The process to identify the next Archbishop of Canterbury is underway and the Diocese of Canterbury’s Vacancy in see Committee – the group that manages and oversees the Diocese’s role in the process – has published its Statement of Needs.
The document incorporates views which were gathered as part of a public consultation as well as explaining what life in our diocese is like for those who live, work and worship here.
The online consultation had responses from people across Kent, including the views of children and young people in the Diocese who took part in consultation activities in schools and youth groups.
The Statement of Needs will be read by candidates as well as the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), the body that is meeting to pray, reflect and ultimately nominate someone to be the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. The CNC will make its nomination to the Prime Minister who, if he accepts will advise His Majesty the King, who will formally appoint the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
The document states: ‘The Archbishop is ‘our’ Archbishop alongside their responsibilities in the Church of England, the nation, the Anglican Communion and on the world stage. We offer in the Diocese of Canterbury and in the Cathedral Precincts a home, where the Archbishop will feel they belong.’
The Chair of the Vacancy in See Committee, the Venerable Dr Will Adam, said: “I would like to thank everyone who took part in our diocesan consultation to help the process of discernment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury. The responses gathered have helped us put together a Statement of Needs that captures the opportunities and challenges in our diverse corner of the country, reflecting the coastal, urban and rural communities and the church in all its variety in this diocese. The document will be enormously helpful to the Crown Nominations Commission and to candidates as we continue to discern who God is calling to be our next Archbishop.”
The process of identifying the next Archbishop of Canterbury began after Archbishop Justin Welby announced his intention to resign in November 2024.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the Bishop in the Diocese of Canterbury alongside their national and global roles. The candidates and CNC will be informed by the themes from a wider consultation that took in the views of 11,000 people. It will sit alongside the Statement of Needs as well as other information provided by the National Church and Anglican Communion.
First published on: 5th June 2025
Page last updated: Friday 6th June 2025 10:31 AM
General Synod – 11-15 July 2025
This post will be updated as the meeting proceeds.
The Church of England’s General Synod is meeting this weekend. The timetable is here, the agenda is here and the papers are here.
Live video etc
All sessions are streamed live on YouTube and remain available to view afterwards. Links have been provided in advance.
- Friday afternoon 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Saturday morning 9.00 am – 12.45 pm
- Saturday afternoon 2.00 pm – 7.00 pm
- Sunday afternoon 2.15 pm – 7.00 pm
- Sunday evening 9:00 pm – 10.00 pm
This appears to be a mistake as there is no session of Synod scheduled for Sunday evening.
Update: an extra session has been added – see notice paper 7. - Monday morning 9.00 am – 12.45 pm
- Monday afternoon 2.00 pm – 7.00 pm
- Tuesday morning 9.00 am – 1.30 pm
There is an official X/Twitter account.
Order papers
- OP I – Friday, 11 July (Afternoon)
- OP II – Saturday, 12 July (Morning)
- OP III – Saturday, 12 July (Afternoon)
- OP IV – Sunday, 13 July (Afternoon)
- OP V – Sunday, 13 July (Evening)
- OP VI – Monday, 14 July (Morning)
- OP VII – Monday, 14 July (Afternoon)
- OP VIII – Tuesday, 15 July (Morning)
Notice papers
- NP01 – Deadlines
- NP02 – York Security
- NP03 – Progress of Measures
- NP04 – Errata
- NP05 – Financial Statement
- NP06 – Worship
- NP07 – Motions and Amendments
- NP08 – Errata
- NP09 – Welcome to new members
- NP10 – Errata
- NP11 – Motions and Amendments
- NP12 – Financial Statement
Questions Notice Papers
Business Done
- Friday, 11 July (Afternoon) (revised version)
- Saturday, 12 July (Morning)
- Saturday, 12 July (Afternoon)
- Sunday, 13 July (Afternoon)
- Sunday, 13 July (Evening)
- Monday, 14 July (Morning)
- Monday, 14 July (Evening)
Official press releases
- Archbishop of York’s Presidential Address to General Synod
- Pray for Armed Forces amid ‘uncertain’ times, General Synod hears
- Friday at Synod
- Synod approves transformation of Church governance
- Synod welcomes national spending plans for next three years
- Saturday at Synod
- Sunday at Synod
- General Synod approves redress scheme for survivors of Church-related abuse
- Monday at Synod
- Gaza food system ‘like Hunger Games’ – Archbishop Hosam
- Synod unanimously backs licensing changes for forces chaplains
- Synod approves changes to Vocations Process with removal of ‘Issues in Human Sexuality’
- Fund palliative care instead of ‘unworkable and unsafe’ assisted suicide law – Synod
- Tuesday at Synod
Press reports and comment etc
The Guardian
Independent
Church Times
- Hope for the Church in both tradition and diversity, Archbishop of York tells Synod
- Synod votes against radical measures to redistribute Church Commissioners’ wealth
- Synod approves Measure to reform of Church’s national governance structures
- Church’s redress scheme for abuse survivors given final Synod approval
- Relief expressed after Synod approves Church’s redress scheme for survivors
- Synod welcomes higher clergy pensions
- Synod urges Government to scrap assisted-dying Bill and fund ‘desperately needed palliative care’
Civil Society
Third Sector
32 CommentsGeneral Synod Questions – July 2025
The Questions (and answers) for this weekend’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod were issued today. They can be found online here:
Questions will be taken on Friday evening (11 July).
27 CommentsDean of Carlisle
The Dean of Carlisle, the Very Revd Jonathan Brewster, has announced that he is to step down from his role.
5 CommentsBishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
The Prime Minister’s Office has announced that the next Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich will be the Rt Revd Joanne Grenfell, currently Area Bishop of Stepney in the diocese of London. Details are in the press release copied below. The diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich has more here, and the diocese of London has this.
30 CommentsAppointment of Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich: 27 June 2025
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr Joanne Woolway Grenfell, Area Bishop of Stepney, in the Diocese of London, for election as Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP
Published 27 June 2025The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr Joanne Woolway Grenfell, Area Bishop of Stepney, in the Diocese of London, for election as Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, in succession to The Right Reverend Martin Alan Seeley, following his retirement.
Background
Joanne Grenfell was educated at Oriel College, Oxford and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. She trained for ministry at Westcott House, Cambridge. She has a DPhil from Oxford and was Lecturer in English at Oriel College before ordination.
She served her title in the Kirkby Team Ministry in the Diocese of Liverpool and was ordained Priest in 2001. In 2003, Joanne was appointed joint Priest-in-Charge of Manor Parish in the Diocese of Sheffield with responsibility for Ripon College Cuddesdon’s urban theology placement programme. In 2006, Joanne became Diocesan Director of Ordinands and Residentiary Canon of Sheffield Cathedral, and in 2008 she took on the additional role of Dean of Women’s Ministry.
From 2013, Dr Grenfell served as Archdeacon of Portsdown in the Diocese of Portsmouth. In 2019, she took up her current role as Area Bishop of Stepney, in the Diocese of London. She has been the lead Bishop for safeguarding since May 2023.
General Synod Papers – July 2025
The Church of England’s General Synod will meet in York from 11 to 15 July. The agenda and papers for the meeting were released today.
- Outline of Business (updated 25.06.2025)
- GS 2400 Agenda July 2025
- GS 2401 Report from the Business Committee [a helpful guide to the business before Synod]
There are links to the papers below the fold, grouped by the day on which they are due to be debated. There are also a number of GS Misc papers and items of deemed and contingency business.
Also available are these two zipped files.
16 CommentsPre-synod press release
The Church of England’s General Synod will meet in York next month. The papers were released today along with the following press release. I will publish a detailed list of papers later today.
Christian responses to war, people coming to faith, and measures to support clergy on Synod agenda
A major package of proposals to support clergy; signs of growth in church attendance, and how Christians can respond to potential for armed conflict are among topics on the agenda at the upcoming General Synod.
Members of Synod will gather in York for their annual residential meeting from July 11 to 15, with a wide-ranging agenda of legislation, topical debate and discussion.
There will be several items of financial business including debate on the Church of England’s recently announced £1.6 billion three-year national spending plans and a request for Synod to approve proposals to increase clergy pensions.
Significant time will be set aside for the final stages of the legislation to set up the National Redress Scheme for victims and survivors of Church-related abuse.
Amid war in Ukraine and the Middle East and tensions around the world, Synod will be hearing from a senior member of the Armed Forces reflecting on the current global context and how churches can respond to armed conflict. Synod papers published today also include a reflection by the Church of England’s Bishop to the Forces, Hugh Nelson, on how parishes can support members of the armed forces and their families in their communities and addressing questions of how the Church can serve its mission in times of conflict. (See GS Misc 1428)
Following four years of overall growth in church attendance, Synod will spend some time considering church growth and outreach, drawing on research by the Archbishops’ Council on factors which help churches grow.
A paper by the Rev Kate Wharton, a member of Archbishops’ Council and Prolocutor of the House of Clergy, explains: “This is a moment of opportunity. Churches are revitalising, starting new services, planting, and reaching people in new ways.
“The Church is rediscovering its calling to be younger, more diverse and rooted in every community.
“All of this reminds us: growth is God’s work. Our task is to pray, prepare, and respond with faith.”
23 CommentsAlternative Ordinations in England
Law & Religion UK has this exclusive report:
Alternative Anglican Ordinations: seven South African deacons
44 CommentsSeven lay ministers from dioceses across the Church of England were ordained in May 2025 by a visiting Anglican bishop from South Africa. In this guest post, Andrew Atherstone provides the first report of this event, based on interviews with several of the leading participants.
On Wednesday 21 May 2025, the Archbishop of York received notification from the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH SA) of their plans to ordain “missionary clergy” for ministry in England…
House of Bishops – minutes for March 2025
These are now available online. Earlier minutes are here; scroll down to “Documents”.
4 CommentsStill no answers to safeguarding questions
TA readers may recall that in 2023 and 2024, letters were sent to both the archbishops by Richard Scorer, on behalf of his Client ‘Gilo’, asking questions about the involvement of William Nye, members of the National Safeguarding Team, and others in a meeting with Ecclesiastical Insurance held in 2016. To date, no substantive reply has been received.
Yesterday, a third letter was sent. This time it has been sent to the Church Commissioners, since the Archbishops’ Council has now failed repeatedly to answer. No doubt the topic will yet again by raised at the General Synod next month.
- A PDF of the most recent letter is here.
- For reference the two earlier letters were also included:
2023 letter
2024 letter
All of this has been rehearsed on Thinking Anglicans before. Here are some of the earlier articles:
Elliot Review Redux
Safeguarding Bishop admits that survivor was misled
Getting answers to safeguarding questions is slow
1700 years since the Council of Nicaea
The Council of Nicaea met in the summer of the year 325, so that this year marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council, the first such gathering.
To mark the anniversary, the Church of England has published a small book, We Believe: Exploring the Nicene Creed which “explores the theological depth and contemporary relevance of the Nicene Creed — one of the most enduring and universal expressions of Christian faith”. It contains 24 reflections and prayers, one on each statement of the Nicene Creed, and can be used daily, 6 days a week across 4 weeks, though the reflections are not dated and can easily be used at other times. It is all also being included over the next few weeks in the Everyday Faith app. There’s a press release here, and for further information scroll down this page at the Church of England website.
The booklet of reflections was produced by a small subgroup of the Liturgical Commission, and the accompanying page (linked above) has extra resources that can be used to shape a study course or a sermon or sermon series or other activity. There’s also an article on the use of the Nicene Creed in the liturgy.
The Council of Nicaea met to resolve two major controversies, creating the statement about how it understood the relationship between God the Father and God the Son (a statement extended and revised at the Council of Constantinople in 381 to form what we call the Nicene Creed, give or take a word or two). And it agreed that Easter should always be kept on a Sunday rather than on the spring full moon itself.
In addition to this Church of England material, Transforming Worship (formerly called Praxis) in its June newsletter, available to subscribers, also included a couple of articles by two of the booklet writers: Jo Kershaw on the Nicene Creed and me on the Date of Easter, which is a canter through the history and significance of the date, from the first century to the twenty-first.
44 CommentsChurch of England responds to House of Commons votes
There have been two instances this week of votes in the House of Commons on issues where members have been free to vote in line with their personal opinions. The Church of England has issued press releases in each case.
First, a change to the law on abortion was approved, by way of an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. As Law and Religion UK explains:
“For the purposes of the law related to abortion, including sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929, no offence is committed by a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy.”–(Tonia Antoniazzi.)
This new clause would disapply existing criminal law related to abortion from women acting in relation to her own pregnancy at any gestation, removing the threat of investigation, arrest, prosecution, or imprisonment. It would not change any law regarding the provision of abortion services within a healthcare setting, including but not limited to the time limit, telemedicine, the grounds for abortion, or the requirement for two doctors’ approval.”
The Bishop of London made this comment:
“Women facing unwanted pregnancies are confronted with the hardest of choices. Ultimately, they require compassion and care in order to support them fully in the heart-wrenching decision they must take. They should not be prosecuted.
“However, decriminalising abortion can at the same time inadvertently undermine the value of unborn life. The amendment passed to the Crime and Policing Bill[*] may not change the 24-week abortion limit, but it undoubtedly risks eroding the safeguards and enforcement of those legal limits. Women suffering from coercion, or those who are victims of sexual or domestic abuse, would be the most vulnerable to the proposed change, which does not consider improvements to abortion care, nor address the inadequacies of the ‘pills by post’ assessments. These concerns are well set out in the letter signed by over 200 clergy published in the Telegraph this morning.
“Considering any fundamental reform to this country’s abortion laws should not be done via an amendment to another Bill. There should be public consultation and robust Parliamentary process to ensure that every legal and moral aspect of this debate is carefully considered and scrutinised. We need a path that supports women, not one that puts them and their unborn children in the way of greater harm.”
The actual text of the letter mentioned above can be found by scrolling on this page.
Second, MPs in the House of Commons voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, with 314 votes in favour and 291 against, a majority of 23. The Bishop of London’s full comments were contained in this statement:
49 CommentsChurch Commissioners Annual Report for 2024
The Church Commissioners published their annual report for 2024 last week, and a press release which is copied below.
Church Commissioners for England endowment fund delivers 10.3% return in 2024
06/06/2025
The Church Commissioners for England, which manages the Church of England’s endowment fund, delivered a 10.3% return in 2024, marking the sixteenth consecutive year of positive returns, with the fund now valued at £11.1bn at the end of 2024. (more…)
5 CommentsChurch of England national spending plans
The Church of England has announced its national spending plans for 2026-2028, in particular how it will use the funds made available by the Church Commissioners. The text of this morning’s press release is copied below; there is also a helpful video.
Major investment in local churches and parish clergy as £1.6bn three-year national spending plans unveiled
09/06/2025
- Church Commissioners’ funding towards work of the church set to leap by 36 per cent in the three-year period 2026-28, amounting to the biggest distribution in Church’s history.
- Indicative distributions of £4.6 billion over nine years from 2026 to 2034.
- Typical stipend set to rise 10.7 per cent next year under new proposals as clergy well-being put at centre of spending plans. Boost in support for churches in lowest income communities.
The Church of England today unveils plans to invest more than £1.6 billion towards sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and serving local communities over the next three years – a 36 per cent rise on the national funding made available in 2022 for the current three-year period. (more…)
23 CommentsCanterbury Statement of Needs published.
The Diocese of Canterbury’s Vacancy in See Committee has published its Statement of Needs. There is also an article with background information on the diocesan website; it is copied below.
Diocese of Canterbury publishes document to help discern next Archbishop
Martyn Snow steps down as lead bishop of LLF
Martyn Snow, the Bishop of Leicester, has stepped from his role as Lead Bishop for Living in Love and Faith. He published the following statement on his Facebook page earlier this afternoon.
157 CommentsWith a very heavy heart, I have decided to step down from my role as Lead Bishop for Living in Love and Faith. I am hugely grateful to the staff team that I have worked with over the last 18 months and similarly the Working Group members who have given hours of their time to seek an agreed way forward in the Church of England on matters of sexuality, relationships, and marriage. I hope it may yet be possible to reach such an agreement, but I don’t think that can happen under my leadership. I will not be making any further comments.
Next stage of Makin Review CDMs announced
The Church of England issued the following press release this morning.
Next stage of Makin Review CDMs announced
05/06/2025
Following the conclusion of the work to review all clergy under the authority or oversight of the Church of England who are criticised in the Makin review, it was announced in February that the National Safeguarding Team (NST) would seek to bring disciplinary proceedings under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM) against 10 clergy including two bishops. In all cases, the complaint was ‘out of time’ and so the permission of the President of the Tribunals needed to be sought to initiate proceedings. The President has now considered the applications and granted permission in seven of the 10 cases. This is an independent judicial process, and the National Safeguarding Team entirely respect the decisions.
The NST will now initiate proceedings under the CDM against the following individuals:
- Bishop Paul Butler
- Revd Roger Combes
- Revd Sue Colman
- Revd Andrew Cornes
- Revd Tim Hastie-Smith
- Revd Nick Stott
- Revd John Woolmer
No further action under the CDM will be taken against the following individuals:
- Bishop George Carey
- Revd Paul Perkin
- Revd Hugh Palmer
The decision to bring CDMs was undertaken in line with the process announced in December and concluded in February with recommendations of an independent panel and reviewed by an independent barrister.
Victims and survivors and all those criticised in the Makin review have been informed and support offered. The National Safeguarding Team will make no further comment on these cases whilst the CDM proceedings are under way.
36 CommentsAppointment of Suffragan Bishop of Crediton
The Prime Minister’s Office has announced that the next Suffragan Bishop of Crediton will be the Venerable Moira Astin, Archdeacon of Reigate; details are in the press release copied below. There is more on the Exeter diocesan website here, and on the Southwark diocesan website here.
18 CommentsAppointment of Suffragan Bishop of Crediton: 3 June 2025
The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Moira Anne Elizabeth Astin, Archdeacon of Reigate, in the Diocese of Southwark, to the Suffragan See of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 3 June 2025The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Moira Anne Elizabeth Astin, Archdeacon of Reigate, in the Diocese of Southwark, to the Suffragan See of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter.
Background
Moira was educated at Clare College Cambridge and trained for ministry at Wycliffe Hall Oxford. She served her title at St Nicolas, Newbury, in the Diocese of Oxford, and in 1996, she was ordained Priest. From 1999 Moira served as Team Vicar of Thatcham Team Ministry and Lead Minister of Dunston Park Ecumenical Partnership and in 2005 she was appointed Team Vicar, later Vicar, of St James Woodley.
From 2011, Moira served as Priest-in-Charge, then Vicar, of Frodingham and New Brumby, Scunthorpe, in the Diocese of Lincoln, additionally serving as Ecumenical Officer for the Diocese and Area Dean North Lincolnshire.
Executive Chair, Safeguarding Structures Programme Board
Updated to add link to appointment brief.
The Church of England is recruiting an “Executive Chair, Safeguarding Structures Programme Board”. The advert is copied below, and there are further details in this Appointment Brief. The advert refers to a paper (GS2378) but does not include a link. Those interested can find it here.
Executive Chair, Safeguarding Structures Programme Board
Location: UK
Recruiter: National Church Institutions
In February 2025, the Church of England’s legislative body, General Synod, voted on a motion brought by the Lead Bishop for Safeguarding on future structures for safeguarding in the Church of England. The motion was based on this paper (GS2378) which outlined the proposals. This work was the culmination of a response by the Church of England to two reports published in 2024 about safeguarding structures and operations. The General Synod motion, as amended, sets the direction of travel for safeguarding structures and operations in the future.
The Lead Bishop for Safeguarding Structures and her team are in the process of constituting a Programme Board, which will oversee two Project Boards delivering major workstreams. The day-to-day operation of delivering the work that General Synod has commissioned is the responsibility of the Safeguarding Structures Team. This team will support the Programme Board and Project Boards. The Executive Chair of the Programme Board will provide hands-on strategic leadership to ensure the successful delivery of the Safeguarding Structures programme.
The successful candidate will bring senior leadership experience from a public sector (Government or equivalent) organisation which delivers safeguarding, along with proven experience of planning and delivering large-scale, complex, organisational change and of chairing or leading governance bodies within complex programmes. With exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, they will be able to build and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and deal with intense media scrutiny. They will also have a commitment to transparency and accountability, and sympathy with the ethos, mission and work of the Church of England.
Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the National Church Institutions on this appointment.
For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference FBUCA. Alternatively email Belinda.beck@saxbam.com. Applications should be received by midday on 13th June 2025.
16 CommentsAppointment of Bishop of Doncaster
The Prime Minister’s Office has announced that the next Bishop of Doncaster will be the Revd Leah Vasey-Saunders; details are in the press release copied below. There is more on the Sheffield diocesan website here and here, and on the Blackburn diocesan website here.
Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Doncaster: 29 May 2025
The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Leah Beverley Vasey-Saunders, to the Suffragan See of Doncaster in the Diocese of Sheffield
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 29 May 2025
The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Leah Beverley Vasey-Saunders, Vicar of Lancaster Priory in the Diocese of Blackburn, to the Suffragan See of Doncaster in the Diocese of Sheffield in succession to the Right Reverend Sophie Jelley, following her translation to the See of Coventry.
Leah Vasey-Saunders was educated at Huddersfield University and trained for ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham. She served her title at St. John’s Church, Whorlton and St George’s Church, Jesmond in the Diocese of Newcastle, and in 2004, was ordained Priest. From 2008, she served as Team Vicar of St. John’s Church Heath Hayes, Cannock, in the Diocese of Lichfield and was appointed Vicar in 2010. In 2013, she was appointed Priest-in-Charge of All Saints Church, Harworth and Bircotes, in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.
From 2016, Leah served as Canon Precentor at Wakefield Cathedral, in the Diocese of Leeds. Leah is also the chair of trustees for On Fire Mission. Leah has served in her current role as Vicar of Lancaster Priory in the Diocese of Blackburn since 2021.
Leah is married to Mark and they have four children.
54 CommentsDiocese of Canterbury members of Canterbury CNC appointed
Update 1: See below the press release for details of the members of the Canterbury Vacancy in See Committee
Update 2: Andrew Goddard has written about this election: Canterbury Process, representation, and the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
Update 3: The Canterbury CNC has held its first meeting.
The final members of the Canterbury CNC were announced today in this press release, copied below.
Diocese of Canterbury members of Canterbury CNC appointed
27/05/2025The membership of the Canterbury CNC is now complete with the appointment of representatives from the Diocese of Canterbury.
The Canterbury Diocesan representatives for the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) have been appointed today following the conclusion of the Canterbury Vacancy in See process.
The following representatives were elected by the Canterbury Vacancy in See Committee:
- The Revd Estella Last
- David Berry
- Sally-Ann Marks
This completes the membership of the CNC for the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Commission will convene for its first meeting this month, followed by at least two further meetings, with the announcement of the next Archbishop expected this autumn.
View the full membership and biographies of the Canterbury CNC.
Canterbury Vacancy in See Committee – Also published today is this list of the members of the Canterbury Vacancy in See Committee responsible for the election of the above three members of the CNC.
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