General Synod Election Candidates 2026

continued over …
General Synod Elections 2026 – Lichfield Diocese

Chris Gill

Proposer:
John (Tug) Wilson, Former Lay Chair of
Lichfield Diocesan Synod

Seconder:
Josephine Locke, Newcastle Deanery
Standing Committee

Having spent the last 11 years on General Synod I have
been encouraged to stand for election again. With my
election by General Synod members to the Risk and Audit
Committee of the Archbishops’ Council and then, recently,
to the Archbishops’ Council itself, I am beginning to contribute much more to the work and
direction of the Church of England and feel more able to serve. Having sought God’s will
through prayerful consideration I stand ready to be called to this work again if chosen. If you
believe God is calling me to serve on General Synod again, then your first or a high vote
would make that clear.

My faith is based on the fact that I know that I am a sinner […for all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)], but that through the death and resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Christ, God has provided sufficient grace for my sins to be forgiven and for me to
inherit the promise of eternal life. Nothing I can do will improve my lot – God has already
done everything that needs to be done. For my part I have to accept the gift, repent of my sin,
put my trust in God and try to follow his ways - God calls us to come as we are, but not to stay
as we are. Through scripture and in prayer we must diligently seek his way for us so that we
might become more like him and bear witness to his name and glorify his Kingdom.

God’s great love to me demands a significant response on my part. He has given me
everything I have, including gifts of administration, and the desire to give what I can back to
God drives my service for the Church and in furthering His work. I am joined in this by my wife
of 46 years, who has significant gifts of hospitality as well as contributing to the work with
Children in our Church. Together we support each other in our work for the Lord and are
delighted that our two adult children have a strong faith and are active in their own Churches.

Current Church Involvement
 Worship at St. Andrew’s Church, Westlands in Newcastle-under-Lyme
 Lead our Sunday morning work for young people of High School age
 Lead a weekly after-school club with children in school years 5-8
 Church Treasurer and PCC Member
 Lay Chair of Newcastle Deanery Synod
 Member of General Synod and consequently a member of Diocesan Synod
 Member of the Risk and Audit Committee of the Archbishops’ Council
 Member of the Archbishops’ Council
 Current chair of the Diocesan Vacancy-in-See Committee

The Day Job
 I am now retired and a proud bus pass user
 I previously worked as an Accountant at Staffordshire County Council, supporting
commissioners in managing annual budgets in excess of £100m
 After retiring I spent three years as an independent member of the Risk and Audit
Committee for the Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner in Staffordshire

Other Volunteer Activity
 Lead volunteer re-establishing the 6th Form Management Team Games run by one of
my Accountancy Institutes (CIPFA) in 2004, and developing it as annual event across
the Midlands Region and in to other Regions in recent years

Previous Church and other Voluntary Activities include
 Former Churchwarden
 Member of the Bishop’s Advisory Group for the appointment of the current Area Bishop
of Stafford
 Served the Diocese on the Crown Nominations Commission for the appointment of the
retiring Bishop of Lichfield
 Former chairman of Governors to two Primary Schools
 Served on Bishop’s Council and of the Diocesan Finance and Asset Management
Committee until appointed to Archbishop’s Council
 Past member of Stafford Area Mission and Pastoral Committee
 Past member of the Diocesan Advisory Committee

Other interests
 Coastal Path Walking
 Vegetable Gardening
 Motorhoming

Key Issues for the Church
The Church has many pressing issues currently – not least the decline of numbers in pews
over recent decades, shortage of clergy and the numbers of people volunteering to serve in
other roles in the Church. Our missional issues are also leading to financial challenges. There
are some signs of recovery, but the church should not lose sight of its key priority to …go and
make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) and I am keen to see our work as a church
develop in two key areas:
 The national statistics around participation of Children and Young People in Church
are a significant concern and we have to take seriously our responsibility to take the
Gospel Message to younger generations and to nurture them in their faith. As Young
People mature, we also need to encourage them to continue to grow in their faith and
to feature fully in the life of the Church, giving them confidence and support to share
their faith with their peers, so that they too can grow the Kingdom. We need greater
discernment and priority in reaching Young People
 Despite much good work, the Church continues to struggle with the fact that making
disciples is something for us all to do and is not just down to our Clergy. We need to
keep the momentum of our past work going and to train, encourage and empower lay
people so that they have the confidence, wisdom and God’s strength to invite people
along to Christian activities and perhaps share the story of their Christian journey with
them. The Church of England's calling is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ
afresh in each generation to the people of England and I am fully supportive of the
national vision for the Church to become a Church that is centred on Jesus Christ and
shaped by Jesus Christ through the five marks of mission.

Another key priority is for the Church to hold fast to the authority of scripture. Scripture is the
Word of God and if we do not allow this to guide our lives, then what do we use? and how can
we be sure that anything else would be from God? It would be so easy to ignore the Word of
God; much of this Country does and goes its own way, which I believe is one of the reasons
why there is so much division, anger and hurt. Jesus was not afraid to be counter-cultural,
and we should follow his lead, particularly where we believe something is against God’s will.

The careful study of scripture and prayerful consideration will need to underpin all that
General Synod has to consider be that Safeguarding, Racial Justice, Reparations, Climate
Change or any of the many other matters that are likely to come before it in the next
quinquennium. God loves each of his people in a unique way and we must learn to love our
neighbours in a Christ like way that helps proclaim the Gospel message to others. If elected I
will endeavour to do my utmost in this regard.

If you would like any clarification on any of the matters above or any other issues, then please
do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail [email protected]

archbishop,archbishops,archbishops' council,climate change,crime,crown nominations,crown nominations commission,diocesan finance,discernment,disciples,finance,five marks of mission,good news,gospel,justice,make disciples,mission,missional,pcc,prayer,racial justice,reparations,safeguarding,scripture,vacancy,witness,word of god,young people