accountability,clergy housing,clergy wellbeing,climate change,deaneries,disciples,guiding principles,housing,living in love and faith,mental health,mission,net zero,pcc,prayers of love and faith,sexuality,stipend,vacancy,vocations,women in ministry

MARK WALLACE for General Synod 2026

Please vote for me as your first preference for
General Synod clergy rep for Guildford Diocese.

Vicar, St Mary of Bethany Woking (Woking Deanery) (2017 onwards)

Chair, Consultation subgroup of Guildford Vacancy-in-See Committee (current)

General Synod representative (2024-26)

Area Dean of Woking (2022-26) Pd love to hear from you
Trustee, Engage Woking (2022-24) [email protected]

. . . 07469 170317
Diocese Vocations Advisor (2021-present)
IME tutor (2021-24) | blog at smob.uk/blog
Guildford Diocese Advocate for the Living in Love and Faith programme (2021-23)
Area Dean/Assistant Area Dean of Surrey Heath (2014-17)
Vicar, All Saints Lightwater (Surrey Heath Deanery) (2012-17)
Curate of Christ Church Guildford with St Martha-on-the-Hill (Guildford Deanery) (2008-12)

Who am I?
Brought up in East Finchley, North London.
Christian since early teens, influenced by a great school CU and faith-filled grandparents.
Married with two teenage children.
Worked in book publishing as an editor for eight years (scoring a number-one bestseller
with the classic Gareth Gates: Right from the Start!).
Served in Guildford Diocese for 18 years, in three deaneries.
A naturally optimistic, ‘can-do’ personality. Virtually impossible to shock and remarkably
hard to offend.

Voted to restore clergy pensions to their 2011 level and to introduce a national stipend...

..SO Can we have a CofE-wide commitment to best practice in clergy housing next?
Champion of women in ministry and young clergy; fully committed to the Church's Five
Guiding Principles on women's ministry.

We need better support for single clergy, clergy spouses and families.

Clergy couples, ministers working ‘part-time’ (there’s no such thing!) and those working for
no pay are frequently sidelined in CofE conversations.

We mustn't be afraid of the personal cost of ministry, but we can carry each other's burdens
much more effectively.

Acknowledge the pressures on clergy marriages; and what it means to be single in ministry.
The Clergy Wellbeing Covenant is a landmark document, but too many PCC members have
never heard of it.

Many Bishops, Archdeacons and Area Deans offer excellent pastoral care to clergy, but
some have a lot to learn. General Synod can promote best practice in pastoral care.

Clergy need better accountability, mentoring and pastoral supervision.

A restless interest in mental health; both my parents suffered life-long issues.

As a two-time Area Dean, | worked with,
and advocated for, colleagues from the
full range of theological perspectives
without fear or favour.

| have sat with clergy in tears and | have
been unafraid to grasp nettles in my own
ministry and work with other parishes.

| bring a determination to cut across our
dividing lines, adopting a posture of
listening to and building bridges with
others, and holding my own views
generously.

Woking Deanery grew less ‘pale, male and
stale’ during my time as Area Dean. | seek
to champion those with a less privileged
voice in society than my own.

| voted against the adoption of the
Prayers of Love and Faith and support
efforts to find a way forward on issues of
gender and sexuality which will honour
the diversity of opinion and practice in the
Church of England. A solution is in view
which will enable us all to minister and
flourish in the ways we choose. The thing
we all agree on is that we would like to
stop talking about this issue and move on;
this will only happen with a long-term
settlement in which no one will get
everything they want.

lam happy to support Mark Wallace as a
candidate for General Synod. While we may not
share all of the same theological
understandings, we share a love of church unity
and a desire for all to minister from a place of
good conscience within the love of Christ and
our ecclesiastical structure. | believe Mark is an
excellent priest who will be able to represent
and serve us all; he understands the
differences between shades of church while
adamantly refusing to let these define or
separate us as a group of loving colleagues and
as a diocese of churches. And...| think he will get
good things done and done well!

Rev Sandy Clarke, Vicar of The Bourne and
Tilford (Farnham Deanery), Seconder

Mark is a priest of deep faith, sound judgement,
and considerable pastoral wisdom. Throughout his
ministry he has demonstrated an unwavering
commitment to the Church's mission, combining
theological depth with a practical understanding
of the challenges facing parishes today. His vast
experience of parish ministry and as Area Dean
for Woking has given him a realistic appreciation
of the opportunities and pressures faced by
clergy and congregations alike, ensuring that his
contributions are always grounded in the lived
experience of the local church. He is both
approachable and discerning, willing to ask
difficult questions while remaining gracious and
respectful of those with whom he disagrees.

Fr Roland Olliff, Vicar of All Saints Woodham
(Woking Deanery), Proposer

e |am learning what influence General
Synod can have on public debate.
Having served here for the last three
years, |am keen to continue and
deepen my contribution.

| support fully the Church of England's
aim of doubling the number of children
and young disciples by 2030. Children
are the present of the Church, not the
future.

Climate change is rightly a CofE
priority, as our approach to it is the
fifth mark of mission. Our bold net zero
goal needs to be matched by much
greater support for parishes.

Nurtured a good relationship with our
MP and councillors through Woking
Borough Council's bankruptcy.

Warm, praying relationships with
Woking’s church leaders.

Meet me on this video:
https://youtu.be/H_4FXETTagw
See me speak at General Synod:
https://www.youtube.com/live/DgzkTljWvwl?
sic=mdOqkmJTpBi48gj_&t=8871