General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Elections to the General Synod
Deans of the Southern Province 2026

Nicholas Papadopulos
Dean of Salisbury
Proposed by: The Very Revd Joe Hawes, Dean of St Edmundsbury

Seconded by: The Very Revd Toby Wright, Dean of Wells

I have served as Dean of Salisbury since 2018, having spent five years as Residentiary Canon
and Treasurer of Canterbury.
I led Salisbury Cathedral through the aftermath of the Novichok attack on the city, and
through the Covid pandemic. I oversaw our implementation of the Cathedrals Measure and
am a member of both the AEC Executive and the College of Deans’ Executive.
I have previously held posts in parish ministry and as a bishop’s chaplain (and before
ordination I worked for seven years as a barrister specialising in criminal law).
I have been ordained for twenty-seven years and have never stood for election to the
General Synod before. I do so now because I believe I have sufficient experience of the
Cathedral sector to represent us well in the next quinquennium, and because I care deeply
about some of the issues that are likely to be on the next Synod’s agenda.
I often suggest to ordinands and curates that they consider Cathedral ministry. This is for the
simple reason that I have found it both exhilarating and deeply satisfying. Cathedrals occupy
a unique and precious place in the ecosystem of the Church of England: extraordinary
buildings to which in the third decade of the twenty first century many still come - as
worshippers and tourists, pilgrims and event-goers. The research presented to us at this
year’s National Cathedrals Conference confirmed our role as places of community
celebration and community cohesion, as key economic contributors as well as priceless
heritage assets.
Cathedrals are not ornamental islands of privilege. They are at the forefront of the Church’s
mission - places which nurture the faith of Christians but which also, crucially, offer the
charism of the brief encounter: the chance exposure to beauty and wonder which prompts a
more profound exploration.

Yet this vital space in the Church of England’s landscape has for too long been ignored or
taken for granted. With colleagues I worked to arrange the meeting in June 2026 between
fellow Deans and our MPs - the beginning of a determined initiative to establish an
endowment for the historic fabric of Cathedrals. This work must continue - engagement with
the Church Commissioners and through the General Synod is the next step.
If I am elected I will make it my priority to be a good advocate for the Cathedrals for which
we have responsibility and in which we believe.
In addition…some of you know that I spent a sabbatical in 2024 volunteering in occupied
East Jerusalem as a human rights monitor. I retain a deep affection for Palestine and its
people, and for our sister Diocese of Jerusalem. At its last meeting, the General Synod voted
(at last) to receive the Kairos document and committed our Church to its study. I will take a
keen interest in this process, supporting and challenging its development as necessary.
Lastly, I was bitterly disappointed at the failure of the LLF journey twelve months ago. I
believe in the full inclusion of our LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers in the liturgical and
sacramental life of our Church and will use every opportunity to argue for it.
I hope you will give me your first preference vote – but if you cannot, I hope that you might
give me your second.

Nick Papadopulos,
Salisbury,
September 2026.

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