The General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England. It came into being in 1970 under the Synodical Government Measure 1969, replacing an earlier body known as the Church Assembly.

The General Synod considers and approves legislation affecting the whole of the Church of England, formulates new forms of worship, debates matters of national and international importance, and approves the annual budget for the work of the Church at national level.

Houses of the General Synod

There are 483 members of General Synod. Members are arranged into three Houses:

House of Bishops

House of Clergy

House of Laity

General Synod Elections 2026

Dissolution of the current General Synod is expected on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, with the inauguration of the twelfth General Synod to follow on Tuesday, 17 November 2026. The election period begins on Tuesday, 14 July 2026 and concludes on Monday, 19 October 2026.

The election timetables for dioceses as set by the House of Clergy Election Rules 2025 (HCR) and the House of Laity Election Rules 2025 (HLR) are now available.

A notable change from previous elections is that the archbishops no longer decide the election period, meaning dioceses now have very limited flexibility within the published timetables. Please ensure that every stage indicated in the timetables is completed by 5 pm on the date assigned for that stage.

More details will follow when information is available. 

More information about General Synod and the Houses can be found on the Church of England website.

A list of General Synod members from the Diocese of Derby can be found here.