The 2010-2015 General Synod was dissolved on Monday 13 July 2015 immediately after it finished its July group of sessions in York. The election of a new Synod will take place over the summer and early autumn.
There is official information on the elections on this webpage including these papers.
The second of these includes this draft timetable for the diocesan elections.
1 Notification to electors of the election timetable to be followed in the diocese and issue of nomination papers – Not later than Tuesday 21st July
2 Notification of the validity of any nomination – As soon as any nomination is received
3 Closing date for nominations – Friday 4th September
4 Issue of voting papers – Friday 18th September
5 Closing date for return of voting papers – Friday 9th October
6 Day of the count – Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th, Wednesday 14th, or Thursday 15th October.
7 Names and addresses of those elected and result sheet to be sent to the diocesan bishop, the Clerk to the Synod, every candidate and to the Election Scrutineer. – Not later than the fourth working day after the date of the declaration of the result.
However dioceses have some discretion, so candidates and electors should check carefully what the dates are in their own diocese, particularly the closing dates for nominations and the return of voting papers.
The numbers of clergy (“proctors”) and laity to be elected by each diocese are contained in appendices A and B of GS 1975.
Changes to the rules since 2010 mean that dioceses must now publish all election addresses on the diocesan website before issuing the voting papers. After the election the the full return of the result and the result sheet (with voting figures) must also be posted on the website until the end of the first group of sessions of the new General Synod (ie 25 November 2015).
This is important if we want to change the Church.
I hope all Thinking Anglicans will ponder how to make a difference in these elections.
Jeremy,
As a member of General Synod in the last quinquennial, I firmly believe that all Synod elections are important. Also, changing the Church may be a first step, the problem is in agreeing how to change it and into what. Of course, it can only be a step in fulfilling the Great Commission -to make disciples of all nations
Graeme Buttery
At the rate things are going, perhaps Synod should concern itself almost exclusively with making disciples of England.
To emphasise my point about the above timetable being only a draft, I now know that the closing date for nominations in the Diocese of Liverpool is 12 noon on Tuesday 1st September 2015, and election addresses must be received by the presiding officer by noon on 8th September 2015.
“The diocesan electors of a diocese … shall be the members of the houses of laity of all the deanery synods in the diocese”. Isn’t it time that everyone on an electoral roll should be able to vote?
Any bets on the “flavour” of the new Synod. Fun to speculate! I think Trad Caths and Cons Evos of the headship variety will be squeezed in the House of Clergy…the H of L? Well its anyone’s guess…I suspect the laity vote less on party lines, at least some do.