General Synod Election Candidates 2026

PAUL KENNEDY | GENERAL SYNOD
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The Rev’d Paul Kennedy - General Synod Statement
I am standing for General Synod because I have over 30 years of parish ministry to offer and
because I want to help the Church of England become more confident in faith, more
compassionate in action and more creative in growth.
My own theological understanding is broadly inclusive, but my experience of the wider Church has taught
me to be attentive to different traditions, insights and concerns. I will listen carefully, consider each
question on its merits and seek faithfully to represent the Diocese of London in all its breadth. I am drawn
to the Benedictine practice of listening with ‘the ear of the heart’.
What I would bring
First, I would bring a deep and profound faith in God, revealed in Christ, and over 30 years ’experience of
ordained ministry. I came to faith in my 20s and have been formed by Anglo-Catholic and evangelical
parishes. I believe God is revealed in both scripture and worship. My ministry has ranged from a high-rise
estate in Romford to rural multi-parish villages in Hampshire and, for more than half of it, in and around
London - including Southwark, Chelmsford and now the City. That breadth has shown me how the same
questions can resonate differently in changing contexts.
I am now Rector of St Vedast-alias-Foster and Guild Vicar of St Mary Aldermary in the City of London. I have
served on diocesan synods, been an Area Dean in Winchester, worked as an Assistant Area Director of
Ordinands and served as a training incumbent. I understand some of the real pressures facing those
discerning, beginning and sustaining ordained ministry - including safeguarding, formation, resourcing and
continuing ministerial development.
A strong voice for parish ministry
I believe the parish is both the traditional and contemporary “coalface” of the Church. Chaplaincy and other
expressions of church are important, but it is in a parish, rooted in a local community, that many people
encounter faith and become disciples. A church building, priest and congregation all matter. Parish ministry
sees no conflict between pastoral and missional; faith and community. I would speak for parishes while
remaining open to the contribution of other forms of ministry.
Faith expressed in action
Sharing and deepening faith is the core of my ministry, but compassion and humanitarian action are
important spiritual fruits. In London this has included work with people experiencing street homelessness
and aid to Ukraine. Through our partnership with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church we have hosted
refugees for over four years. I have made three aid trips, helping to take 17 vehicles, mainly ambulances,
and aid towards the front line, in partnership with charities including Frontline Hospitals and Ukrainian
Medical Charity. We now have parish-to-parish links with Kryvyi Rih in eastern Ukraine, from where I have
recently returned. I would encourage General Synod to help the Church expand its humanitarian role within
and beyond England.

PAUL KENNEDY | GENERAL SYNOD
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Our churches are similarly engaged with the City of London. Our café supports people experiencing street
homelessness and our hall hosts Twelve Step programmes. As chaplain to several livery companies and to
the Aldermanic Sheriff, I have also reflected on justice and rehabilitation. I long to see London’s churches
use the capital’s resources, institutions and expertise for the good of wider society.
Practical experience for difficult decisions
I am leading a major church building project which includes a move to carbon net zero. I understand the
practical issues created by the ending of the Listed Places of Worship VAT scheme and its less generous
replacement; fundraising including a major National Lottery Heritage Fund application; and business rates
arising from our café and the commercial use of our churchyard. As a member of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants, I bring an understanding of organisational as well as environmental sustainability. I would
bring that combination of theological conviction and practical scrutiny to Synod’s decisions.
My links with Anglican churches in Ghana, Uganda and New York have also shown me how decisions and
practices in the Church of England can affect the wider Communion. I would keep those relationships and
consequences in mind.
How I would serve
If elected, I would listen carefully, prepare thoroughly and speak independently. I would work for
flourishing parish ministry; the training, resourcing and support of ministers; a credible response to
environmental challenges; and a Church whose faith is visible in compassionate action. Retreat, spiritual
direction and sacramental confession are important to my own maturity in faith. Nurtured by silence and
tradition, I hope I would bring stillness and rootedness, as well as energy and experience, to Synod’s
debates.
It would be an honour to represent the Diocese of London, and I would be grateful for your
support.

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