The recent retirement of Revd Dale Hanson and the appointment of Rt Revd Smitha Prasadam to be the Bishop of Huddersfield left two vacancies from the Diocese in Europe in the House of Clergy of the General Synod.  When a casual vacancy occurs within two years of an election, the process to fill it is conducted using the voting papers from the original election, as outlined in the Clergy Election Rules.  

Therefore, we are pleased to announce that the two new General Synod members from the Diocese in Europe who will serve as Proctors in Convocation on the General Synod are Revd Tuomas Mäkipää, Chaplain of St Nicholas, Helsinki, and Revd Richard Seabrook, chaplain of St Peter and St Paul Torrevieja.  They take up their positions immediately.

Revd Tuomas Mäkipää said: "I was a member of The General Synod from 2015 until 2021 and look forward to returning as a Proctor in the Convocation of Canterbury. I wish to thank all those who gave their vote to me in the election two years ago. Proctors work independently and are not representatives, but they keep in mind the specific situation of their diocese. The work of the Synod is important for the life of the whole Church of England and there are many significant items on the Synod’s agenda.  Please pray for synod members; that their collective decisions would be a blessing for all in the Church of England."

Revd Richard Seabrook said: “I previously served on General Synod as a Proctor in Convocation for the Diocese of Chelmsford from 2001 – 2005 and, having served in the Diocese in Europe for a number of years now, felt I would like to offer myself as a candidate to be a presence for the Diocese in Europe on General Synod. Whether we like it or not – views may vary – the General Synod´s decisions have an effect on the life of the Church of England and, as someone ordained for over thirty years, I hope I can bring some reflection and experience from that to being a Proctor in Convocation once again. I look forward to joining my clergy and lay sister and brothers in our work on the General Synod."

The updated official results can be found here (PDF).

The full list of General Synod members from the diocese is now as follows:

House of Bishops

• Bishop Robert

House of Clergy 

• Bruce Bryant-Scott 
• Tuomas Mäkipää 
• Richard Seabrook 

House of Laity 

• Clive Billenness 
• Robin Hall 
• Mary Talbot

News articles and details of the 2021 General Synod election can be found below:

General Synod Elections 2021 - published 23 July 2021

General Synod Elections 2021: Voting Begins (includes original statements) - published 10 September 2021

General Synod Elections 2021: Results - published 7 October 2021.