General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Dear Colleague
I am standing for General Synod because I believe passionately in the
Church of England being a voice for the flourishing of humanity and
God’s creation in our often turbulent and rapidly changing world.
There is much work to do
I work towards a Church confident in the Gospel, generous in its
welcome, rooted in its communities and open to change. I bring
experience as a parish priest and Archdeacon, with a commitment to
attentive listening, collaborative working and thoughtful decision-
making.
I love the Diocese of Newcastle. From city to rural, post-industrial,
coastal and village communities, we are wonderfully diverse. Thriving
parish ministry is at the heart of our common life. I want to be a voice
for our churches and clergy, whose faithful ministry enables them
to walk alongside the people we serve.
I was not raised as a Christian. I am an incomer — a Ruth or a Lydia.
That experience shapes my conviction that the Church should be a
place where more and different people can experience life in all its
fullness. Inclusion and accessibility are not optional add-ons.
If elected, I will bring deep knowledge and love of our diocese,
parish experience, a strategic mind, and a determination to listen,
ask questions and work collaboratively.
I would be honoured to represent you.
For General Synod
Catherine
Sourbut Groves
Proposer: Revd Canon Dr Sarah Hills - Incumbent of Holy
Island
Seconded by: Revd Canon Dr David Kennedy - Vicar of Corbridge
Presently
Archdeacon of Lindisfarne
Bishop’s Advisor for the Discernment Process
Trustee of Lord Crewe’s Charity
Trustee of Community Action Northumberland
Canon of Newcastle Cathedral
Board member, NCEAT
Ex-officio on Diocesan boards and committees
Previously
Incumbent of an urban estate parish
Vocations Chaplain
Prebendary of Wells Cathedral
Co-chair, ‘Magnificat Parishes’ estate ministry
Bath Archdeaconry Advisor on Women’s Ministry
School Governor
Chaplain to the Mayor of Bath
Before Ministry
Environmental volunteer
Social scientist
Voluntary counsellor
Outside Ministry
Wife, mother, stepmother and grandmother
Runner, walker, gardener and cook
Current affairs and reading novels
About me
Catherine
[email protected] Do get in touch
General Synod matters to all of us
These next five years will be busy and demanding. The Work of Synod is far-reaching and is a vehicle for the
force for good offered to our national life by the Church of England. Synod has done excellent work in recent
times: making public statements on national and global issues such as tackling poverty, promoting an
increase in adult social care provision, opposing assisted dying, promoting social cohesion and constructive
patriotism, speaking up for vulnerable groups minoritised by polarization of political discourse.
Synod has also completed essential internal work such as the new Clergy Conduct Measure to supersede the
CDM, developing the new Mission and Pastoral legislation to facilitate good collaborative working.
New issues will require our attention: safe and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence, resillience in the face of
exponentially increasing climate impact. Faithful engagement is required of us.
The decisions of General Synod affect how our wider communities view the Church and impact
national debate. Please use your vote!

Mission & Ministry
Jesus changed lives person by person and transformed communities
village by village. God works in the specific and the local. Our diocese
includes
coastal,
post-industrial,
rural,
market-town
and
city
communities. Every context is different, and every church has a part to
play.
I
will
champion
churches
whose
deep
engagement
and
partnerships
bring
value
to
their
communities,
especially
where
resources are limited.
Parish & Diocesan Finance
Significant financial reviews are taking place across the Church,
including stipends, pensions, national funding and support for lower-
income communities. As an Archdeacon, I have seen what happens when
financial formulae fail to reflect the real cost of sustaining churches,
particularly in rural and lower-income communities. I will speak up for
parishes whose ministry matters deeply to their communities but
whose
financial
circumstances
make
that
ministry
especially
challenging.
Safeguarding
Stronger, independent safeguarding will be fundamental to whether
people trust Synod — and, more importantly, whether they continue to
trust a Church that has caused widespread moral injury through its
failures. Safeguarding is not a box to tick; it is a question of credibility
and a Gospel imperative. I will support independent scrutiny, survivor-
led approaches and trauma-informed ministry, and vote for effective
improvements at every level.
Relationships, Sexuality & Gender
Although Living in Love and Faith has formally closed, important
questions remain, including whether clergy, ordinands and those
exploring vocation can be in same-sex civil marriages, and whether the
Prayers of Love and Faith can be used in standalone services. I support
continuing this work with integrity and pace. I will speak and vote for
change, while recognising the need for patience across deep divisions.
‘I warmly commend Catherine for election to General Synod: a person of deep diocesan
knowledge, parish experience and integrity, who listens carefully, understands the pressures
of ministry in rural, coastal and lower-income communities, and will bring to Synod a strong
commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, sustainable ministry and wise stewardship, engaging
difficult questions with conviction and grace’. Rev Canon Dr Sarah Hills
What I Will Bring to Synod
A deep knowledge and love of our diocese, from village and town parishes to Bishop’s Council,
DMPC and the NDBF.
An experiential love of parish ministry and a conviction that this incarnational, locally rooted
ministry brings knowledge of Christ to people in every walk of life, impacting God’s world as a
force for the common good.
A strategic mind, able to digest information quickly, ask searching questions and work towards
discerned solutions.
Make your vote count for inclusion, safer churches for all and sustainable transformation
Our financially stretched, rural-heavy diocese needs Synod members who understand parish ministry
from the inside, will speak up for it to be properly funded, and treat safeguarding and inclusion as
fundamental issues of trust.
I am standing because I believe in the Church of England’s capacity to transform lives and
communities — and want to help us find a faithful, hopeful and practical way forward together.

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