General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Callum Parr
Standing for the House of Laity of General Synod
Nominated by
Ian Boothroyd (General Synod, Newark and Sherwood Deanery)
Joanne Parr (Newstead Deanery)

I am 21, have lived in Sutton-in-Ashfield all my life, and am proud to call
Nottinghamshire home. I am standing for General Synod because I feel
called to serve God and the Church by bringing a perspective that is too often
missing from Church decision-making of being a young person and
particularly being neurodivergent having autism and dyslexia.

I want to be a constructive voice on Synod, someone who will listen carefully, ask difficult questions,
engage seriously with policy and governance, and work with others to find the best way forward for
the whole Church.

I worship at New Cross Community Church, a Church of England and Methodist local ecumenical
partnership, where I have served on the ecumenical council for the past two years. Being part of an
ecumenical church has taught me that good Christian leadership starts with listening. I have enjoyed
learning about church governance and working with people from different traditions and perspectives
to help our church grow and serve its community.

Alongside my life in the church, I have built experience in the charity sector, governance and
debating:

•
I have supported communications at Nottinghamshire County Council, working with
councillors, senior officers, and stakeholders. This has given me an understanding of how
public organisations work, how decisions are made and how policy is communicated.
•
I have recently completed a law degree and have a good understanding of formal rules,
procedures, and debate.
•
I founded and serve as Chief Executive of a Nottingham-based youth mental health charity.
This has given me practical experience of leadership, governance, finance, strategy and
working with trustees and other stakeholders.
•
As a magistrate, I listen to different perspectives, consider evidence carefully and make fair
and balanced decisions. I would bring the same approach to the tough questions facing
General Synod.
•
I have debated through the UK Youth Parliament and at the Oxford Union. I am comfortable
challenging ideas, but good debate is about more than winning an argument, it is about
listening, testing ideas and finding common ground.

Although I am young, I am not new to public service, governance, or tough decisions. I know that
General Synod has a serious responsibility and the decisions made there affect the life of our
churches, our clergy, and our communities for years to come. I would take that responsibility
seriously.

I have been engaged with the Church throughout my life, and my faith has become increasingly
important to me. I was baptised at 17 and, after university, felt ready to make a deeper commitment
to Christ. In May this year, I was confirmed at Southwell Minster. I now serve on my church's
ecumenical council and regularly support events aimed at encouraging more people to come into
church.

I want to bring that faith, alongside my experience of law, governance, public service, and debate, to
General Synod.

Callum Parr General Synod 2026
I feel called to serve on General Synod, as the Church of England faces important decisions about its
future direction.

A Church for Everyone
I believe the church should be a place where
everyone knows they are made in the image
of God and welcome at Christ's table. I believe
in a church for everyone, regardless of
gender, disability, ethnicity, socio-economic
status, mental health, or sexuality. We are all
made in God’s image, we are all invited to the
Lord’s table. I am fully supportive of women’s
ministry and equality for LGBT+ Christians, at
all levels and in all roles in the church.
As a neurodivergent young person, I know that
inclusion is not just about having the right
words in a policy. It is about whether people
can take part, serve and grow in the life of the
Church. General Synod has recently
recognised neurodivergent people as a
blessing to the Church. I want to see this
translated into practical change in our
churches.
Mission and Growth
I want to see a church that is serious about
spreading the word of God, is rooted in its
communities and growing. If we want to grow,
we need to be willing to adapt. Too often,
young people can feel that church is
something they are invited to attend rather
than something they are invited to belong to
and feel welcomed, listened to and trusted.

Listening to Each Other
I love that the Church of England is a broad church.
We have more that unites us than divides us, even
though this places strains when we deal with difficult
issues. I come from a mixed Church of England and
Methodist background and find it interesting how
people approach different subjects in church.

Serving Our Communities
The Church is at its best when it is present in the
lives of its communities. Whether through food
banks, youth work, debt advice, schools, community
projects and being there when people need
someone to listen, our churches can demonstrate
the love of Christ in practical ways.

I have attended General Synod sessions in person at York and am fully aware of what General
Synod involves. I am well briefed on the current issues – Living in Love and Faith, mental health
and welfare, Safeguarding and church communications, and more.

Thank you for reading my electoral statement, I hope you will
give me your first preference vote.

If you want to contact me about anything I would be very happy to hear from you.

Callum Parr
Sutton-in-Ashfield, Newstead Deanery.
[email protected]

broad church,disability,ecumenical,equality,finance,lgbt,living in love and faith,mental health,methodist,mission,safeguarding,sexuality,word of god,young people,youth,youth work