Save the
Parish’ (StP) – a grassroots organisation that seeks to reaffirm the
value of a Christian presence in every community. Our Deanery
(Woodleigh – 30 parishes) has seen a planned reduction in FTE
priest numbers from 6 to 4.5 over the past few years, resulting in an inability to fill a 0.5 post
and a rural dean now ‘overseeing’ 12 churches whilst her own tenure as priest-in-charge has
been extended for up to 3 more years. A strong church requires sure foundations but
financial and other resourcing pressures are causing steady erosion at ground level. ‘Save
the Parish’ offers a concrete set of proposals to support Parish, Priest and People, detailed in
the link General Synod Manifesto 2026 - Save the Parish . A summarised selection of these
interrelated proposals follows; chiming with my vision for future parish ministry.
As a member of General Synod I would support moves to redirect dividends paid out from
endowments (themselves worth £11.6 billion), controlled by the Church Commissioners,
back towards their original purpose – that of supporting ministry in parishes where
assistance is most required. Since 1998, dioceses have had to bear the cost of clergy
pensions without the endowments to fund them. Now 35 dioceses run deficits; 23 hold less
than 3 months’ reserves; 13 have no investment assets they can liquidate**. Release of
funds could stem the cuts in stipendiary priests and eventually reverse the trend towards
larger parish groupings: in the meantime, I favour introduction of a Charter of Care for
Clergy that protects our priests against the potential for mental and physical stress. The
charter would include provision to halt any cuts in stipendiary posts as a means to balance
budgets and also seek to redefine measures of ‘success’: job prospects and security for
parish priests are baseline requirements for a future healthy church. Security of tenure,
however, comes with the responsibility to provide strong parish ministry. To that end, StP
supporters will be campaigning for a review and renewal of theological training that will
aim to produce priests relevant for our times; capable of leading and inspiring growth in the
parish setting.

Lay leadership roles have become increasingly burdensome to the extent that office holders
cannot find replacements and/or vacancies remain unfilled, particularly in more poorly-
resourced parishes. We must simplify the faculty process, dramatically reduce compliance,
make clear the difference between statutory demands and diocesan initiatives, and prioritise
the filling of parish clergy vacancies to avoid congregational decline. In short, we need a
Churchgoers’ Charter.
……………………
As a Cathedral chorister in the ‘60s, mine was an anglo-catholic upbringing, imbued with the
choral tradition. Through life’s journey, however - witnessing the work of the Mission to
Seafarers, mixing with many creeds and cultures at sea and experiencing the joy of
worshipping in different settings during retirement travels around the UK in our old
narrowboat - I have become accepting of a broad church, rooted in Christian love. In
keeping with this, I am supportive of the Living in Love and Faith initiative and the next steps
in this process as proposed by the House of Bishops.
Whilst recognising the challenges of applying climate-related objectives to many of our
Grade 1-listed church buildings, I have been encouraged by the drive towards net-zero,
particularly where practical solutions are facilitated for parishes via, for example, the ‘Quick
Wins’ grants scheme. Utilising such a grant I was able to organise installation of an
innovative low-cost on-pew heating system for Dodbrooke – a first for the Exeter Diocese.
If elected, I would work with members of General Synod, whatever their position on these
or other matters facing the Church, to save the parish system for future generations. As
debate is conducted, it is vital that the Central Church receives constructive contributions
from grassroots level. This is something that I feel called to offer with sincerity, integrity,
diligence and respect.
Thank you for reading this address: if it strikes a chord, then please support me with your
first or high-preference vote. Feel free to contact me if there is anything you wish to discuss.

Peter Sarjeant
[email protected]
07712 189113

** GS 2380, Diocesan Finances Review: Update 2 (February 2025), presented to General Synod.
https://www.savetheparish.com/diocesan-finances-review-update-2025/

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