General Synod Election Candidates 2026

James Wilson
Proposed by Jeff Dunkerley, Lay Chair of Manchester South and Stretford
Deanery Synod, Diocesan Synod.
Seconded by Sue Stonestreet, Diocesan Synod, Bury and Rossendale Deanery
Synod.

It has been an honour to serve as one of the representatives for the
laity of Manchester Diocese on General Synod for the last five years. I
am asking for your vote to allow me to continue this service.

The Church of England faces new challenges to navigate over the
coming years as it seeks to offer hope in an increasingly polarised
society. I believe I have the experience and vision to contribute to General Synod and
support the Church in this work.

My background and experience

I grew up in East Sussex before moving to Manchester for university when I fell in love with
the city and I have lived there ever since.

Since then, I have become very active in civic and community life. I have also been active in
working with churches and charities to support some of the most disadvantaged in our
society.
•
I served as a councillor on Manchester City Council for ten years and chaired
taskforces on improving public health and home care in the city.
•
I was on the organising committee which helped set up Burnage Foodbank in
partnership with the Trussell Trust.
•
I helped run at a night shelter for destitute asylum seekers in partnership with the
Boaz Trust.

I have attended St James and Emmanuel, Didsbury for the last twelve years. I am an
Authorised Lay Minister and I am training to become a reader.
Representing Manchester Diocese

Many parishes in our diocese face stark challenges – finances are tight and clergy are
overstretched. If re-elected, I will be a representative who will fight our corner in
debates about finances and resources.

I have supported, and would continue to support, maintaining Low-Income Communities
Funding for areas with high levels of deprivation, which has been a lifeline for ministry in
parts of Manchester diocese.

More widely, I would be your representative on General Synod. I will be accessible to the
laity in all parishes across our diverse diocese, I will make myself available to report back
about the work of Synod and I will listen to your views.

The Election

The election runs until October 13th. Please consider giving me your first-preference vote.

If you have any questions or would like to talk about what I might bring to the General
Synod, please don’t hesitate to get in touch using the following contact details:
Telephone number: 07734 885140

E-mail: [email protected]
Address: Apartment 124, Merlin House, 278 Fog Lane, Manchester, M19 1UD
My priorities if re-elected

Parish-based ministry
I don’t believe any of us can shy away from the challenge of falling attendance which the
church faces, and the impact this has on our finances. I believe key to meeting this
challenge is supporting and resourcing parish ministry and encouraging local churches to
work together to reach out and serve their communities.

An inclusive church
If re-elected to General Synod, I would be committed to equality for everyone, at all levels
and roles within the church, regardless of disability, economic power, ethnicity, sex,
gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality. During the
last 5 years, I voted for the introduction of the Prayers of Love and Faith and supported
measures to promote racial justice and, if re-elected, I will continue to work for a church
where everyone is welcomed and included.

Safeguarding
The church should be a safe place for everyone, especially for children and for vulnerable
adults. Unfortunately, this has not always been true, and historic failures such as the
cases of John Smyth and Mike Pilivachi have undermined trust in the church. I believe we
need to do better on safeguarding and, if re-elected, I will continue to push for concrete
action.

Social Justice
Jesus prioritised serving the poor and the marginalised throughout his ministry. Likewise,
my conviction is that a crucial part of the church’s mission should be to serve the
disadvantaged in our communities, campaign
for social and economic justice and lead by
example on combatting climate change.

Equipping lay ministry and supporting clergy
As an Authorised Lay Minister who is in training
to become a reader, I am passionate about
supporting lay ministry. However, this should
supplement the ministry of the clergy, not
replace it. The Church has a duty of care to all
its staff and I would advocate for better support
for clergy to enable them to better serve their
congregations and communities.

asylum,climate change,disability,equality,finances,foodbank,gender identity,inclusive,inclusive church,justice,mental health,mission,neurodiversity,prayers of love and faith,racial justice,safeguarding,sexuality,smyth,social justice