The Diocese has a number of bodies and councils that give us structure, accountability and good governance.
These bodies meet regularly throughout the year and run alongside other key events and activities within the Diocese.
Find out more about all our key bodies and councils below.
Diocesan Synod
The Diocesan Synod is the main policy-making body of the Diocese and the forum for the discussion of issues important in diocesan life.
It is an elected body that debates matters referred from deaneries, PCCs and from individual Synod members.
It also debates motions relating to national church affairs. In this way, we contribute to General Synod - the national policy-making parliament of the Church of England. General Synod, General Synod - the national policy-making parliament of the Church of England.
How it works
Meetings are held three times a year. This helps to provide a system of democratic representation and accountability.
Synod is made up of three 'houses' or groups – bishops, clergy and laity (non-ordained members of the church). Elections to be a member of Diocesan Synod take place every 3 years.
- The current Chair of the House of Clergy is the Rev Canon Jeremy Blunden, Rector of St George, Beckenham
- The current Chair of the House of Laity is Mrs Sarah Poole, Christ Church, Beckenham
All members of the Synod are also members of the Diocesan Board of Finance, which is responsible for the custody and management of diocesan finances.
General Synod
The General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England.
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.
The General Synod is made up of three houses: House of Bishops, House of Clergy, House of Laity.
Alongside the Diocesan Bishop, each diocese is able to elect four representatives to sit within the House of Clergy and the House of Laity.
Elections to General Synod - 2026
In 2026, new clergy and lay members are being elected to General Synod. Find out who is standing for the House of Laity and House of Clergy below:
| Nominee (Click the candidate’s name to see their election address) |
General Synod House | Nominator 1 | Nominator 2 |
| Ms Gill Cain | House of Laity | Canon Ellen Couzens | Mr Iain Kitchener |
| Mr Tim Harrold | House of Laity | Mr Keith Howick | Mrs Joan Gould |
| Mrs Diane McKenzie-Boyle | House of Laity | Mr Andrew Coates | Mr Peter Scott |
| Mr James Miller | House of Laity | Mrs Jane Jordan | Mrs Denise Lingham |
| Ms Billy-Jo O'Leary | House of Laity | Canon Sarah Poole | Mrs Estelle Woodcock |
| Ms Jane Rosam | House of Laity | Ms Jane Belle | Mr David Edgar |
| Ms Fiona Everett | House of Laity | Ms Monica Mary Sanderson | Mr David Jeffery Hood |
| Mr Lee Bolger | House of Laity | Mr Sewanyana Gulemye Kironde | Ms Lorraine Greenham |
| Mr Jonathan Bourne | House of Laity | Prof Julia Dorothy Downing | Mrs Nicola Janet Goozee |
| Mrs Emma Collins | House of Laity | Mrs Justina MacWilliam | Ms Amanda Bird |
| Mr Sewanyana Gulemye Kironde | House of Laity | Ms Lorraine Greenham | Mr Lee Bolger |
| Mr Andrew Smith | House of Laity | Mr Nick Prideaux | Mr Rodney Hutchinson |
| Mr Andre Wright | House of Laity | Mr Stephen Groves | Mr Adebukola Oluseye Adetunmbi |
| Nominee (Click the candidate’s name to see their election address) |
General Synod House | Nominator 1 | Nominator 2 |
| The Rev Eucharia Asiegbu | House of Clergy | The Rev Canon Cathy Knight-Scott | The Rev Amanda Spence |
| The Rev John Caster | House of Clergy | The Rev Rich Thomas | The Rev Judi Hammill |
| The Rev Jim Charles | House of Clergy | The Rev Paul Kish | The Rev Danielle Pearson-Smith |
| The Rev Tim Edwards | House of Clergy | The Rev Hannah Adams | The Rev Canon Clive Jones |
| The Ven Allie Kerr | House of Clergy | The Rev Richard Jones | The Rev Canon Cathy Knight-Scott |
| The Rev Scott Norwood Witts | House of Clergy | The Rev Elizabeth Robertson | The Rev Jocelyn Walker |
| The Rev Andrew Vaughan | House of Clergy | The Rev Jim Fletcher | The Rev Amanda Maskell |
| The Rev Trudi Oliver | House of Clergy | The Rev Canon Jane Winter | The Rev Susan Vallente-Kerr |
| The Rev Mark Redhouse | House of Clergy | The Rev Wendy Carr | The Rev Angus MacLeay |
Other committees and councils
The Bishop’s Council is the Standing Committee of the Diocesan Synod. It plans the business of the Synod, advises it, and transacts its business when not in session. The Bishop’s Council advises the Bishop, appoints members to various committees and formulates, discusses and co-ordinates policies relating to the life and work of the Diocese.
The members of the Bishop’s Council are also the Directors of the Board of Finance, the Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committee and Trustees of the Bishop's Fund for Mission.
The Rochester Diocesan Board of Finance (RDBF) is the accountable body for the Diocese of Rochester. Members include the Archdeacons and elected members from Diocesan Synod.
The RDBF is supported in its work by the Finance Committee which is chaired by Nigel Pope.
The Diocesan Board of Finance aims to finance the mission of the Church in this Diocese through the re-distribution of funds from Parish Share, and the application of other resources and investment income wherever possible.
Parish Share is an approach to provide mutual support from right across the Diocese in order to ensure that the ministry of the Church can be provided in every place.
The Rochester Diocesan Board of Finance is the employer for the administrative staff that support the work of parishes, deaneries and schools across the Diocese of Rochester. It transacts the business of the Diocese with trustees meeting every two months.
All the members of the Committee are committed to the mission of the church in the local context. They are experts in some relevant discipline relating to historic buildings or have a particular interest in the care or use of church buildings. As such the Committee is well able to offer helpful advice to parishes seeking to maintain their properties or to adapt, extend or improve them.
Members serve on the Committee without payment and advice is free to parishes.
The Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel is a group of external safeguarding professionals, along with senior clergy and officers from the Diocese and the Cathedral, who provide quality assurance and challenge in regards to safeguarding.
They provide strategic oversight and advice to the Bishop and Dean in regards to the implementation of guidance, training and resourcing of safeguarding. Oversight of the Past Cases Review and Learning Lessons Reviews are a key part of their work.
It is chaired by Dr Liza Thompson. Liza is an Independent Domestic Homicide and Safeguarding Adult review author for Kent County Council. In this short video, Liza explains more about the Panel and the importance of safeguarding for her:
If you have a concern about safeguarding practice or service that you have received either from the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, a church or another part of the diocesan support structure that you feel unable to raise with the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, you can contact the DSAP chair on DSAPChair@rochester.anglican.org
The Diocese of Rochester has a number of livings in the Diocese in its gift and the Diocesan Board of Patronage is responsible for nominating a priest to the Bishop when a vacancy arises.
The Vacancy in See Committee meets when the existing Bishop retires or moves on in order to make recommendations about a successor.
This is the legal office for the Diocese of Rochester. Our Registry services are provided by Patti Russell (Diocesan Registrar) of Winkworth Sherwood. Every diocese also has a Diocesan Chancellor - the independent judge for the Diocese. Visit our Registry page.
Key Contacts
Canon Matthew GirtDiocesan Secretary |
Suzanne RogersPastoral and Synodical Administrator |