General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Hello, I’m Portia. I’m 53, married to Mike, and we’ve lived in
Cumbria for the last 22 years. It'd be an honour to serve God
on General Synod and represent you & our Diocese,
as well as the people of Cumbria.
We live in Kendal, and we’ve had four children here, all with disabilities (my two sons are alongside me in
the photo above!). Our younger daughter died in 2011. I also have a brother with a brain injury which has
caused severe physical and mental disability. These experiences have inevitably shaped me, and have given
me a particular concern for people and families whose lives don’t always fit neatly into the boxes
that society, or sometimes the Church, creates.

Mike & I met at university in Birmingham where we spent seven years as teachers living and working in
the inner city, before moving to Cumbria 22 years ago.
I don’t come from a religious family. When I was 14, I came across a Bible in a hotel room and what I read
changed my life. I committed my life to the Lord and ever since I’ve had a passion for God’s Word. It
remains the bedrock of my faith and my guidebook for life. As I open this book with others, from church or
non-church backgrounds, I love introducing people to the God who has changed my life.
General Synod Elections 2026 | House of Laity | Diocese of Carlisle
Portia Crees
About me...
e: [email protected] | t: 07732401877
p: 40 Shap Rd Kendal Cumbria LA8 6DP
St. Thomas’ Church, Kendal
Outside of Christian settings, I also facilitate a weekly peer-support group for mums and grandmas of
children with autism, ADHD and other disabilities. Through that group and our WhatsApp network,
I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside families facing all sorts of challenges around disability, mental
health, relationships and family life.
One thing that runs through much of what I do is asking how we can make church genuinely accessible
and welcoming, holding out the gospel of Christ, particularly for people with physical or hidden
disabilities, those who are neurodiverse, and others who can easily find themselves on the margins.
About my experiences...
Over the years I’ve been involved in quite a range of aspects of church and community life:
While we lived in Birmingham I was involved in homeless ministries through Birmingham City Mission
and The Big Issue, and Mike and I ran a Christian support group and food bank for refugees and asylum
seekers.
At previous churches I have also looked after finances and wages and served as a trustee, so I am
comfortable with some of the more practical and organisational sides of church life too.
Here in Cumbria, I set up and ran a baby and toddler group for seven years. I’m now involved with the
toddler group at St Thomas’, our daytime Alpha course and Warm Welcome, which provides a safe place
each week for people to drop in for cake, conversation and the occasional jigsaw puzzle (at which I am not
very good!). More widely, I also facilitate a Women’s Fellowship group which includes those with lived
experiences of domestic abuse, disability and loneliness.

A number of people have encouraged me to stand for General Synod over the last few years. To
begin with, I was surprised. But the more I have thought and prayed about it, the more I have realised
that the things I care about are also some of the big questions facing the Church of England:
Ultimately I care passionately about the Church of England, and I hope that is because I care
passionately about the Lord, the Bible and about people.
I want our churches to be places where people can discover the hope of the Christian faith,
including those who may never have imagined that church was for them. I want us to be
particularly attentive to children and young adults, many of whom are facing anxiety,
loneliness, poor mental health and uncertainty about their future. And I want us to think
carefully about people with disabilities and additional needs, not simply ensuring they can get
through the door, but enabling them to belong, participate and flourish as part of the life of the
Church.
I also believe that trust matters. At a time when trust in institutions, including the Church, can
be fragile, I want the Church of England to be known for integrity, consistency, openness and
genuine care for people.
My own life has given me particular experience of physical and hidden disabilities,
neurodiversity, bereavement and mental health challenges, as well as the privilege of
walking alongside many people experiencing vulnerability or isolation. I would hope to bring
some of those voices and experiences into the conversations of Synod.
As I see in Kendal and across our county, the local church is so important. Beautiful, ordinary,
faithful, everyday local church communities are the hope of the world, because we’re the body of
Christ. So I think local churches and parishes should be at the forefront of our minds in our
bigger decisions - and General Synod should be enabling and encouraging this ‘local’ work.
Why stand for General Synod?
Thanks you for considering my candidacy for House of Laity on General
Synod for Carlisle Diocese.
Your vote in these elections is important. Please feel very welcome to
call, Whatsapp, or email me (contact details overleaf) if you have any
questions, or would like me to share anything further on any particular
issues.
If you felt able, I would very much value your first preference vote or,
failing that, the highest preference that you are able to give to me.
“I certainly wouldn’t come to General Synod thinking I had all the answers. I would want to
listen carefully, ask questions, and represent the lay people of our diocese as faithfully as I
can. If elected, I would try to speak honestly, be prayerful, and remember those whose
voices can easily go unheard. And I would always be very happy to hear from people
across the diocese, whether over a coffee or by WhatsApp, daytime or evening.”
Portia

abuse,asylum,disability,domestic abuse,finances,food bank,gospel,isolation,loneliness,mental health,mission,neurodiversity,refugees,young adults