General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Revd Dr Sean Doherty
Principal, Trinity College Bristol and St Mellitus College

Synodical and national church experience
•
General Synod 2015-19 (London Diocese) during which time I served on the
Mission & Public Affairs Council as an elected member.
•
General Synod 2021-2026 (Universities and TEIs) during which time I have
been an ex officio member of the Principals’ Steering Group (of which I
became convenor earlier this year).
• TEI representative on the Quality in Formation Panel 2020-2026.

Track record of representing TEIs
• I have worked in theological education since 2010, with experience of delivering residential, context-
based, and part-time ordination training as well as research degrees, and training for LLMs and
youth ministers so I am well-placed to represent the breadth of the sector in Synod.
• As a TEI representative in the last quinquennium, I spoke regularly at Synod to promote our work, to
advocate for TEIs, and to comment on how particular proposals might affect us and our students.
• Recently, as convenor of the Principals’ Steering Group I have joined the Ministry Development
Board and have good relationships with the Board, the TEI reviewers, and national MDT staff.
• As part of the Steering Group, in 2023 we advocated for a fee rise more in keeping with inflation
when a rise of just 3% was proposed. The increase that year was revised to 9.2%.
• Each year of the past quinquennium I have co-ordinated an annual Synod fringe on theological
education to build awareness amongst Synod members of the work of TEIs.

Other contributions at Synod
• Most recently, proposing to amend the Kairos Palestine motion from ‘receive’ to ‘hear,’ helping to
ensure the motion would gain enough consensus to pass.
• Working behind the scenes to agree wording which would be accepted across the spectrum of views
in the landmark motion which got Issues in Human Sexuality removed from the discernment process
with virtually unanimous support.
• Speaking several times on the Clergy Conduct Measure and submitting amendments to the Revision
Committee to protect clergy wellbeing, informed by my experience of training clergy.
• Supporting an independent inquiry into abuse in the Soul Survivor network.
• Membership since 2014 of various working groups in the Living in Love and Faith process, including
the Theological and Ethics Group and most recently the Pastoral Reassurance Working Group.
In my work on Synod and in the Steering Group I have particularly valued working across different
traditions and perspectives, which is – of course – how the greatest impact is made.

Other information and experience
• My doctorate was on economic ethics, and I have written and taught on a range of other ethical
issues including medical ethics, sex and relationships, and more recently gender and AI.
• During my time at Trinity we have successfully improved the diversity of our trustees and teaching
faculty in line with the recommendations of From Lament to Action.
• I have served as a chair of governors at a voluntary aided school, and am a registered foster carer.

Please get in touch if you’d like any more information: [email protected].
Proposer: Revd Dr Helen Dawes, Westcott House Seconder: Revd Helen Johnson, Trinity College Bristol

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