General Synod Election Candidates 2026

About Me
I am the daughter of a parish priest who died young and was in this rural diocese. I was baptised and confirmed as
an Anglican and educated at St Margaret's School, Bushey, funded by the Clergy Orphan Corporation. I worked in the
Norwich Diocesan Office before training as a nurse in rural Wiltshire, then worked as an Oncology Nurse in London
and Cambridge before moving into the pharmaceutical industry as an Oncology Clinical Scientist for 30 years — 15 of
them in the USA, where I served on a church "vestry" (the equivalent of a PCC).
I now live in Snettisham, Norfolk, where I worship at the rural parish church and serve as Parish Treasurer and PCC
member. I also administer the village charity supporting young people's education with grants from an endowment
dating back to the 1700s.
Why I'm Standing for the General Synod
The Church of England stands at a watershed moment calling for careful, practical leadership from its elected
members. Synod exists to serve the Church's mission — enabling parishes, chaplaincies, schools and communities to
flourish. I want to bring the voice of ordinary parish life, and of this diocese, into that national conversation.
Norwich is not an ordinary diocese. We hold the highest concentration of medieval rural church buildings in the
country — over 640, more than 90% listed — many in villages with single-figure congregations and no public
transport.
National synodical decisions are too often biased towards a suburban or urban parish as the default. I am standing to
make the case, forcefully and with evidence, for what rural East Anglia actually needs. I offer my time, judgement
and prayer to this task, and ask for your vote.
My Priorities
A Fair Deal for Our Medieval Churches
Repointing a Norman tower or re-leading a medieval roof cost the same whether the congregation is 1,000 or 12. I
will push for:
•
A funding formula for listed places of worship based on building density per capita, not national averages
•
Sustained lobbying to keep the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and heritage funding properly
resourced
•
A practical, tailored net-zero approach for historic buildings
•
Real support — guidance, grants, shared expertise — so small parishes can make realistic progress
Multi-Parish Benefices That Don't Break Clergy
Norwich has some of the largest benefices in the country — incumbents responsible for eight, ten or more churches.
This is attrition by geography, often propped up by retired priests. Keeping churches open and in regular use is the
best way to preserve them and sustain congregations, especially where travel to a single central church isn't realistic.
•
I will argue for realistic workload models, fair stipend and deployment formulas, and real investment in lay-
led ministry (readers, LLMs, churchwardens) so no priest is stretched across a whole benefice alone.
A Sparce and Ageing Population — Ministry That Fits
Norfolk's rural demography skews towards the elderly and more dispersed, with real risk of isolation for parishioners
and clergy alike.

•
I would like Synod to provide adequate funding for chaplaincy, fresh ideas and the community models
(warm spaces, food banks) that are keeping villages alive — supporting imaginative local mission without
letting rural parishes be left behind by strategies designed for more urban areas.
Financial Honesty and Sustainability
As Parish Treasurer, I bring practical discipline, not just theory — reconciling accounts, defending budgets, upholding
transparency. I will argue for:
•
Consistent, clear and comparable reporting of central and parish spending
•
Advocate for a standing mechanism for regular scrutiny of the central budget.
•
Honest conversations about priorities — putting money back into the parishes to sustain and support
ministry
Safeguarding That Commands Confidence
Safeguarding failures have rightly damaged trust. I'm committed to full, transparent implementation of national
reform and a culture — not just a policy — that puts survivors first, including in small rural parishes where capacity is
thinnest.
•
This is non-negotiable, and I will hold national bodies to account.
Gracious Space for Honest Disagreement
The Church continues working through real differences of conviction. Norwich holds a genuine range of views, and I
won't claim to speak for a single one.
•
I will represent that range honestly in debate and work for outcomes that hold the Church together in truth,
charity and love.
How I Will Work on Synod.
•
I will
o
contribute a rural voice, consistently applied — scrutinizing every major item against the question,
“What does this mean for rural parishes in Norfolk?”
o
regularly report back — updates to deanery synods on what I've argued and how I've voted, and I
will be answerable for both.
o
exercise independent judgement — voting by conscience and evidence, while always taking
diocesan and parish views into account.
o
Be prayerful and collegial — grounded in prayer and openness to persuasion, listening charitably to
differing convictions.
Norwich needs a voice at General Synod who sees our medieval churches as a mission field and heritage worth
fighting for. I would be honoured to be that voice and am grateful for your vote.
Katie Wood
[email protected]
Mobile: 07379 962965
Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions or would like any clarity around my election manifesto before
the Synod election August – October 2026

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