General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Gloucestershire Diocese 2026 General Synod Election Address House of Laity

James Chantler-Mayne
Highlights

e Worships at St Andrew’s Churchdown
e Believe the Church of England’s top priorities should be:
o Youth and young adults’ engagement and discipleship
o Community outreach and local mission
o Financial sustainability
o Church unity

Hey, I'm James. I'm a 26 year-old accountant, with a passion for | te). 97473987631

youth work. | attend St Andrew’s church in Churchdown.
Email: [email protected]
| was born in Cheltenham and | grew up going to church. | went
Address: 44 Pelham Crescent,

Churchdown, GL3 2BN

to university in Loughborough to study business management
and to pursue a career in triathlon. During this time, | stopped

attending church. After numerous injuries, | retired from

triathlon and started my career in accountancy. After returning to Gloucestershire, | started
attending church and gave my life to Jesus 3 years ago. | have been involved with the youth
ministry for the past 3 years and leading church services for the past year. Most of my spare
time is still taken up with running and cycling, along with youth work and discipleship.

| am passionate about standing on general synod so that younger people have a voice to
shape the future of our church. | believe my experience in both youth work and finance will
enable me to contribute to and offer ideas towards tackling two of the biggest areas that our
church faces. The key areas that | feel | can contribute towards at general synod are:

Youth and young adult engagement:

Youth ministry is one of the most critical areas of church and engagement is essential for
future leadership and sustainability. Youth are looking for community and purpose, which
youth groups and out-reach can offer. My experience in helping to lead youth groups and
school Christian unions could offer insight into what youth value in churches. We need to
help churches build sustainable youth ministries, to support volunteers and to build
partnerships with schools

Young adult provision in churches outside of university cities is rare. With greater costs
associated with university, more young adults are staying at home where there is often a
void after youth group. Statistics show that around 70% of young adults who regularly
attend church as teenagers, walk away during their transition into being a young adult. | will

Gloucestershire Diocese 2026 General Synod Election Address House of Laity

champion extra funding for young adult ministries to help them thrive in their formative
years.

Financial Sustainability

Many dioceses and parishes face increasing financial pressure and spending beyond their
means. With the cost of living increasing, worshippers are struggling more with giving.
Therefore, | would like to see stable, transparent funding for all. As an accountant, | believe |
can offer insight into more realistic budgeting and forecasting. | would also like to help offer
solution for new revenue forms and reducing costs, for example hiring buildings out for
events, and transitioning towards more lay led ministries. This is especially important for
more rural churches where there are multiple churches for one vicar.

Community Outreach and Local Mission

In the current difficult financial climate, the local church's work to help those most in need
through food banks, warm spaces, toddler groups and pastoral care is vital to the community
and showcasing the gospel. | would love to see these continue to thrive and for more
opportunities to be enabled. | would love to see all churches where all are welcomed and
loved. Therefore, | would like to see a more unified church one key issues and work towards
amore cohesive, constructive culture.

Thank you for reading this election address and please feel free to contact me if you have
any questions. If you decide to vote for me, | would very much appreciate the highest
preference vote that you feel able to give me.

Yours in Christ,

James

Proposer: Andrew Smith

Seconder: Paul Hobbs

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