Deanery Synods

The diocese is divided into 29 deaneries, or groups of parishes. Every deanery is required to have a Synod, chaired by the area dean and an elected lay chair.

Working closely with the area bishop and archdeacon, the area dean and lay chair's priorities include mission action planning and the allocation of the share from the deanery to the parishes.

Find your Deanery Synod representatives

Under the Synodical Government Measure 1969, deaneries also have the power to bring proposals and motions to Diocesan Synod for debate by contacting the Diocesan Secretary.

Deanery Synod members also act as the electorate for elections to Diocesan Synod and General Synod.

The Diocesan Electoral Registration Officer (DERO) is responsible for collecting information relating to changes in Deanery Synod membership. Please send to Caroline Todd at dero@oxford.anglican.org.

Following a number of updates during 2020, Deanery Synod Rules were approved by Diocesan Synod. Changes to rules can be viewed at Church Representation Rules.

Basic outline of the new Rules most relevant to Deanery Synods:

• Part 3 (Deanery Synods) makes provision for the composition of, and elections to, Deanery Synods.
• Part 8 (miscellaneous) makes miscellaneous provisions for the purposes of the Rules, including provisions relating to the handling of personal data, casual vacancies, communication by email or post and interpretation.
• Part 9 (parish governance: model Rules) contains the model Rules for parish governance. These provide for matters such as annual and other parochial church meetings, elections of members of parochial PCCs and deanery synods, the composition and business of PCCs, and the making of schemes for joint councils for ‘connected parishes’. The model Rules will apply automatically unless a parish makes a scheme under Rule 12 to amend or supplement, or to replace, the model Rules.

Election of Deanery Synod representatives

Lay representatives to Deanery Synod (new triennium) members are elected to serve from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2023.

Parishes should use the casual vacancy process to fill places where there were insufficient candidates to stand in original elections, i.e. only those places should be filled. Any member elected under this rule will serve for the remainder of the triennium (to 30 June 2023).

• D2 Nomination of lay member of Deanery Synod: Word
• D3 Elections Results sheet: Word | PDF

Deanery Synod Rep calculations 2020

It is not permissible to change the number of allocated reps during the three-year period as the scheme was approved in 2019 for elections to take place in 2020, even if your electoral roll numbers change during that time.

Please use the documents below if you are unsure how many reps you were allocated originally.