General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Rev’d Kat Gregory-Witham
Who am I?
•
Follower of Jesus!
•
Associate Priest, St Matthew’s Burnley
•
Ordained Pioneer Minister, ordained deacon in 2019, priest in 2020
•
Youth Worker prior to ordination
•
Live with my partner, Esther, and big black lurcher, Che
•
Netball player, hill walker, slow Parkrunner!
Why do I feel called to serve on General Synod?
Since my teenage years in the Youth Council for Derby Diocese, I have felt called by God to
work for a positive and faithful future for the Church of England. I’ve been fortunate to
experience a diverse range of ministries within the Church of England including prison
chaplaincy, hospital chaplaincy and church schools. I believe as a Church we are well placed
to continue to point people to Jesus across our nation and I am passionate about creating
opportunities for a people to encounter God. Since the beginning of this year, I have been
thinking about the importance of General Synod and have been encouraged to consider
standing. After prayer and discussion, I believe God is asking me to offer to serve in this way.
Skills & Experiences:
• Chair of Church of England Youth Council (CEYC) from Nov 2010 – Nov 2012 including
observing General Synod and supporting the elected CEYC representatives
• Church of England delegate at the 14th General Assembly of the Conference of
European Churches (CEC) in Budapest, 2013
• Diocesan Youth Officer for the Diocese of Blackburn 2012-2016, this role involved
supporting churches across the theological spectrum in various different contexts
• Experience of the wider Anglican Communion - Visited the Diocese of the Free State in
2014 and co-led a Pilgrimage of 20 young people there in 2016
• BA (Hons) Christian Youth Work, BA (Hons) Theology & Religion, MA Theology & Ministry
• Member of the Diocesan Board of Finance Audit Risk and Governance Committee Jan
2024-present day, this role involves assessing a broad range of risks faced by church

Nominated by:

Rev’d Carol Backhouse, Vicar: Christ
Church, Lancaster; Area Dean: Lancaster
& Morecambe -
“Kat speaks for many whose voices would
not often be heard at Synod. She's
passionate about welcoming people to faith,
and making church accessible and inclusive
for those closest to Christ's heart. Please give
her your number 1 vote.”
Rev’d Alex Frost, Vicar: St Matthew’s,
Burnley; Priest in Charge: St John’s, Cliviger –
“Having worked alongside Rev Kat for many
years, I can honestly say she is an outstanding
candidate for General Synod. As well as being
professional, diligent and compassionate in her
work, she is most certainly a force for good. Her
gift to see the best in all people will help herself
and others at Synod should she be elected.”

Three things I particularly care about:
Youth Participation
Aged 36, I am sadly (even in the Church of England) no longer a
‘young person’. But, if I were to be elected, I would advocate for more
and better opportunities for the voice of young people to be heard at
General Synod. I am part of the team that runs the annual Endeavour
Youth Holiday and I’ve also been involved in Diocesan Youth Forum.
As part of the body of Christ, young people are key members of the
church and yet are often under-represented. I believe we need to
hear their insight and be inspired by their passion.
Estates Ministry
It’s such a joy to be part of a growing church, especially as we are in
a context of significant economic deprivation and many don’t
expect anything to flourish in communities like ours. If I were to be
elected, I would seek to continue the excellent work of my
colleague, Fr Alex Frost, in asking the Church to recognise and
value the treasure in our estate churches. We might be
economically deprived but we are spiritually rich and have much to
offer. Through serving on the M:Power board and as an ADDO, I
have been overjoyed to witness God at work in estates across our
diocese, including through four Urban Mission ALMs in our parish.
Good Disagreement
This may sound like an odd one, but I wrote my undergraduate dissertation on good
disagreement in the Church of England and it’s something I continue to be passionate about.
When I was a teenager my youth worker did a session about Jesus’ prayer in John 17. At the end
she handed us cards that said, ‘John 17 – what are you going to do about it?’ I had mine stuck
next to my bed for years. Jesus prayed for future believers “that they may all be one … so that
the world may believe” (John 17:21). Jesus didn’t call disciples who would get along easily, he
called a diverse bunch and they argued! But their witness transformed the world. If I were to be
elected, I wouldn’t surround myself with those I agree with. I would take opportunities to listen
and to learn from the breadth of our church. I would seek to build bridges, not walls, so that
together we might point to Jesus, who the Father sent to save us.
Thank you for reading my statement.
If you feel able to, please give me your first preference or highest possible vote.
Please contact me if you
have any questions:
[email protected]
07397 775388
I am committed to equity 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.

anglican communion,chaplaincy,church schools,diocesan board,disability,disciples,finance,gender identity,inclusive,mental health,mission,neurodiversity,ordination,prayer,sexuality,urban mission,witness,young people,youth,youth work,youth worker