General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Faithful Hopeful Fruitful
Rev. Wayne Massey- candidate for House of Clergy
Parish of Bishopston & St Andrew’s (B&A Church), City Deanery
Nominators: Si Jones, Gaby Doherty
I love the Church of England. For over twenty years I have served in parish ministry in the Diocese of Bristol, and those years
have strengthened my conviction that the Church of England remains one of God’s greatest gifts to our country.
Our parishes are all different—large or small, growing or struggling, flourishing or seeking renewal. Yet each one shares the
same calling: to make Jesus Christ known, to love its community and to live as a sign of God’s Kingdom.
It is easy to become discouraged by declining attendance, financial pressure and cultural change. Yet I remain deeply hopeful
—not because the challenges are small, but because Jesus Christ has not changed.
He is still building his Church.
General Synod has an important role in helping the Church of England recover confidence: in Christ, in the gospel, in Scripture
and in the ministry and mission of every local parish. That is why I am standing.
About Me
I have served in parish ministry in Bristol, helping lead projects that have strengthened both the local and wider
Church, and the communities we serve.
My ministry has included pioneering church grafts, developing teams to support other parishes and leading major
building projects—including the purchase of Horfield Baptist Church as a new home for B&A. I also helped establish
B&A Meals, serving free meals and enabling other parishes to build community through events across Bristol.
Alongside parish ministry, I have served on Diocesan Synod, as a Foundation Governor of a Church of England school,
as a Trustee of SOMA UK and Muller’s Bristol, and as Chaplain to Bristol Rovers Football Club. I have experience
working alongside churches in East Africa.
These experiences have convinced me that when churches are healthy, local communities benefit. The local church
remains one of the greatest sources of hope for our towns, villages and cities.

Why I Am Standing
The decisions of the General Synod affect the conditions in which every parish, member of the clergy and
congregation serves. I want to bring my practical parish experience to those decisions: experience of growth and
challenge, buildings and finance, collaboration and change.
I value the breadth of the Church of England and believe our national and diocesan life should strengthen, encourage
and equip local ministry. Healthy dioceses are built on healthy parishes. I will therefore ask of the business that comes
before Synod: will this release local mission, or place further burdens upon it?
My Priorities
Faithful. Everything begins with Jesus Christ. Our first calling is not simply to preserve an institution but to proclaim
the good news entrusted to us. I want to encourage a Church rooted in Scripture, centred on Christ, dependent on
the Holy Spirit and committed to making disciples—a faithfulness that passes on the gospel with confidence to the
next generation.
Hopeful. Our story is not simply one of challenge but also of remarkable faithfulness and renewal. Across our Diocese,
lives are being transformed, churches revitalised, young people exploring faith and communities are discovering hope
through local Christian witness. I want Synod to encourage and enable innovation, emerging leaders, and the sharing
of best practice.
Fruitful. Faithfulness should bear fruit: people coming to Christ, disciples growing in maturity, churches becoming
healthier and communities being served with generosity and compassion. I want Synod to support clergy and lay
leaders well, steward resources wisely, and encourage church planting and revitalisation, particularly in deprived and
under-resourced communities. Mission and mercy belong together.
Working Together
The Church of England has always brought together people from different traditions. We will not agree on every issue,
but I believe we are called to treat one another with grace, speak truthfully, listen carefully and seek the unity that
enables our shared mission to flourish. Throughout my ministry I have built partnerships and supported churches
beyond my own parish. If elected, I will represent the Diocese of Bristol with integrity, humility and courage, keeping
the mission of Christ at the centre of my work.
On Prayers of Love and Faith, I will seek to uphold the received doctrine of the Church of England. At the same time,
years of working alongside clergy and churches from different traditions have taught me that we are a broad Church
and that our differences on this issue are real and substantial. If we can speak honestly about those differences, I
believe there remains an opportunity to pursue imaginative and generous arrangements that protect conscience,
enable people on all sides to minister with integrity before God, and avoid an unnecessary and damaging fracture in
the life of the Church.
Thank You
I believe the Church of England can face the future neither by denying its challenges nor by surrendering to decline,
but by becoming more faithful to Christ, more hopeful in its witness and more fruitful in its mission. It would be a
privilege to represent the clergy of the Diocese of Bristol on General Synod.
Thank you for taking the time to read this address and for considering giving me your vote.
[email protected]

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