Synodical Government in the Diocese

Deanery Synod Elections

Deanery Synod membership changes on a three yearly cycle and once elected, new representatives became ex officio members of their PCCs while they remain Deanery Synod members.

All clergy, beneficed or licensed to any parish in the deanery, are automatically members of the Deanery Synod.

Each parish is assigned a number of representatives according to the formula approved by the Diocesan Synod, which relates to the number of Electoral Roll members each parish declared at its Annual Meeting in 2010, as follows:

Any queries relating to the rules and regulations can probably be answered by your Rural Dean or Lay Chair - or contact the Diocesan Office.

Diocesan Synod

The Diocesan Synod is a body formed of the Bishops of the Diocese along with elected representatives of clergy and lay people from across the Diocese. The total membership of the Synod is about 120, divided equally between clergy and laity. It is elected every three years by members of the Deanery Synods and meets three times yearly.

It considers all aspects of church life: initiatives being referred to it from the national church; diocesan issues over priorities of work; sharing of information on the life of the church at a local level - and makes decisions, along with the Diocesan Bishop, on key policies affecting the Church in the Diocese. Its agendas and the reports on its business show the breadth of its work.

The members of the Diocesan Synod are also members of the Diocesan Board of Finance and they elect representatives to other Diocesan committees. The Synod's work is managed by the Business Planning Group and the Diocesan Secretary is its chief officer.

The Diocesan Synod exists by virtue of the Synodical Government Measure (1969) and replaced the Diocesan Conferences which had existed for the previous century. Its creation gave legal rights to lay people and clergy to be involved with the setting of policies affecting the life of the Church in the Diocese which had previously been the sole right of Bishops.

Deanery Synod membership changes frequently as people move in and out of their parishes and the Diocese. For a definitive and up-to-date list of Deanery Synod members, contact the Deanery Secretary.

For details of Diocesan Synod and Gerneral Synod members, please contact Diocesan House, Quarry Street, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3XG.

Diocesan Synod Budget 2012

At the Diocesan Synod meeting on 5 November the draft budget for 2012 was considered. This was approved by Synod with an overwhelming majority. 

A downloadable copy of the Presentation given by the Chairman of the Board of Finance, Mr Nigel Lewis, is available by clicking on the links below: 

• Introduction
• Departments
• Map & History
• Who's Who in the Diocese
• FAQs
• Guildford Cathedral
• Synod Governance
• Diocesan Directory and Handbook
• Grapevine
• Vacancies (Clergy)
• Recruitment
• Surrey Church Major Incident Plan
• Diocesan Common Purpose
• Clergy Counselling Service
• Chaplaincies and Special Ministries
• What's On