General Synod Election Candidates 2026

The Revd Gareth Howles – Candidate’s address
“We’re doomed, Captain Mainwaring… doomed!”
Those familiar with Dad’s Army will remember Private Frazer’s rather gloomy assessment of almost every situation: “We’re doomed!” At times, listening to the conversation surrounding the Church of England, you could be forgiven for thinking that Private Frazer had been appointed as our chief strategist. I simply do not believe that the Church of England is doomed. I believe in the Church of England because, much more importantly, I believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe the Gospel remains good news for every community, every generation and every person. I believe local churches can grow, lives can be changed, people can come to faith, and the Church can face the future with confidence rather than fear.
I am standing for General Synod because I want to contribute to a Church that spends less time managing decline and more time confidently proclaiming Christ.
A Church that equips its clergy
If we want healthy and growing churches, we need to equip, encourage and support those who lead them.
As a parish priest, I know both the enormous privilege and the considerable pressures of parish ministry. I want Synod to keep asking a simple question: what will help clergy and local churches fulfil the mission Christ has given us? That means good training, realistic expectations, effective support and freeing clergy to spend more of their time doing what they were ordained to do: praying, preaching the Gospel, making disciples, caring for people and leading the Church in mission. Church growth is not simply about strategies, programmes or structures. Ultimately, God gives the growth. But we should do everything we can to equip local churches to plant and water faithfully.
A Church confident in the Gospel
I want the Church of England to recover confidence in its greatest treasure: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our message to the nation cannot simply be that the Church is a useful institution, an important part of our heritage or a force for social good. All those things may be true, but they are not enough. We have something infinitely greater to proclaim: The Church grows when ordinary Christians have confidence to share that extraordinary message. I want to see a Church of England that is unapologetically evangelistic, where people are invited to discover faith, where baptism leads to discipleship, where children and young people encounter Jesus, and where our churches expect new people to become Christians. I particularly believe there is enormous potential for growth in our parishes and communities in the North of England. Decline does not have to be our inevitable future.
A Church that cares for clergy families
I am not only a priest; I am a husband and a father of five children.
Ministry therefore looks rather different when viewed from our, very noisy, kitchen table than it does from a Synod agenda. Ordained ministry affects the whole household. Clergy families often share the pressures, interruptions and public nature of ministry without having chosen ordination themselves. We need to take clergy family life seriously: housing, time off, expectations, financial pressures, children's needs, the pressures placed upon clergy spouses and the ability simply to be a family. I am also concerned about what happens towards the end of ministry. Clergy retirement, housing and financial security deserve serious attention. Those who have given decades to serving the Church should be able to approach retirement with gratitude and hope rather than anxiety about what comes next. Supporting clergy properly is not a distraction from mission. It enables mission.
A Church that seeks a faithful way forward
I hold orthodox Christian convictions about marriage, believing marriage to be the lifelong union of one man and one woman. I recognise that within the Church of England there are deep disagreements on questions of sexuality, relationships and marriage. I hope Synod can find a way forward that allows us to treat one another with grace and generosity while ensuring that those who hold the Church's historic and orthodox teaching can continue to minister with integrity and confidence within the Church of England.
Why I am standing
I am standing for General Synod because I am hopeful.
I am hopeful about the Church of England.
I am hopeful about our parishes.
I am hopeful about the next generation.
So, with apologies to Private Frazer:
We are not doomed.
The Gospel is still good news.Jesus is still Lord.People still need Christ.Local churches can still grow.
I would be honoured to serve on General Synod and to work for a Church that supports its clergy, strengthens its families, remains faithful to the Gospel and confidently expects God to grow his Church.

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