General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Election Address for General Synod.

Ladies and Gentlemen of Synod,

I write from the perspective of a newly minted Deacon who, along with others, week by week, unlock
church doors, lead worship, visit the sick, bury the dead, hear confessions, support families in crisis and
serve communities that often have little voice, if any, in our national church deliberations.
I speak particularly from the perspective of rural ministry in Cornwall.
Across our villages and market towns, parish churches remain among the few institutions that continue to
serve every resident regardless of belief, background, wealth, or social status. The parish system remains
one of the Church of England's greatest gifts to the nation. Yet many of those serving within it increasingly
feel overlooked, under-resourced, and burdened by decisions made far from the interests of their
communities.
Many rural clergy in Cornwall are expected to oversee multiple churches spread across large geographical
areas. Congregations are ageing. Buildings are expensive to maintain. Volunteers are fewer. Yet the
expectation remains that parish priests can somehow do more with less, year after year.
Thus, the question before us is simple: what should be the priorities of the Church?
I suggest three principles.
First, common sense.
Our people expect us to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us. They expect us to distinguish
between what is essential and what is optional. The proclamation of the gospel, the message of Jesus, the
care of souls, the safeguarding of the vulnerable, the training of clergy, and the support of parish ministry
are essential.
Projects, programmes, consultations, and initiatives that consume significant resources while delivering
little measurable benefit to local churches must be honestly scrutinised. It seems obvious to me that every
pound spent, or misspent, at national level is a pound that cannot be spent supporting ministry on the
ground at the sharp end delivering the message of Jesus.
We need to be more financially focused.
Second, safeguarding.
Nothing has damaged the credibility of the Church more than previous failures to protect children and
vulnerable adults. Safeguarding must remain a non-negotiable priority, ring-fenced, independent and not
‘overseen’ by various senior members of the Church of England.
Safeguarding is not strengthened by creating additional layers of bureaucracy, statistics, and advertising.
Effective safeguarding depends upon well-trained clergy, informed volunteers, professional support, robust
procedures, and clear accountability. And although we are blessed in Cornwall with an approachable,
effective, and active Safeguarding Team, we need to find an easier route to compliance for many of the
older and faithful folk in our churches who have to undergo complex and difficult Safeguarding training. As
a matter of urgency, we need to find a way to stop losing these valuable people from our ‘unpaid
workforce’.
As a General Synod, we must ensure that all resources allocated for Safeguarding genuinely enhance
protection rather than simply increase administrative complexity.
Third, financial stewardship and investment in parish ministry.
In my view, the Church's future will not be secured primarily through national strategies. Rather, I suggest
that it will be secured through faithful local ministry. In other words, through and by the faithful remnant.

It is in parish churches that people encounter Christ in worship. It is in parish churches (or Open the Book)
that children first hear Bible stories. It is in parish churches where communities gather after tragedies and
for celebrations. In addition, parish churches address loneliness, support food banks, and restore
relationships.
If we truly believe that local ministry matters, then our budgets should reflect that conviction.
I believe that more resources should flow directly to parishes, deaneries, and local mission initiatives. More
support should be given to recruiting and sustaining clergy in rural areas – especially those in Oversight
Ministry. More investment should be made in training lay leaders and supporting churchwardens and
volunteers who carry increased, and increasing, responsibilities. Many of these faithful people retired years
ago, and now use their meagre pensions to keep the doors open in their local church. They truly are part of
‘the faithful remnant’.
Many clergy, like myself, along with lay people, struggle to understand why substantial sums can be
allocated to projects perceived as distant from the daily realities of parish life, especially whilst local
churches struggle to pay ministry costs, maintain buildings, and fund mission. We claim to belong to the
Church of England and The Anglican Communion, but on the ground, from a financial perspective, we are
on our own.
Of particular concern, are proposals involving large-scale financial commitments for apparent historical
slavery-related reparations. These raise serious questions of priority and judgement at the highest level. I
totally agree that while we should acknowledge historical wrongs honestly and pursue justice where
proven, we must also ask whether diverting substantial resources from present ministry needs serves the
mission entrusted to us today in any way whatsoever.
Let’s be clear, the Church has finite resources, albeit substantial at this time, and every financial decision
reflects a theological judgement about what we (and God) value most. At a time when many parishes face
uncertainty about their future, our first responsibility should be strengthening the Church's ministry and
witness in the communities we currently serve.
Members of Synod, the Church of England does not need yet another fashionable agenda.

• It needs confidence in its calling.
• It needs priests who can serve without being overwhelmed by administration.
• It needs congregations that know they are supported, rather than managed.
• It needs safeguarding that protects people effectively.
• It needs financial decisions guided by prudence, transparency, and mission. Rather than airy-fairy quasi-

political ideology.
And it needs a renewed commitment to the parish system that has served this nation and God’s church for
generations. If we strengthen the grass roots, the whole Church will flourish. If we neglect the grass roots,
no amount of high-flying strategy will save us.
I believe that the future of the Church of England will not be determined primarily in committee rooms or
national offices. It will be determined in parish churches, village halls, schools, homes, hospitals, and
communities where faithful men and women continue to serve Jesus Christ day by day, and to give as
generously as they are able. Let us therefore have the courage to place our resources where our mission
truly lies. Namely in the local church, amongst the local people, and at the heart of every parish. We need
to follow the teachings of Christ and walk alongside our neighbour.
Thank you.
Reverend Roy Cooper.

accountability,ageing,anglican communion,deaneries,gospel,justice,loneliness,mission,reparations,safeguarding,stewardship,transparency,witness