General Synod Election Candidates 2026

Election Address
The Revd Richard Parkinson
I am standing for election to the General Synod because I
believe it should continue to include voices rooted in the
everyday reality of parish ministry: voices that understand both
the opportunities before us and the growing pressures faced
by clergy, lay ministers, churchwardens, volunteers, and
congregations.
I have served in the Diocese of York for almost thirteen years,
first as Rector of St Michael’s, Cherry Burton, and then as Priest-in-Charge of the
churches of Etton and Dalton Holme. For the first eleven of those years, I was also
Chaplain to Bishop Burton College. I have served as Area Dean of Beverley and am
currently Acting Archdeacon of East Riding. I also serve as a trustee of Wonder Learning
Partnership, a Multi-Academy Trust, which has further developed my experience of
governance, strategic responsibility, and support for those who serve children, young
people, and local communities. These roles have given me a deep appreciation of the
commitment, skill, and faithfulness of those who serve the Church—often quietly and at
considerable personal cost.
I am passionate about parish ministry and about enabling every minister, lay and
ordained, paid and voluntary. The parish church remains a remarkable gift to our nation:
present in every community, available at significant moments in people’s lives, and called
to bear faithful, generous Christian witness. Our task is not simply to preserve buildings or
institutions, but to sustain living communities of discipleship, prayer, welcome, service,
and mission.
I was raised in the Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland and have served as a preacher
and evangelist across a range of Christian traditions. Before ordination, I was deeply
involved in children’s and youth work, mission and evangelism, including ecumenical
work in Ireland. That experience continues to shape my ministry: I value the breadth of
the Church of England, believe in active partnership with other Christians, and remain
convinced that the Church should communicate the good news of Jesus Christ with
confidence, humility, and compassion.
If elected, I would focus on three closely connected priorities.
First, I want to see a stronger, more confident culture of lay ministry. With fewer
stipendiary clergy available, we must not merely expect lay people to fill gaps. Rather, we
should resource, affirm, train, and trust the whole people of God for the ministry to which
they are called. Healthy parish ministry depends on clergy and lay people working
together as partners, each offering their distinct gifts. General Synod should help create
the conditions for this to flourish locally.
Secondly, I would be a clear advocate for rural and small-church ministry. I chair the
Diocese of York’s Rural Life and Faith Group, which aims to be a strategic and positive
voice for our rural and village-based worshipping communities. Small churches are not
simply a problem to be managed; they are places of deep faithfulness, local knowledge,
relationships, and potential. National policy and funding need to recognise the

distinctiveness of rural ministry, rather than assuming that solutions designed for larger or
urban contexts can be applied everywhere.
Thirdly, Synod must maintain a determined focus on reducing the administrative burden
on parishes and clergy. The Church has committed itself to simplifying governance,
processes, and functions. That commitment now needs to be delivered in a way that is
tangible in parish life. Necessary safeguarding, financial, and legal responsibilities must
be carried out well, but they should be proportionate, well-supported, and designed
around the realities of local ministry. Too much clergy and volunteer energy is currently
absorbed by systems that can feel remote from mission and pastoral care. We need
governance that enables the Church’s calling, rather than obscuring it.
Alongside these priorities, I will speak for the wellbeing of those who bear responsibility
within the Church. Clergy, lay ministers, churchwardens, staff, and volunteers need more
than warm words: they need clear expectations, effective support, proper
encouragement, and a culture in which asking for help is recognised as a sign of wisdom
rather than failure.
I would bring to General Synod experience across parish, deanery, diocesan, rural,
educational, and ecumenical ministry. More importantly, I would bring a commitment to
listen carefully, speak honestly, work collaboratively, and keep the needs of local
worshipping communities at the centre of my contribution.
I would be honoured to serve the Diocese of York in this capacity.

discipleship,ecumenical,evangelism,good news,mission,ordination,prayer,safeguarding,stipendiary,witness,young people,youth,youth work