General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Diocese of Oxford General Synod Election 2026 House of Clergy
The Revd Canon Dr William Lamb

The Vicarage, 9a Norham Gardens, Oxford OX2 6PS
[email protected]
www.universitychurch.ox.ac.uk
August 2026
Dear colleague,
I am pleased to have this opportunity to introduce myself and explain why I am seeking election
to the General Synod for the first time. In brief, I want to tell you about the experience I would
bring as one of your representatives, and to explain where I stand on the more immediate issues
facing the Church of England. I am most grateful to two parish priests, the Revd Dr Jonathan
Lewis-Jong, Vicar of St Mary Magdalen, Oxford, and the Revd Esther Lay, Rector of Wootton
with Glympton and Kiddington, who have nominated me.
I Extensive ministerial experience
I bring experience of parochial ministry, Cathedral ministry, higher education chaplaincy and
theological education. I have also served as an Officiating Chaplain to HM Forces. Ordained in
1995, I have ministered in very different parochial contexts: in town-centre ministry; in a large
rural multi-church benefice in Yorkshire; and since 2017 as the Vicar of the University Church
of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford.
As a theological educator, I have taught at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, on the
Northern Ordination Course, and as a tutor for IME Phase 2. For ten years, I worked as a
University Chaplain at the University of Sheffield, and also served as a Canon Residentiary of
Sheffield Cathedral. Subsequently, I was the Vice-Principal of Westcott House, Cambridge,
where I taught New Testament Studies in the ecumenical context of the Cambridge Theological
Federation. I taught colleagues from Westcott House, Ridley Hall and ERMC.
For ten years, I served as a Trustee and then Chair of St Augustine’s Foundation, which funds
theological education in the Anglican Communion, particularly in the global south. For four
years, I served as the Secretary of the Major Churches Network. I currently serve as a Reviewer
(Periodic External Reviews) of Theological Education Institutions. A Fellow of Harris Manchester
College and an associate member of the Faculty of Theology and Religion in the University of
Oxford, I continue to publish in the areas of biblical studies and historical theology.
II The front line is the bottom line
I believe in the value of making ministry and pastoral care available to every parishioner in
England. The parish is where the faith is taught, the sacraments are celebrated, people are cared
for, and the community is served. This unapologetic witness to our shared hope in Jesus Christ
represents the best of Anglicanism. But while I am committed to the parish, I also treasure the
experience of having been a Chaplain. We need to cultivate a renewed confidence in our parishes
and our chaplaincies, and in resourcing the Church’s ministry we need to ensure that the front
line is the bottom line. Like many institutions, the Church of England has sought to emulate the
corporate world in deploying its resources. The Chote Review identified some important lessons
about Strategic Development Funding, but I fear that a pervasive neoliberal ideology, making
Dioceses compete for resources, while metrics are fetishized and an ever-burgeoning central
bureaucracy grows to measure it all, has created a gaping ecclesiological deficit in our life
together. Acts 2.44-45 speaks not of competition, but collaboration and communion. The
Magnificat teaches us that a ‘preferential option for the poor’ is the mark of evangelical justice
and charity, and this should drive the apportionment of the abundance we share. I am passionate
about supporting front line ministry.

Diocese of Oxford General Synod Election 2026 House of Clergy
III Formation for ministry and mission
St Paul teaches that ‘The One who calls you is faithful’ (1 Thess. 5.24) and yet numbers currently
in theological education are low. I believe that the current crisis in vocations for ordained
ministry needs to be addressed urgently. We will need to study the emerging research around
recruitment and retention so that we can begin to identify a clear course of action to address the
issues. More importantly, we need a renewed commitment to encourage younger vocations. The
resourcing of theological education will be a pressing question for the new Synod. I believe that
the church needs to invest in its clergy and lay ministers. We need that deep learning which
enables us to speak confidently and authentically of the love of Christ and the joy of the gospel.
IV Rebuilding trust and trustfulness
The recent research on trust in the life of the Church of England makes for sober reading. The
Synod’s current processes do not always help, but we also live in a culture where controversial
questions are increasingly polarized. The gift of Synodality invites us to discern where the Spirit
is leading. This takes time. It requires patience and generosity. It arises out of careful reflection
in the light of scripture, tradition, and reason, and a shared commitment to the truth. In a world
where social media often fuels conflict and disagreement, perhaps we need to begin by speaking
well of one another, with kindness and encouragement.
V Living in Love and Faith
The last few years have been dominated by debates about Living in Love and Faith. By all accounts, it
has been a rather dispiriting exercise. I support Together for the Church of England’s commitment to
inclusion, and I believe it is essential that any question about church doctrine or discipline is
underpinned by a profound listening, a passion for truth, and a shared commitment to catholic
order. In the months ahead, the Synod will need to reflect on the kind of provision, which will
honour the place of LGBTQ+ clergy and laity in the life of the church, and to do that in a way
which respects individual conscience. Meanwhile, further changes are afoot in the reform of
wedding laws in England and Wales. Although the government has indicated that Anglican
marriage law will be unaffected, it is inevitable that we will need to review our current practice.
VI Making safeguarding a priority
The last few years have seen the publication of numerous reviews, including IICSA, Gibb, Jay,
Makin, Scolding and Wilkinson. There have been some positive changes. Nevertheless, progress
has been slow. A recent annual report published by INEQE notes resistance to proposals for an
independent safeguarding body, arising ‘from a small group of influential senior officers at the
diocesan level and certain individuals within the national Church’. This is not acceptable. Given
all the reviews and recommendations, I believe that we will not restore confidence in the Church
of England’s approach to safeguarding until we have an independent safeguarding body. Parishes
will still need Diocesan support to facilitate safer recruitment and training, advise Parish
Safeguarding Officers, and manage safeguarding agreements, but we cannot afford the
perception that we are marking our own homework to persist any longer.
VII Listening and working with others
I am at heart a pastor, and I am always ready to listen to those I serve and represent. Thank you
for reading this. I have written at length because I believe that it is important that you know
what someone hoping to represent you on Synod thinks – and although others may disagree,
my sense is that complex issues are not always adequately addressed by a few bullet points. For
over thirty years, I have served as a priest in the Church of England. I love my role as the Vicar
of the University Church, and I am wholehearted in my commitment to the flourishing of the
Church of England. I would be humbled and grateful to receive your first vote or a high
preference vote in the coming Synodical elections.

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