conservative,forward in faith,guiding principles,house of bishops,living in love and faith,marriage,pcc,sacrament,safeguarding,seal of the confessional,traditional

Christopher Swift

Lay candidate for General Synod in
the Diocese of Southwark, 2026

Nominated by Arjun Swarup (St Luke, Kingston)
and Jacob Kinsella (All Saints, Blackheath)

Why I am standing for election
I have five specific concerns which have impelled me to seek election to the General
Synod. They are:

Five Guiding Principles
More than a decade has passed since women were admitted to the episcopate, and
almost a generation since they were first ordained to the priesthood. The arrangements
made for maintaining the unity of the Church following these developments have served
us all well. But there is now a danger that their value is overlooked. It is my emphatic
view that the Five Guiding Principles expressed in the House of Bishops Declaration
should not be weakened. The case for their retention must be expressed powerfully.

Seal of the confessional
The seal of confidentiality associated with this sacrament is upheld by the universal
church. There is no evidence that its use in the Church of England is linked to poor
safeguarding practice. The confidentiality of confession must not be compromised.

Marriage
The division of opinion within the Church arising from Living in Love and Faith must
achieve a resolution which is consistent with its received teaching on the sacrament of
marriage.

Sanctity of life
The protection of human life both at its beginning and at its end has come under
increasing threat in recent years from changes proposed by the secular authorities. It is
of vital importance that all three Houses of the Synod present with the utmost clarity the
arguments against these changes – arguments which will otherwise go by default.

Parish ministry
The traditional structure of parish ministry is also under threat. The pastoral link
between a parish priest and all his or her parishioners must be maintained. And
parishes must be properly funded.

I recognise that there are many other priorities confronting the next Synod, and I would if
elected certainly engage vigorously in their consideration. But it is for the reasons set
out above in particular that I seek your support. They are matters central to the life and
prosperity of the Church and of the people it serves.

About me
I was born in Epsom, just outside the Diocese, but brought up in Kingston-upon-
Thames. Apart from my undergraduate years at Cambridge, where I was an officer of the
Union Society, and three years in Brussels, I have always lived in London. I moved to
Greenwich in 2000.

I attend All Saints Blackheath. I have also for many years been a parishioner at All Saints
Margaret Street in the Diocese of London.

My professional life has been in the law, practising at the London Bar and in the City of
London, with a period working at the European Commission. I believe that my skills and
experience would be valuable in the preparation of legislation and in the other work of
the General Synod. I have applied them as a long serving member of the PCC of All
Saints Margaret Street and of one of its trusts, on the Marylebone Deanery Synod and on
the London Diocesan Synod. I now serve as a trustee of Forward in Faith.

In Greenwich and elsewhere I have been active in local community groups and
charities, most recently as Secretary of the Greenwich Society. I have been a governor
of various local authority schools in Lewisham and Westminster, one of them a Church
of England primary school. I have long been active in the Conservative Party and have
stood twice (with a complete absence of success) for Greenwich Council.

I offer my prayers for all the candidates standing in the Diocese.

Please contact me via [email protected] if you have any questions.

I ask for your first preference vote, otherwise a high-ranking preference vote.