accountability
A SAFE AND TRUSTED CHURCH Putting safeguarding first, learning from the past and building a culture of trust, compassion and accountability.
As the husband of an ordinand, I strongly believe there must be considerably more clarity, accountability, and transparency in the discernment, vocation, and curacy processes which are often opaque and complex to navigate.
Beyond Parish life, my professional background in Education includes serving as a school and on an educational Board of Governors, provides me with extensive experience in institutional accountability, compliance and strategic planning.
At synod I will advocate for, national standards that prioritise survivor care rehabilitation of perpetrators, rigorous accountability and practical useability for parish volunteers.
[also serve as Chair of Can-Survive UK, a cancer-support charity working particularly with culturally diverse communities, bringing further experience of governance, leadership, accountability and partnership working.
Promoting safety, accountability and integrity. ree ey and strategically
Clergy need better accountability, mentoring and pastoral supervision.
I believe there should also be greater accountability about the large sums of money that have been invested in big new projects and a willingness to admit and learn from investments that have failed to achieve their aims.
Accountability & Trust
I have built cultures of accountability from the ground up, including recovering a damaged regulator relationship.
A delicate balance must be achieved: increased independence means it is harder for the Church to prioritise safeguarding its reputation over the wellbeing of and justice for survivors, but there is also a danger that the Church will relinquish its accountability and safeguarding will become more disconnected from the reality of parish life.
Alongside this, a separate conversation is taking place about the governance and accountability of bishops.
Trust and accountability- High-profile safeguarding failures across different parts of the Church have caused profound harm to victims and survivors and have rightly led many within the Church and beyond it to question aspects of our culture, leadership and accountability.
I understand the vital nature of governance, transparency and accountability in institutions and commercial organisations.
• key member of an Accountability Group for a Life
Proper safeguarding is so much more than compliance, it requires good structures, clear accountability, competent leadership and, above all, integrity.
It should provide appropriate challenge and accountability, while also having the wisdom and capacity to distinguish between genuine concerns that need to be heard and behaviour that can become undermining, divisive or destructive.
These experiences have given me a particular interest in the relationship between safeguarding, good governance, leadership, accountability and mission.
The Church needs structures that safeguard people, uphold high standards and ensure accountability precisely so that our energy can be directed towards what God has called us to do: worshipping Christ, making disciples, serving our communities and sharing the good news of God’s love.
It requires transparency, accountability, effective safeguarding and a culture in which concerns are heard and acted upon.
This has given me extensive experience of safeguarding, risk management, professional accountability, policy implementation and multidisciplinary working.
I adhere to the Nolan Principles of Public Life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
Transparent accountability and genuinely independent scrutiny are essential.
Good governance means open accountability, vigorous safeguarding and responsible stewardship.
When safeguarding has failed, we must listen to victims and survivors, learn from failures and ensure that accountability leads to effective and lasting cultural and systemic change.
Strong governance and accountability in safeguarding and pastoral processes.
I attended a small house church for a short time and this gave me a strong motivation to value good governance, financial accountability, safeguarding and pastoral oversight.
This change will require transparent pathways of accountability, a readiness to listen to victims and survivors, and processes that can be seen to be fair and to be trusted.
I will seek to make it easier for our churches to take practical and meaningful action, whilst also encouraging the national Church to demonstrate leadership and accountability through its own actions, commitments and investments.
PCC accountability and conduct — arguing for workable processes when behaviour becomes seriously damaging;
the revised Guidelines for the Professional Conduct of the Clergy, pressing for proper attention to harm, trust, boundaries and accountability;
safeguarding and healthy church culture, where we need both rigorous accountability and systems which are fair and workable locally.
Experience in parish ministry, and previously as Senior Chaplain to the Bishops of Maidstone and Ebbsfleet, has convinced me that safeguarding depends not simply on policies and training, but on healthy cultures, clear accountability and proper attention to power.
Governance and accountability Recent years have exposed serious weaknesses in the governance and culture of parts of the Church of England.
Proper scrutiny, transparent decision-making and clear accountability protect people and enable mission.
I will commit to my role prayerfully, seeking God’s guidance in decisions whilst also seeking wise earthly counsel and accountability
Reform of our national church institutions stalled in July when the National Church Governance Measure was withdrawn from consideration due to concerns from MPs about safeguarding, delegated powers, financial accountability, and charitable structure.
Effective safeguarding depends upon well-trained clergy, informed volunteers, professional support, robust procedures, and clear accountability.
I will advocate for improvements by encouraging, supporting, debating, and voting for changes to safeguarding structures, processes, and accountability.
My interests include being a non-executive director (“expert by experience”) for Safe Spaces England and Wales, I support victims of abuse and believe the Church must continue to strengthen independence, transparency and accountability in safeguarding practice at every level, not just with parish clergy.
Church Commissioners' Slavery and Reconciliation Working Group Contributed to important discussions concerning historical accountability, reconciliation, and the Church's ongoing commitment to justice and healing.
We should expect high standards, and we need strong safeguarding and accountability at the heart of the Church.
Sound Financial Strategy & Accountability:
Ensuring transparency, accountability, and wise stewardship at every level of Church life, through careful scrutiny and effective legislation.
- Good governance and accountability
I will support improved efficiency and accountability of the National Church Institutions.
Trust is rebuilt when people commit to working together, with financial accountability, for the common good.
Transparency, Accountability, and Justice.
e AChurch that is pastorally courageous Whether addressing safeguarding, inclusion, vocations, or the future of our parish system, I believe we must act with integrity, transparency, accountability, and compassion whilst being rooted and grounded in orthodox and traditional Biblical teaching.
Much of priestly ministry cannot be measured and too often monitoring, ‘accountability,’ and meetings get in the way.
Safeguarding and accountability: I want the Church to listen more deeply to survivors, strengthen independent scrutiny, and make sure failures lead to honest learning and real change.
I specialise in taking complex programmes from strategy to results, building high-performing teams and establishing the governance, accountability and practical action needed to deliver lasting change.
For most of my working life I have worked as a solicitor, giving me the knowledge of law, governance, accountability, negotiation and finding practical solutions to difficult problems.
Safeguarding and accountability The Church must be a place of safety.
I support independent oversight of safeguarding within the Church of England and stronger accountability when safeguarding fails.
Transparency and Accountability are (or should be) two of the watchwords of Synod, and at nearly every group of sessions I took advantage of the opportunity to ask probing questions, especially on or relating to safeguarding issues, often being ‘the grit in the oyster’.
I believe that Synod needs to be more assertive, especially in holding the bishops to account and in securing greater transparency and accountability.
Strengthening our safeguarding culture, governance and accountability is essential if our churches are to be places of genuine safety and welcome for alll.
robust accountability and proper care for those who have been harmed.
I went to church schools between the ages of 9 and 17 and there I learned some valuable lessons about social accountability and good stewardship, which were woven throughout the curriculum, not just in religious education.
I have come to believe that we need to instate far greater transparency and accountability on the church’s administration at every level.
The implementation of independent safeguarding structures and the continued response to past failures will require careful scrutiny, effective legislation and a determination to rebuild trust through accountability, transparency and compassion for victims and survivors.
Those who serve the Church deserve proper support while maintaining appropriate accountability.
The Church must embed best practice and place the voices of all survivors at the centre of our safeguarding processes, and there needs to be greater accountability from Synod for the change in culture that this will entail.
Throughout my life I have always had a keen eye for how organisations are run and structured, where power sits and where there is accountability and oversight for the use of that power.
My contributions span racial justice leadership, doctrinal engagement, and active accountability to local parishes, in the following ways: Racial Justice & CMEAC Leadership: I was elected as a House of Laity representative to the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC), advocating for UKME/GMH representation, leadership pathways, and full inclusion across all levels of church governance.
Grass-roots accountability: I have very much enjoyed reporting back on Synod sessions to the Oxford Diocesan Synod, deanery synods, and local parish congregations, ensuring transparent communication and highlighting the connections between the agenda of the General Synod and local worshipping communities.
resourced and free from institutional pressure in which victims are heard and treated with dignity and respect, processes are completely transparent, and accountability is real, so that safeguarding is about protecting the victims rather than the institution.
• Promoting Accountability: I use my full allowance of questions at every session to hold the centre
Good governance and accountability.
My professional experience has taught me the importance of good governance, safeguarding, accountability and learning from mistakes.
It should be based on culture, accountability and a willingness to listen and act.
This experience has given me a good understanding of governance, financial responsibility and accountability, as well as the need to make difficult decisions when resources are limited and priorities compete.
I also serve as a Capitular Canon of Wakefield Cathedral, where I sit on the Risk and Audit Committee, contributing to the governance, accountability, and sustainability of Cathedral life, as well as serving as Area Dean of Pontefract and on the Diocesan Synod Experience and Contribution to the General Synod… I have now served on the General Synod for over sixteen years, and I am proud of the work that Synod has achieved during that time.
A Commitment to Integrity and Accountability Through my work on safeguarding, clergy conduct, and Synodical processes, I am committed to ensuring that the Church operates with transparency, accountability, and trust.
A safer Church The next Synod must continue safeguarding reform, with clearer accountability and processes that are workable and respond better to those who have been harmed.
Structures that serve mission The next Synod must rebuild trust in the Church’s structures and governance, with clearer accountability, better decision-making and systems that support rather than burden mission.
Recent high-profile examples of leadership failure have brought into sharp focus the consequences that can arise when unhealthy patterns of ministry, leadership and accountability are allowed to develop.
General Synod should follow the money, test the evidence, demand accountability - and sometimes be prepared to say NO!
Accountability.
05 Safeguarding & Accountability Support a Church that listens to survivors, learns from failure, and embeds safeguarding, transparency and responsible governance at every level.
Although I have only been part of the Church of England since 2021, I have come to value its structures, governance and commitment to accountability.
Working to bolster clergy morale, as well as proper accountability: Some of us may feel as clergy that we too are beyond the household: we may doubt our worthiness, and the recent report from Save the Parish re-emphasised the threats posed to the flourishing of all of us by the lack of trust between clergy and ‘the centre’ and by that demoralisation experienced by many.
True church renewal will not come from top-down schemes that treat the parish as an administrative cost rather than the heart of our mission. “Stand firm, as an anvil when it is smitten.” — St Ignatius of Antioch, to Polycarp My working life before ordination was spent navigating logistics and accountability under real pressure.
Accountability: Asking the direct, practical questions about budgets and policy that need answering on behalf of our parishes.
Safeguarding is not just about smart policies and procedures – it’s about shaping a culture of care, compassion and accountability.
We need to pour resources into youth, into governance and accountability.
This is essential in order to build trust and accountability both within and outside the church, and ensure our precious resources are used for Kingdom purposes.
Recent debates on safeguarding structures, Living in Love and Faith, mental health and clergy discipline have shown how closely theology, policy, justice, accountability and pastoral care are connected.
I will support safeguarding structures that are as independent as humanly possible, with clear accountability and proper support for survivors.
The challenges for our Church in recent years have been considerable - leadership, openness and accountability, finance, safeguarding, marriage, sexuality, slavery … the list is long.
During that time I have contributed to a number of discussion at the House on issues of finance and funding, racial justice, safeguarding, trust and accountability amongst other discussions.
Governance, accountability and culture Governance continues to be a pressing issue for us, not only in relation to high-profile concerns about safeguarding and the restructuring of the National Church Institutions.
• My commitment to honesty and openness, accountability and transparency
A voice for accountability and listening Within Bristol Diocesan Synod, I am known as someone willing to ask difficult questions and hold leadership to account.
I am passionate about Everyday Faith and wish to continue contributing to the flourishing of the Church of England and, most importantly, to enable everyone in this country to live life in all its fullness through knowledge of the Gospel. “Throughout her time at Synod Jane has been a constant attender, and a constant supporter both of good independent safeguarding, and transparency and accountability in our governance.
Equality, inclusion and a courageous public voice Integrity, safeguarding and visible accountability ‘For we intend to do what is right not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of others’ (2 Corinthians 8:21).
Safeguarding reform must include survivor support, independent scrutiny and clear accountability.
I will press for clear information, responsible stewardship, proper accountability and debate shaped by evidence and lived experience rather than factional point-scoring.
Safeguarding: The Church must continue to grow in transparency, accountability, and independent redress, ensuring we listen thoroughly to victims and survivors.
I bring understanding of parish and diocesan finance to the Synod to get this right. “Clergy Accountability” is coming down the tracks.
Clergy Accountability will touch on our ecclesiology, and most aspects of our common life.
I would come to General Synod not with a rigid agenda, but with a heart for faithful service, consultation, and accountability.
The simplification of how the Church operates is a great objective, but needs proper accountability and good governance.
These roles without exception required resilience, accountability and the ability to navigate complexity – qualities directly relevant to Synod’s work at a time of significant challenge for the Church.
However, I feel that the church is moving forwards in terms of accountability, procedures and training.
Good safeguarding and financial accountability need that.
I was elected to the Governance Review Steering Committee (covering issues such as safeguarding, transparency and accountability of the National Church Institutions) I was appointed to the Cathedral Fabric Commission for England (advising cathedrals, including Chelmsford, on large projects).
I will advocate a survivor-centred culture, clear accountability, appropriate independence, better support for parish safeguarding officers and properly resourced implementation.
I support fully independent safeguarding arrangements, ensuring that scrutiny and accountability are never compromised by institutional interests.
This growth has happened with the accountability to, support and empowerment of ordained clergy.
It is about releasing the gifts of the whole people of God, with appropriate oversight and accountability, so that there is a mutual support and enabling of clergy and lay.
I have served as a governor of Templars Primary School and as a trustee of Street Pastors and Coventry City Mission, giving me experience of governance, accountability and working through complex structures.
Empowered lay leadership — releasing the gifts of lay people and leaders alongside strong ordained leadership, accountability and good governance.
That work taught me to read the papers properly, to ask the unglamorous questions about money, accountability and who carries the cost of a decision, and to keep a body of people with different convictions working together.
This helps triangulate information and maintain accountability.
Care of the clergy, trust, and accountability In my lifetime I have seen a growing gap in care for the clergy: our hierarchy has had to become managers, with little bottom-up accountability for clergy care.
To do that effectively, we need independent national data to drive accountability and change.
Safeguarding and accountability I also believe safeguarding remains an area where the Church of England has some way to go.
Clergy flourish in ministry when they receive effective care alongside fair, transparent, and appropriate accountability.
As Chair of the House of Clergy, and an Archdeacon (and previously an Area Dean), accountability of central structures to the wider body has always been a priority for me.
If you value strong parish ministry, responsible stewardship, accountability and genuinely independent representation, please give me your 1st preference vote and continue to hold me and our Church in your prayers.
Fair Accountability: We need legally binding national ‘codes of conduct’ to bring equality and fairness for all who serve on synods, boards, and councils.
I will support Synod measures for greater transparency, accountability + independent scrutiny, helping to build safer parishes.
Communication & Accountability
We are all served by clear process, transparency and accountability. LGBTQ+ people have been faithful despite the pain of discrimination.
Governance: I bring a commitment to working towards increased transparency, accountability & synodality.
I want arrangements which improve safety, transparency and accountability, while ensuring that pastoral responsibility is not simply outsourced and that the proper scope of safeguarding policy and procedure remains clearly defined.
accountability, with clear processes in place.
Accountability is not hostility to the centre.
I’d love to be re-elected to continue this work, speaking up for transparency, accountability and good governance in the distribution of national church funds.
I will be speaking up for proportional systems and processes which are less easily weaponised and provide accountability at every stage.
There is an ongoing debate about how decisions are taken in the Church of England, and where accountability lies.
At other times I saw the tension between new ways of being Church and structures that can sometimes appear rigid, but which also provide stability, accountability and continuity.
What I would bring In my professional life, I have spent more than twenty years in senior leadership within life science organisations, where governance, accountability, organisational culture, risk and evidence-based decision- making are central.
I would seek to listen carefully, especially to those whose experiences or conclusions differ from my own; approach difficult questions prayerfully and with humility; examine evidence and consequences before reaching conclusions; and ask constructive questions where greater clarity or accountability is needed.
Frustrated with the bureaucracy of our structures: with the need to simplify, keep accountability (while enabling/empowering lay ministry); facilitate more local decision making and de-politicise; spend/invest money where it really matters and can have impact; be good custodians.
Through my experience as a governor of two schools, I have developed a practical understanding of governance, safeguarding, accountability, strategic planning and the importance of making decisions that serve the common good.
Decisions by national church bodies, including General Synod, need to be accompanied by accountability, good communication, and evidence.
I have voted consistently in favour of moves to increase accountability and direct money towards parishes and chaplaincies.
Ensuring safeguarding is done with excellence and accountability
She does not belong to a single political "party" or faction, but her active contributions reflect practical care for the environment, structural accountability, and community welfare.
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.
We need strategic thinking, sound stewardship, clear accountability and the courage to make decisions — while remembering that behind every policy are real people and real communities.
Champion transparency, accountability and good governance.
This experience has deepened my concern for trust, accountability and safeguarding in the church.
This will include learning to hold unity amid healthy disagreement, as well as strengthening cultures and structures around accountability, transparency and humility in the Church.
This requires a high level of accountability and leaders, both ordained and lay, who are theologically, socially and politically literate and are willing to hold to account and to be held to account by those inside and outside.
This has given me extensive experience of safeguarding systems, risk, and accountability.
We need to encourage cultures in which difficult conversations can take place with honesty, respect and trust whilst early warning signs are picked up to promote wellbeing, and mutual accountability.
Safeguarding: I support the recommendations for learning, accountability and independent scrutiny from the independent reviews of Makin and Scolding.
True fidelity to Christ calls us to protect freedom of conscience across our diverse traditions, to act with radical accountability toward those we have failed, and to ensure our national structures and finances exist solely to serve the mission of local parishes on the ground.
This good news includes spiritual transformation and growth as well as personal and systemic accountability for the Church of England and outside of it.
What is working well and what needs to be improved to form healthy church leaders with positive experiences as anecdotal evidence suggests that too many curacies are breaking down, impacting both curates, Training Incumbents and church communities. ❖ Cost of living Crises: Using our voice as the established Church and religion of England to bring positive change for every day people and accountability through challenging unjust structures like the fourth mark of mission.
has helped me to have a deep understanding of the workings of the Synod committee processes, and also of the National Church Institutions, as we worked hard to simplify national processes and improve transparency and accountability.
I will support work that: strengthens safeguarding practice across every level of the Church promotes transparency, accountability and appropriate independent scrutiny ensures survivors are listened to, supported and treated with dignity continues to improve safeguarding training, reporting and culture throughout the Church
Therefore, greater education, accountability and integrity amongst those in positions of leadership, alongside tight safeguarding policies, is key.
These skills have equipped me to listen carefully, weigh evidence, engage with differing viewpoints, and make balanced decisions with integrity and accountability.
Safeguarding, transparency and accountability must remain central.
It also means safeguarding that is properly resourced and consistently applied at parish level, holding the Church to the highest standard of care and accountability for the vulnerable.
SAFEGUARDING & ACCOUNTABILITY Brought a
GOVERNANCE & POWER Argued through that safeguarding cannot be separated from power, culture and accountability, and for more transparent and accountable episcopal and national leadership.
Survivors' experience must shape not only our procedures but the culture of the Church we become, with independent scrutiny, transparency and genuine accountability.
Clergy wellbeing is also about accountability, and I will work with others to steer us back towards conversations that are pastoral, and about prayer, not narrowly managerial.
Safeguarding, accountability and good governance matter enormously, but we have accumulated layers of regulation and administration which consume hours that could be spent on ministry.