discernment | GS 2026 Candidates

My name is Charlie Salmons, and I am the Assistant Curate at St Michael the Archangel in Southampton. I feel called to serve on General Synod for this term for various reasons; firstly to be a voice for Diocesan and Parish issues at a national level, and also to represent the neurodiverse communities and individuals from across our diocese, continuing the work of previous General Synods.
Having come to faith at the age of 21, and having been a rather committed atheist prior to this, I have experienced firsthand the transforming love and nature of Christ. I seek to make Christ known in communities both inside and outside of the church, remaining firmly committed to looking inside and outside of the walls of our churches, to seek out the lost and lonely, and to ensure all know that they are equally welcome in the eyes of the Lord.
Following the discernment process and subsequent recommendation for training for ordained ministry, I trained at Trinity College Bristol as a Context Based student for 3 years. During this time I undertook a wide range of church placements and ministered in various contexts. Having arrived at Theological College with nothing above GCSE’s, the BA pathway was rather daunting to me! It was in the early days of college that I was diagnosed with an SpLD (Specific Learning Difficulty) of Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. From this stemmed an understanding for previous difficulties I had faced in education, and over the next few years I would grapple with the implications this had for me. This was one catalyst that led to my involvement with the Neurodiverse community, and I eventually ended up as the SpLD representative for my college, providing support and signposting to other students with particular needs. My dissertation was in this field, considering the lived experience of Neurodiverse individuals within worshipping communities; and the recent work of General Synod, alongside the young voices campaign, has inspired me to run for election with the hope of continuing this work. Even if you do not have a Neurodiverse condition yourself, I would be confident that you know someone who does, either in your family or congregation, formally diagnosed or not, and wider representation and awareness will only serve to benefit our parishes and diocese as a whole.
Thank you for considering my application, and I hope you vote for me to represent you in the house of clergy on General Synod