General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Dr Simon Clift
Baraka, 25 Harland Crescent, Southampton SO15 7QB
07753291964
[email protected]

Nominator 1: David Wagstaff
Nominator 2: Richard Roope

Let me introduce myself
I am a Communicant member of St James By The Park Church, Shirley within the Southampton
Deanery where I served as Church Warden on two separate occasions, initially for 6 years (2008
– 2014) and for a further 2 years (2019 – 2021).

I am 63 years old and married to Esther who is a Consultant Practitioner in Frailty working at St
Mary’s Hospital on the Isle of Wight and Chair of Trustees for Caraway, a charity meeting the
spiritual and well-being needs of older people in Southampton. We have 3 grown-up children
and are enjoying the delight of being grandparents.

I am passionate about promoting the health & wellbeing of church leaders, both lay and
ordained, so that they remain fruitful for the long term.

I have been a medical doctor for 40 years and a Consultant in Occupational Medicine for the
last 14 years with a particular area of expertise supporting clergy health. I now work part-time
under the auspices of Thrive Worldwide (https://thrive-worldwide.org/) where I lead a team of 6
OH physicians providing a specialist service to Clergy and lay church leaders for many Anglican
Dioceses as well as the Methodist and United Reformed Churches.

In 2024 I completed my training as a Spiritual Director currently offering direction to a handful of
lay and ordained church leaders.

The rest of the time I look after one of my grandsons a day a week, am learning to play golf and
sing in a community choir, BSO Voices which has the joy of performing a couple of times a year
with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Looking back on my first 11 years on General Synod
Having first been elected to serve as lay representative for the Diocese of Winchester in 2015, I
have been looking back on my contribution to the General Synod over my two terms.
Here are a couple of areas to highlight:

Clergy wellbeing
•
I was chosen as a member of the Clergy Wellbeing Working Group responsible for
delivering the Clergy Covenant for Wellbeing Act of Synod in February 2020 and
subsequently served on the Clergy Covenant for Care & Wellbeing Facilitation Group

•
During the July 2024 Group of sessions I had the opportunity to speak in support of the
Winchester Diocesan Synod Motion entitled Rest Periods for Officeholders which
started its life within the Winchester Deanery Synod in March 2023

Shared Conversations and LLF process
•
Over the past 11 years I have sought to speak constructively and winsomely in the
various debates on identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage affirming the place

within the Church of England for Clergy and laity who continue to stand on the historical
teaching of the church on these matters.

•
During a speech I made in February 2026 during the final Living in Love and Faith debate
I impressed on Synod the urgent need to get beyond ‘good disagreement’ to a ‘good-
enough settlement’, within which people with different principled convictions can
remain, minister, and flourish. “Eleven years ago many of us hoped for good
disagreement. Today, for the sake of clergy wellbeing and for the sake of mission, I
believe we must aim for a ‘good-enough settlement’ — one that creates enough space
for all of us to get on with the urgent work Christ has given us”.

As General Synod representative for the Diocese of Winchester I have also had opportunities to
support the work and mission of the Diocese:
•
In 2022 I had the privilege of serving as Vice Chair of the Vacancy in See Committee and
Chair of the Drafting Group for the Statement of Needs which resulted in the election of
Bishop Philip.
•
Since 2022 I have been part of a small group convened by Archdeacon Richard tasked
with analysing & making recommendations to the Diocese based on the annual Clergy
Wellbeing Surveys
•
In October 2024 I was approved by the Bishop’s Council as Lay Nominee to the CDM
Regional Panel.

A fresh vision for the new Quinquennium
As an old hand on General Synod I promise to get alongside younger members particularly
those new to Synod helping them to navigate the bewildering amount of paperwork and
technical procedures in order that they find their own voice in debates.

As an Occupational Health specialist with a particular expertise and passion, I will seek every
opportunity to promote the health & wellbeing of clergy and their families by speaking out during
relevant debates as well as continuing to make myself available to sit on suitable working
groups or sub-committees.

As a grandfather I commit myself to passing on to the next but one generation a vibrant Church
of England which holds fast to the historical teaching of the church on matters of identity and
human sexuality while so much of UK society is caught up in a maelstrom of alternative ideas
and influences which leave our grandchildren confused and despairing.

As a disciple of Jesus I will devote myself to ensuring that as a Church we remain faithful to our
calling to proclaim the Gospel afresh in each new generation. Drawing on my previous
experience as a mission partner serving in the Anglican Church of Tanzania, this means ordering
our mission according to the 5 Marks of Mission while emphasising the primacy of proclaiming
the Good News of the Kingdom (see https://www.anglicancommunion.org/five-marks-of-
mission/).

The Church of England with a Christian presence in every community has a unique place within
the fabric of English society. Now is not the time to retreat within ourselves or water down our
message. Instead if re-elected to general Synod, I will once again commit myself to being a
constructive voice in building a confident compelling Church which, like the Apostle Paul, “is
not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who
believes”.

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