General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Kim Mannings
House of Clergy

Nominated by

Rev’d Canon Malcolm Rogers MBE
(Area Dean for Huyton, Canon for
Reconciliation, Vicar of St Gabriels, Huyton
Quarry)

Rev’d Rachel Shuttleworth

(Vicar of St Helens Minster, Church St Helens)

Thank you for taking the time to read this.
| would welcome your first preference vote.

Who am I?

| came to faith at the age of fifteen, after

an encounter with Jesus which changed

the course of my life. Before training for

ordination, | was an RE teacher in one of The Bible passage which has
Liverpool’s Roman Catholic secondary followed me throughout my walk
schools, and a youth minister, working with Jesus is Ezekiel 37 - The
with young people from across the local Valley of Dry Bones, reminding
estates and beyond. | read theology as an me that nothing is ever too dead,
undergraduate and, during theological dry or too far gone with God.
training, completed an MA in Theology, ; ;

Ministry and Mission. Being trained and @ Vicar of Prescot since 2021
formed within the Diocese of Liverpool for e@ Serving on Diocesan Synod
the entirety of my Christian life, | am since 2021

wholly committed to our Diocese and to
the Church of England.

What do | bring to the table?

e!|am a strong believer that there is beauty in the breadth of the Church, having
been nurtured within the charismatic evangelical tradition before falling in love
with the unfolding drama of salvation found within the Mass. Formed by Word
and Sacrament, and ministering across a range of traditions, | recognise the
importance of cherishing the beauty in the Church's diversity; being one
another’s champions and not competitors. | would bring to Synod a unique
voice, having ministered across the breadth of the Church, recognising the
plethora of ways in which precious children of God are formed and discipled
within our Diocese and beyond.

@ Our shared call to the forgotten corners informs every part of my life as a priest,
forever asking whose hands are missing at Christ’s table. | would bring to Synod
the passion to hear from a wider range of voices and advocate for those who go
unnoticed.

@ A distinctive part of my ministry involves working ecumenically across a range
of denominations: a great joy of my life. We have much to learn from our friends
in Christ yet often find ourselves within echo chambers. | would bring to Synod
a willingness to listen and learn from those who are facing many of the same
challenges.

@ National Vocations Advisor
@ Diocesan Ecumenical Officer

The coming term of General Synod

Vocations As a parish we regularly welcome on placement those discerning a
call to ordination and | have had the joy of being both a coach on the
Directions Course and a Bishop's Advisor, alongside life as a Tl. As a young
woman who once tentatively Knocked on that door, awaiting its closure, |
recognise the importance of ensuring that a// who sense the call of God upon
their lives are actively encouraged to explore within a Church which
welcomes them. We have been reminded of the crisis the Church is facing
regarding vocations, with the predicted number of stipendiary clergy falling
to 5400 by 2033 if the tide is not turned. | believe that change can come as
we recapture and reclaim what it means to serve as a priest in God’s Church,
proclaiming to a changing world the promises of our unchanging God.

Clergy Wellbeing We know only too well that a major barrier to a rise in
vocations is clergy wellbeing, as laity witness clergy burnt out and stretched
far beyond capacity. As clergy are forced to turn their eyes away from the
promises of the Ordinal to the hamster-wheel of managerial demands,
Synod, more than ever, has a responsibility to prioritise patterns and solutions
which are sustainable and life-giving, driven by love, not fear.

Finance It irks me, as a born and bred Scouser, to see our Diocese in such
financial hardship, as many of our parishes seek to serve some of the
country’s most deprived communities. Pressure must be kept on the Church
Commissioners for a fairer distribution of historic assets, understanding the
impact that this hardship is having upon churches, communities, housing,
vocations, and the wellbeing of its clergy.

Safeguarding As a former teacher, safeguarding has been part of the
heartbeat of my life, recognising, in real-time, how slow the Church has been
to catch up with the secular world, with catastrophic results. | support the
steps that Synod have taken thus far but there is still much work to be done,
exploring the specific opportunities and risks which churches face and the
need for tailored yet highly accountable models of safeguarding.

What others have said

“It is a privilege to be able to support Kim in her nomination for General Synod. Kim is not
afraid to grapple with the issues facing the Church today, but does so with grace and a
commitment to understanding the various points of view which make up the debate. In my
experience, she is an exemplary parish priest with an important contribution to make to the
national bodies of the Church, drawing from her ministerial experience, her work before
ordination, her representative capacity as a member of the catholic community in the
Church, as a woman but, most importantly, as a reflective and bold child of God.”

Rev'd Canon Malcolm Rogers

“Kim is a passionate and compassionate priest with a heart for those on the margins and
those whose voice the Church all too often struggles to hear. As the youngest incumbent at
Prescot Parish Church, and the first woman to hold that office, she is used to challenging
the status quo. | believe Kim will represent the diversity and breadth of the clergy in the
Diocese.”

Rev'd Rachel Shuttleworth

| would be honoured to receive your vote.
Contact: [email protected]

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