General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Relationships, Sexuality and Gender
I long for the full inclusion of LGBTQI+ Christians in the church. I rejoiced when Living in Love and Faith was
launched and was disappointed that the last Synod didn’t make the progress many had hoped for.
As a member of Together for the Church of England, I am committed to supporting the work of the
Relationships, Sexuality and Gender Working and Pastoral Consultative groups to work for the day when
the love shared between same sex couples as a gift from God which can be celebrated and blessed within
Church and for clergy to be able to enter into a same sex marriage without facing punitive consequences
for their ministry. I’m committed to clergy being able to act according to their consciences and will always
vote to protect freedom of conscience.
Nominated by
Rev. Rev Janet Williams, Foundations in Ministry
Programme Manager – Diocese of Guildford
Seconded by
Rev. Sarah Hutton, Area Dean of Cranleigh
Barnaby Perkins
for General Synod
About me
I have lived in Surrey for most of my life and was a Guildford
ordinand. I served my curacy in the centre of Guildford and have
been the Rector of East and West Clandon for the last 13 years.
While I’m part of the Liberal Catholic tradition of the Church of England,
I have a broad experience in my own faith background having grown up a
Roman Catholic and rediscovering my faith in my late teens in a conservative
evangelical church. I am definitely not a ‘tribal’ person: I value the gifts God has given to
every tradition and individual and I want to remain open to receiving from those who are different to me.
I have served on General Synod for the past two years, and have enjoyed the opportunity to be involved
with some important work on the environment, gender and sexuality, and the liturgical work General
Synod has recently undertaken. It has been a great honour to represent the clergy of the Diocese of
Guildford and I would love to be given the opportunity to carry on this work for the next five years.
Over the past sixteen years of ministry, both as a parish priest and (briefly) a school chaplain, I have grown
in my belief in the importance of clergy being on the ground, embedded within their communities, with
great support from their diocese. It is a vital way of energising all God’s people in the work of mission and
ministry. I have a particular love for rural communities and the opportunities to share the gospel of God’s
love that being a priest in a rural setting brings.
I have served the diocese by teaching on the Local Ministry Programme (now St Martha’s College), as
young vocations champion, serving on the DAC, and being part of the group that worked with Bishop
Andrew on Transforming Church : Transforming Lives.
My commitment
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.
For me, inclusion means that everyone is welcome. No exceptions.
I want the Church of England to be a place where all people can explore their faith in safe communities,
where they will be celebrated for who God made them to be and can experience the fullness of life Jesus
came to bring. The church should be a place where all people can truly belong and not just fit in.

What colleagues say
“I had the great privilege of Barnaby being my Placement Supervisor 2 years ago during ordination training
and he has kept in touch, supported me and prayed for my husband and I ever since! I know Barnaby to be a
compassionate, caring, committed member of the clergy who will make a wonderful addition to General Synod
because he lives and breathes the everyday challenges and spiritual needs of the Parish. He has a wonderful
pastoral heart, is relational and cares deeply for the local community. I have found Barnaby to be someone who is
prayerful, listens with an open mind and is not afraid to contribute to discussions with clarity and gentle authority.
I cannot recommend him highly enough for General Synod.”
Revd Janet Williams
“Barnaby brings pastoral and ecclesiastical experience matched with intellect and a heart for Jesus’ vision of a
church which truly welcomes everyone, with open arms.”
Revd Sarah Hutton
Thank you for taking the time to read my statement. I would be grateful for your first preference vote.
If you have any questions you can contact me by calling or texting 07801 891 960, or emailing [email protected]
What I care about
As a synod member standing for re-election, I have a good awarness of the challenges of the next five
years of Synod. I believe I can make a difference because…
I care about the environment — During this quinqenium we will continue work towards the Church of
England’s 2030 net-zero targets. As an experienced member of Guildford’s DAC and a parish priest, I know
the practical diffiuculties in hitting these targets with listed buildings and limited finances. My experience
will help me work for practical ways to help churches progress towards net-zero.
I care about clergy well-being — Demands on clergy are increasing. I want proper support and care for
all clergy, including SSMs and those with PTO. These include the retired clergy upon whom the Church of
England so heavily relies. I have worked on Synod in the last two years to ensure proper pension provision
for clergy. I will continue to support movements which seek to improve clergy well-being.
I care about safeguarding — The Church of England has failed victims and survivors of abuse. Over the
life of the next synod safeguarding reforms will be implemented and we will have the opportunity to
work towards embracing a truly independent safeguarding system which places listening to victims
and survivors at the heart of our processes. I voted for independence in the last Synod. I will continue
supporting and working towards independence.
I care about the future of ministry formation — TEIs are under pressure with fewer ordinands, rising
costs and struggles to meet the demands of the church as well as ensuring well rounded formation. I
have taught at a TEI, mentored ordinands and understand the importance of theological and spiritual
formation. I will bring this experience to debates during this quinquenium over the future shape of trainng
for ministry.
What I can I offer
Experience — I have served on General Synod for the past two years. I have built a good knowledge of how
Synod works and the challenges we face. I can continue to build on the networks and connections I have
made during this time.
Approachability — I have been around a while and people know me well. Clergy are happy to contact me if
they think I can be an advocate on General Synod for something they care about. I want to continue to be
approachable and available to clergy colleagues.
Collaborative working — I work well with Christians of different traditions and theological views, with an
ability to find areas of commonality and creative paths forward. I would love to be able to continue to use
these gifts on General Synod.

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