General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Alison Coulter Address for General Synod Election September 2026

About me
I live in Winchester, and worship at Christ Church Winchester and at Winchester Cathedral,
where I am an honorary Lay Canon. I was Lay Chair of Winchester Diocesan Synod from
2015 to 2021 and have been a member of General Synod since 2015. I have a background in
the NHS, most recently as Director of Organisation Development for Hampshire and the Isle
of Wight NHS Integrated Care Board until 2023. I currently work freelance as a coach and
facilitator. From 2017 to 2021, I was a founder Director of Thrive Worldwide, which offers
specialist health services to many dioceses and to other NGOs and charities. I am married
to Ian, and we have 4 adult children and 5 grandchildren.

Why I am standing for re-election
Thank you very much for electing me to General Synod in 2015 and in 2021. It has been a
privilege to serve as a member of General Synod for the past 11 years and, having prayed
about this, I am standing for re-election. Whilst it’s important to have new, fresh voices on
Synod, I also think it’s also important to have continuity and to have experienced people
who know how the Synod works. I would seek to use my experience to bring continuity to
the work I have been involved with, which includes:
Vice Chair of the House of Laity and Chair of the Archbishops’ Council:
In 2021, I was elected Vice Chair of the House of Laity for General Synod. This has allowed
me to shape the Synod agenda as part of the Business Committee, to be called to speak
regularly in our debates, and to become a member of the Archbishops’ Council. My
colleagues on the Council asked me to Chair the Council from March 2025, and I have
worked to ensure greater openness, accountability, and good governance.
Leading debates
I had the privilege at the July 2025 General Synod to represent Winchester Diocese by
bringing our Diocesan Synod motion for debate, requesting a formal increase in clergy rest
time to 36 hours a week. This was strongly approved, there was lots of good media coverage
and this is now in the Guidelines for the Professional Conduct of the Clergy.
Member of the Safeguarding Structures Programme Board
I am the Archbishops’ Council representative on this Board setting up the new independent
safeguarding authority for the Church of England. I will ensure that General Synod continues
to prioritise safeguarding, that an independent oversight organisation is set up and also
ensure that safeguarding continues to be embedded in the life of Parishes and Dioceses.
Lay leadership
In 2017, I co-authored the Setting God’s People Free report on lay leadership and lay
ministry. In 2027, it will be 10 years since the publication of this report, an opportunity to
mark this anniversary and to think again about how we equip and empower the 98% of the
church who are lay for our ministries in the church and in the world. I want to make sure we
take this opportunity.
Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board
I am a member of this Board, which distributes about £190 million each year to Dioceses.
Some of the funding also goes to lowest-income communities, and some is for partner
organisations, including Messy Church and Bubble Church. I want to use this experience as
we will be thinking in the next Synod about how best to distribute funding to Dioceses and
Parishes.

Why vote for me?
To continue the work I have started: I would be very grateful to be re-elected so I can use
my experience from the past 11 years and continue the work I have started. There are
significant agenda items for this coming quinquennium, including establishing a new
independent safeguarding authority for the Church, the ongoing work on human sexuality,
and the National Funding for Diocesan Ministry Review, looking at how we can best
distribute the significant funding from the Church Commissioners to Dioceses and Parishes.
Issues around lay leadership and everyday faith, I believe, are still very important, and I
want to make sure those are not forgotten. I will bring my experience and understanding to
ensure continuity.
My willingness to listen, build relationships, and build consensus: There are areas in our
Church life where differences of opinion threaten the unity of the church. I am strongly
committed to building relationships, listening to and respecting different voices and views
and to processes that build consensus. Through the process of Living in Love and Faith, I
engaged with both sides of the debate and worked as a member of the Programme Board to
ensure we heard different concerns. Above all, I want our church to be a welcoming and
inclusive place for everyone, whatever their gender or sexuality, and whatever their views
on these issues: I hope we can be a Church that loves and serves one another.
My desire for the flourishing of the whole church. Although I would describe myself as an
open evangelical, I love and respect the breadth of the Anglican Church. I love the variety of
worship styles and communities. I lead a worship band at Christ Church Winchester, but I
also love to worship regularly at the Cathedral; I have experience as a member of both a
Hampshire village Parish church and an inner-city London Parish church before moving to
Winchester. I believe we need both traditional Parish and fresh expressions of church.
My commitment to becoming a younger church: I mentor several young church leaders; I
believe that encouraging younger leaders is essential to the future of the church. As a
mother of 4 young adult children, with 4 sons and daughters-in-law and 5 grandchildren, I
understand that the church needs to be relevant and flourishing for the next generations,
and this needs to be a priority as so many congregations now have no children or young
people. As Vice Chair of the House of Laity, I have ensured mothers with babies are able to
attend Synod and we have facilities available for them.
My governance and director experience. I bring to this role my experience as an NHS
leader, a founder Director of Thrive Worldwide, and a Lay Leader in the Church. As former
Lay Chair of Winchester Diocesan Synod, I helped resolve a very difficult situation in the
Diocese. I understand how the Diocesan Board of Finance works, and I understand the
governance of the Church of England as Chair of the Archbishops’ Council and Vice Chair of
the House of Laity. I will use my experience to ensure good governance, which I believe is
important for the church to flourish.
My positivity and energy: I am not afraid to speak up and challenge when I see that things
are not as they could or should be, and I have been an active and regular contributor to our
Synod debates. However, I believe as Christians how we say things is as important as what
we say, and I will continue to do my best to speak and challenge positively and graciously.

Thank you for reading this far! I will continue to pray and work for the flourishing of
Winchester Diocese and for our life together as the Church of England. Please vote for me
and I will work hard to continue to be a positive presence on the General Synod.

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