General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Statement For General Synod.
Recently, I asked our congregation to consider where they could participate in what
God is already doing in our church and community. I believe God is already at work
in our communities, often through ordinary and faithful people. Our calling is to
notice, join in and help others discover where they too can participate.
I am a wife, mother of seven and grandmother to thirteen. Family has shaped much
of who I am. Alongside my own family, I have always valued being part of God’s
family – the Church.
I am mixed race and was adopted, and I know something of the pain of rejection and
of growing up looking and feeling different. Later, adoption became part of my own
story from another direction when we adopted two of our children. Their early
experiences brought significant challenges, but I have also witnessed the
transforming power of God in lives affected by early trauma and chaos. These
experiences have taught me about compassion, perseverance, hope and, above all,
the importance of belonging. They have also contributed to my growing interest in
trauma theology and how Scripture speaks into suffering, identity, healing and hope.
My Christian life has involved different traditions and expressions of worship and I
really value the breadth of the Church. My faith has also taken me beyond church
walls. I have worked alongside people experiencing street homelessness, ex-
prisoners, vulnerable families and those struggling with addiction and poor mental
health. I have also been involved with fostering and adoption services and served as
a Street Pastor. I am also a school governor in our village school.
Today I am firmly rooted in rural community life in the Diocese of St Albans and am
about to be licensed as a Reader. For the past two years I have been involved with
Olio, an initiative that helps prevent food waste. I collect surplus food and offer it to
the community from my home. What begins with sharing food often becomes
conversation, relationship and community. It reminds me that mission can simply
begin by being present. I enthusiastically embraced my Reader training and sought
opportunities beyond it to deepen my understanding of Scripture, theology and
mission. Studying with WTC Theology helped me understand theology not simply as
something we study, but something we live – learning to live daily in the Spirit. I have
also attended a summer school in Cambridge run by VTBS which was
recommended by the Diocese.
I believe that clergy and lay ministers should be well trained, but theological literacy
should not belong only to those in recognised ministry. I want Christians of every
generation to be equipped to understand Scripture, ask good questions, think
theologically and be confident about their faith.
I was invited to contribute to conversations about church revitalisation, particularly in
relation to rural benefices, and was surprised to find myself the only lay person in
that conversation. It made me ask: whose voices are present when we discuss the
future of our Church – and whose might be missing?

I care deeply about small rural churches and communities. When we discuss
attendance, growth, finance and resources, small churches can sometimes appear
insignificant. Yet their influence can extend far beyond the number of people sitting in
the pews. In rural communities, the parish church can still be deeply woven into
village life through relationships, pastoral care, worship, belonging and service.
Alongside my rural experience, I bring six years’ experience of working in a multi-site
church. I would like to bring both perspectives to General Synod, together with a
strong belief in lay vocation. Mission is not something undertaken by clergy on behalf
of everybody else. God calls the whole Church, and we need to help people
recognise that they have gifts and a part to play.
I am particularly interested in mission and church revitalisation, rural ministry,
theological literacy of our congregations, communication in a new era, and the
priorities we set for the use of Church resources. Our finances inevitably say
something about our priorities, and I want to understand more about how national
decisions enable mission to flourish locally. I am also interested in how the Church
communicates the Gospel across generations. How do we become accessible to
people who may never imagine church is for them, while remaining faithful to the
depth, challenge and hope of the Gospel?
I would come to General Synod eager to contribute and to learn from its discussions.
We will disagree at times, but how we handle those differences matters. Disagreeing
well can itself be part of our Christian witness.
Most importantly, I love God and I love his Church. I am excited about what God can
still do through ordinary, faithful people when we notice where he is already working
and have the courage to join in.
If elected, I would hope to be a thoughtful and constructive voice for lay people, for
mission and theological learning, for those who can find themselves on the margins,
and particularly for small rural communities whose contribution to the life and future
of the Church of England deserves to be heard.
Kim Kingston

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