General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Revd. George Brett
Candidate for House of Clergy
(Peterborough Diocese)
A broad church for the 22nd Century.
We are entering a time of profound cultural, technological, and environmental change. I believe the Church
of England has a valuable and distinctive place within it. As we face the spiritual and practical challenges
ahead, we must consider how we will guide the Church into the 22nd century. Can we dare to be a truly
broad Church?
Contact Info
7 Heritage Court, Kettering, NN16 0DU, [email protected]
Nominators
Revd. Tom Houston (Kettering Deanery) & Revd. Allison Twigg (Rutland Deanery)
I am a second-year curate at St Andrew's Kettering, husband, father of two,
and a tertiary Franciscan. Before ordination, I served in lay leadership across
different church traditions and worked in management in the technology
sector. I enjoy jazz and folk music, board games, motorcycles and decent
beer!
If elected, I will listen carefully to clergy across our Diocese, represent
their concerns at Synod, and report back openly on its work.
What would you be Voting for?
Unity
I believe the Church of England can thrive as a diverse ecology if we encourage honest, mature
conversation and mutual respect. Our unity must recognise and embrace the theological, spiritual,
and human diversity that already exists within the Church.
To this end I believe we must work toward a church which celebrates and affirms every person and
does not discriminate; and a church that is able to challenge itself where it continues to
discriminate against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender
identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality.

LGBTQIA+ Inclusion
I affirm the compatibility of Christian discipleship and queer identity and would support the full
inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in the sacramental life of the Church. I support individual priests
having pastoral discretion with provision for those who conscientiously take a different view.
Creation Justice
Creation justice is not a secondary concern but part of our Christian mission. I want the Church to
use its land, property, and resources creatively for creation renewal, help parishes reach net zero,
and support Christian environmental action.
Pioneering the Parish and its Priest
There can be no mistaking the significance of the parish and the cure of souls, but we must also
recognise that our current parish system is broken. The current system is under real strain as
Clergy and PCCs face ever-increasing administrative demands while multi-parish and multi-church
posts are becoming more common. We need to redirect resources towards parishes, cut
unnecessary bureaucracy, and develop a sustainable models to not only ‘Save the Parish’ but to
pioneer how we express a renewed parish ministry into the 22nd century.
Clergy Well-Being and Equal Opportunities
Research commissioned by the National Ministry Team has highlighted the alienation experienced
by working-class clergy. Barriers remain in selection, training, and ministry for people without
financial security or experience of higher education. I would support action to address cultural,
racial, economic, and gender inequalities and to create a safe and viable environment for LGBTQIA+
clergy.
Together, across our different backgrounds and traditions, I believe we can build a Church that
is faithful to Scripture, proclaims the Gospel afresh for each generation and enables all people
to discover how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
Can we dare to be a broad Church? I believe the life of the Church depends on it.
Peace and all goodness,
Revd. George Brett

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