General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Tomass Igaunis
Email: [email protected]
Telephone number: 07421 366334
Proposer: Ros Clarke / Seconder: Abishaq Leel
About me:
I am a member of St. Modwen’s church in Burton-upon-Trent.
I regularly worship there on Sundays and Wednesdays, and I am
on the PCC. I enjoy being a part of the congregation and the
community, and working on being welcoming to all people
(especially young people!) who are keen to learn more about the
Gospel. In my free time, I study theology and philosophy, having
a particular interest in the Augustinian theological tradition and
the Caroline Divines!

Having been born in Riga, Latvia (before moving to England in 2011, at the age of 6 - I am now
21 years old), I am very thankful that my church has been very accepting of people from diverse
cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Due to my family having come here during a financial crisis which damaged our stability, I am
aware of the difficulties facing those financially struggling with the cost of living crisis - myself
having had to work various lower-end jobs to make ends meet, I am aware of how difficult it is
for many people to have hope in difficult times.

One side of my family are Roman Catholic (on my father’s side) and the other side are Lutheran
(on my mother’s side), and I was baptised in a Lutheran church; as a teenager, I was confirmed
as a Roman Catholic. However, while living in Exeter, I came into contact with the Book of
Common Prayer at an Anglo-Catholic church - at which point I fell in love with the Prayer Book,
leading me to further explore the Anglican tradition and realising that I had found my home
within the Formularies.

Having attended various kinds of worship in high church traditions (including Anglo-Catholics,
Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Lutherans), and in low church traditions (including
Evangelical Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Reformed), I have come to be grateful for the variety
of churches within the Anglican tradition which provide us with unique insights into faith and
practice, leading me to find my home somewhere in the middle between the high and the low
end of the candle.

I would be delighted to represent the laity of the
Lichfield Diocese. Please, feel free to get in touch for
anything - I am more than willing to answer any
questions!

Next Synod:
THE PARISH must be at the centre - all that is possible must be done to preserve, sustain, and
support parish churches. Having personally witnessed how difficult it is for many local churches,
particularly village churches, to support themselves, it is absolutely unacceptable for these
churches to be left struggling in these difficult times. The availability of funding and maintenance
must be available to all churches (including non-listed churches) which need it, as there is no
local witness of the love of God without the parish church. There must be more funding for
training clergy, with greater care given to aiding those discerning ordination; many parishes lack
clergy, leaving too many people without regular worship. Church spending must be reformed,
with the parish and the congregation being made the priority.

MISSION must be a priority - it is important to fulfill what our Lord asked of us: ‘Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven’ (S. Matthew 5:16). Local churches - both large and small, urban and rural - must be
provided with the means to reach out to local communities, and to share the joy of the Gospel
with all people - especially to young people like myself and to those who are suffering in any
way, who are in dire need of the Light in our currently dark society.

YOUNG VOICES must be heard - as a young person in the Church of England, I believe that
representing the youth on General Synod is highly important. Without youth representation, the
Church risks becoming detached from its very future - and those decisions which will affect the
future generations of worshippers must not be made without those very people which they will
affect. With younger generations facing issues such as a mental health crisis, the rapid
development of technology, and a feeling of a lack of direction, the Church of England must
work to rekindle hope by being a beacon of stability in their lives; the rising skepticism among
the youth towards religion also means that the Church must be ready to provide answers about
the faith to all, being able to explain what we believe and why.

THE FORMULARIES must be celebrated - the Church of England has a beautiful and rich
history in her practice and belief; it is important that we celebrate the history of our national
Church, ensuring that the Prayer Book is kept alive and available to all. It is heartbreaking to
witness the lack of focus on our Formularies, which have been a crucial part of the Church’s
history; from the beginning until now, they have served as an important rule of our Anglican
tradition.

BEING WELCOMING to all - as our Lord came ‘not to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance’ (S. Luke 5:32), and as there is ‘neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor
free, there is neither male nor female: for [we] are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28), it is
important that we abide by these teachings; we must stand against discrimination, and call all to
the loving embrace of Jesus Christ without exception - ensuring that our churches can be a safe
space for all who need them, and welcoming people of all backgrounds to partake of the love of
God.

I would greatly appreciate your support - please consider giving me your 1st preference vote!

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