General Synod Election Candidates 2026

THE CHURCH MUST CHANGE

WHO AM I?
My name is Keith Miller.
I live in the parish of Wycliffe, in the very north of the Diocese of Leeds,
with my wife, Patricia, and springer spaniel, Maud.
For about 18 years, I have been churchwarden at St Mary’s Wycliffe.
Until retirement, I worked as a barrister in Yorkshire and the North-East,
and then as a judge sitting mostly in the same area, but also in other parts
of the country. For many years, I heard immigration and asylum appeals
in London.
Patricia was a teacher, latterly being the head of several schools for
excluded children. We have two children, one of whom is a paramedic with Yorkshire Ambulance
Service and the other is a landscape gardener working from York.
I was fortunate enough to grow up with loving parents, who took me to church from an early age. I was
doubly fortunate in that there was always adequate money in the house, and I later had a well-paid
career which again enabled my family to enjoy a high standard of living.

BUT LIFE IS RARELY THAT SIMPLE…
When I was about 12, my two younger brothers were diagnosed with a degenerative neurological
condition, a form of Ataxia, from which they eventually died. I found it very difficult to reconcile their
suffering (and the suffering of my parents) with the concept of a loving God. When I was 21, I reached
the stage where I was unable to work, struggling with depression, and I interrupted my studies, spending
the next 18 months as an in-patient, undergoing psychotherapy. For this, I am very grateful, as it enabled
me eventually to return to my studies and to pursue the career and life I have since enjoyed.

MY FAITH
Not surprisingly, my faith has been shaped by my early life, and there have certainly been difficult
times. However, and on surprising occasions, I have felt very aware of God’s real presence. – If I were
asked to name two passages from scripture which particularly inspire me, the first I would pick would
be Romans 8 (“Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”).
The second would be 1 Corinthians 13 (“Now we see through a glass darkly”).
With regard to where I stand in the C of E, like most rural parishes, my own parish is ‘middle of the
road’. As a boy, I attended evangelical bible classes and camps. My wife and son went to Catholic
schools, and I have no problem with people holding to different traditions. We are, and I believe, should
remain, a ‘broad’ Church. Likewise, I have no objection to different forms of service. I am a member
of the Prayer Book Society, and value both the BCP and King James’ Bible. However, I accept that, as
a society, we have moved so far from regular Christian worship that we must communicate our faith in
whatever way is likely to be most effective.

MY ROLE IN THE CHURCH
During my time as churchwarden (or before), I have been responsible for raising the funds, and
obtaining faculties for numerous projects, including replacing the leaking roof, restoring the medieval
stained glass, and the building an extension, to include a toilet and kitchenette. I have also had to steer
our church through a particularly difficult legal dispute with its neighbours. – I know from experience
how exhausting and worrying it can be, and how isolated one can feel. As more churches go into
vacancy/interregnum, and the number of churches in a benefice increases, any help from an incumbent
is likely to reduce if not disappear. It does concern me greatly that in too many instances, it is left to
those who are elderly and sometimes battling with their own or spouse’s ill health, to run their church
without any real assistance.

EXPLORING FAITH
About 12 years ago, I started a group called ‘Exploring Faith’. It arose from feeling that there are
inadequate opportunities to ask questions, particularly after a sermon, when everyone simply remains
quiet! We meet in a motel on the A66 about five times a year, to hear a speaker talk on a subject of
his/her choice, after which questions and discussion take place. Speakers have included several bishops,
including Durham and Leeds (Nick Baines came twice), distinguished retired bishops, academics, and
other speakers from different Christian traditions. 90 people attended earlier this year to hear John Bell
of the Iona Community, paying his third visit. One of the joys has been that the group attracts people,
from different denominations, from across the North Yorkshire and Durham dales.

WHAT I CAN OFFER
Having had a legal career, I would be well-placed to engage in and weigh up arguments regarding the
legislation and practices governing the Church of England, General Synod having a pivotal role in this
regard. Having had the other experiences referred to above, I understand the problems faced by parishes,
in meeting not only the demands of the parish share but also caring for a church.

WHY STAND FOR GENERAL SYNOD?
Over recent years. I have become increasingly concerned at what is happening to the Church of England,
and in particular, its use of money, all of which originated from the parishes. Let me give a few examples
of things that need to change: -

The Church Commissioners now hold funds worth £11.6 billion (and remember that every
billion is a thousand million!) – yet only a tiny amount, 8%, is ring-fenced for parish ministry.

Since 2000, the number of full-time parish clergy has dropped to 6,295 – yet the amount spent
on diocesan overheads has increased by 29% in the last three years alone, now costing £154
million.

It is not just rural churches which are being closed – 40% of church closures fall in the poorest
10% of parishes, many of which are in urban areas.

I am opposed to Project Spire (the proposal to spend £100 million on ‘slavery reparations’)
when we cannot even fund parish ministry – and it gives the impression to outsiders that the
Church is awash with money, so why should they help us pay for a leaking roof?

In 2025, more priests resigned than retired, 379 against 278, my own priest among them – 35%
of incumbents suffer depression, and only 3.9% regard national or diocesan leadership as a
source of hope.

And when a priest announces retirement, there is no succession planning, and parishes must
wait years, whilst still being expected to pay their diocesan ‘share’!

THE FIGHT BACK – WE MUST HAVE REAL CHANGE
It is obviously not possible to give more than a ‘snapshot’ in a short
statement such as this, and I would urge you to look at the website of
Save the Parish, whose Manifesto I support, and with whose other General
Synod members I would work.

Should you wish to contact me, please do not hesitate to do so at
[email protected] or phone 07778318503
– I would be most grateful for your vote.

Keith Miller

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