General Synod Election Candidates 2026

We don’t seem to hear it often, but the Church of England is a great thing. 16,000 churches in
every community throughout the country, worshipping Christ and enabling people to encounter
the love of God. All this while also providing community to people who attend, and a shoulder
for local people to lean on when they need it. Like you, I have benefited from this community
directly: when I moved to the UK four years ago, I was 23 and knew nobody. It was a CofE
church in Greenwich that took me in and gave me that first place to stand.
And there is real hope for our church. Attendance has now risen four years running, and the
worshipping community is back above a million people. After a very hard decade, it feels like
things are really starting to change for the better.
That change is fragile, though. Congregations remain far smaller than a generation ago, and
too many churches struggle to keep the lights on, at the very moment that our communities
need us most. Loneliness, families under strain, young people growing up with less belonging
than those who came before them: these are exactly the things that our church, and our God,
can help to answer; to give them the same place to stand that the church gave me.
By 2060, God willing, we could turn the tide, and have our church at the heart of our
communities again, and enable people to encounter Christ every day.
Grahame Woods For General Synod
Proposed by Wendy Foreman, Charlton Deanery Lay Chair
Seconded by Paul Waddell, Croydon Addington Deanery
Charlton Deanery
Where I Serve
Diocesan Council of Trustees
Southwark Diocesan Synod
Charlton Deanery Synod
St Alfege Church, Greenwich
About Me
27 year old New Zealander
Work in Public Affairs and
policy for a large infrastructure
company
Based in Lewisham, SE London
My Commitments to You if Elected:

1. Parishes Resourced for Mission
2. A Church that is Genuinely Inclusive

I am committed to equality for everyone, at all
levels and roles within the church, regardless of
disability,
economic
power,
ethnicity,
sex,
gender identity, learning disability, mental
health, neurodiversity, or sexuality: a church
that is genuinely inclusive at every level.

1. A Focus on Long-Term Decision Making

Day-to-day, I work in public affairs and policy,
working with government and large institutions
to create policy that won’t just help the UK now,
but for decades to come. The Church of
England needs to do the same. If elected, I will
use my skills to ensure that church legislation
supports us to become a larger church by 2060

• rather than focusing on what is topical at the

time.

1. A Representative You Hear From

I will answer every email, come to any Deanery
Synod that invites me, take any question, and
tell you how I voted and why, including when
we
disagree.
You
should
never
be
left
wondering why I make the decisions I do when
at Synod.
General Synod exists to serve our parishes, not
the other way around. While there are difficult
decisions to make, I will always argue for
parishes and priests to be trusted and
resourced to do what they do best: keep the
door open to serve their current congregations,
and to invest in building children and young
people’s ministry.
You can watch my introduction video by clicking the link here.

The review of national funding for diocesan ministry is underway with a recommendation due to
be debated by General Synod in July 2027. Done well, this review presents the best possible
opportunity to have national money directed to where the mission happens, including in our own
parishes in Southwark. I will also never shy away from hard decisions between what we want to
do with our money, versus what we can afford to do with our money.
My Priorities on Synod

1. Sexuality and Inclusion

In July, a motion affirming that committed, faithful same-sex relationships are compatible with
Christian discipleship and ministry was carried by both the clergy and the laity. It fell only in the
House of Bishops, by three votes. Conversations on what the future of LGBT inclusion in the church
looks like won’t be going away for the term ahead, and if elected, I will always vote for a fully
inclusive church.

1. Money and Parishes
2. Governance

Reform of our national church institutions stalled in July when the National Church Governance
Measure was withdrawn from consideration due to concerns from MPs about safeguarding,
delegated powers, financial accountability, and charitable structure. Despite this, there is still a
strong case for change, and it is vital that our institutions are structured to enable growth over the
coming decades - rather than act as managers.
What do I bring to Synod?
Through my work on the Southwark Council of Trustees and Diocesan Synod, I have
seen the impact national decisions have on local churches. I will always advocate for a
General Synod that works for parishes, and not the other way around.
My working life is spent influencing decisions within Westminster and Whitehall, giving
me the same skills needed to influence decisions at General Synod.
I am not a single-issue candidate. Inclusion in the church may be non-negotiable, but
clergy wellbeing and safeguarding are vital issues too.
Let’s Meet.
From 21 September to 12 October, I am holding a couple of online sessions to meet voters
and hear from them, and I’d love to see you there. The links for both are below, and you
should be able to copy and paste them into your browser.
Please make me your first preference.
Under the single transferable vote the first round counts most, so rank the candidates you
genuinely want, and fill in as many preferences as you can. Thank you for everything that
you already do for our church and I’d be incredibly grateful for your support.
Wednesday 23 September, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
https://meet.google.com/tww-njme-rhb
Tuesday 29 September, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
https://meet.google.com/ocs-dbnv-eeh
Want to get in touch? Feel free to reach out:
Email me at [email protected] or call 07498 255716

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