General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Rt Rev Moira Astin, Bishop of Crediton
With over 30 years of ministry as a parish priest and archdeacon
in rural and urban deaneries I have a wide experience of the
challenges facing the Church of England today. I offer following
experience and views on what General Synod needs to address in
the next five years.

Legal
Ecclesiastical law is the practical expression of our ecclesiology. One of the most
significant roles of General Synod is writing, editing and passing Measures and Canons
to order our life as the national Church in England. As a trustee of the Ecclesiastical
Law Society and with practical experience as an archdeacon I’m convinced of the
importance of good theological reflection as our Measures, Canons and Rules are
framed. If elected, I’d be committed to being in all the discussions on legal matters and
to bringing my experience as chair of the education and training Committee of the ELS
and as a theological educator to help the House participate well in the legal aspects of
Synod.
Mission
As part of the working party that wrote Mission Shaped Church I’d be keen to have a
review of what we have learnt over the past 20 years. I would also argue for the re-
instatement of the Life Events team to support our churches since this is where we have
opportunity to speak of God’s love and peace to many in our communities. However,
the role of the church in weddings and funerals has been declining but a national
campaign could have a significant local impact in raising awareness of the church as
being there for everyone.
CYP including Schools
Our church is committed to proclaiming afresh the gospel in each generation. Our work
with Children and Young People is key to this, and at the heart of that work is the
network of Church of England Schools. On Synod I would be looking for more resource
to be put towards Flourish, the Church of England partnership which is piloting
Christian communities in schools which have children and young people as part of the
leadership. I will also be arguing for more national support for local youth work,
including teaching resources.

Ecumenical
I bring 25 years of experience as an Anglican Ecumenical Officer and would encourage
the Church of England to continue to partner in mission with other denominations. As a
member of the Methodist Anglican Panel for Unity in Mission for over 20 years I will be
working for the mutual recognition of ministries between our churches, and the
encouragement of more local mission partnerships.
Wellbeing
We need a conversation as a church on sustainable patterns of ministry for clergy and
lay ministers. As a member of Synod, I want to work with others to find ways of reducing
expectations on them, and to promote more sustainable pattern of life, particularly for
fulltime incumbents.
Future of our rural churches
Part of the answer to clergy well-being lies in sustainable local church communities. In
our villages there is a crisis emerging in local church governance, with PCCs often
lacking key officers. Archdeacons and bishops are working as best we can to keep
things going but we need to have a national conversation about a sustainable future for
our village churches.
Prayers of Love and Faith
I believe that God welcomes people as they are, and that Romans 2 does not address
faithful, committed relationships. I have particular lived experience with a family
member who is transgender and would resist a change in our current pastorally
sensitive position on this issue.

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