on Tuesday, 7 January 2025 at 2.12 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
The Right Revd Dr Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans, has announced his intention to retire on 31 May 2025. The official announcement is here on the diocesan website.
Is this a serious question? Beyond his diocese he has co-ordinated the work of the bishops in the House of Lords for many years and has personally campaigned for a change in the law on gambling.
Sorry – muddled my wording. He entered the Lords in 2013. ‘Many years’. He became formal convenor on 2022 as you say – but he was significantly in this for much longer.
The Rt Rev Smith has also published on ‘leadership’, e.g ‘The Reflective Leader’ with Peter Shaw. The related strapline to that title: ‘standing still to move forward’. Perhaps he will be able to opine on ‘stepping down to move forward’ or ‘standing aside to …’- maybe a series? Dr John Sentamu described the book as ‘realistic, robust and relevant’- worth reflecting on, given time?
The CNC is due to consider probably six diocesan vacancies this year, but it ought to have been only four, as two are second attempts (Carlisle (2) – second meeting 13/14 March; and Ely (2) – 12/13 November). Durham was completed in late November, and an announcement is presumably due shortly. That leaves St Edmundsbury and Ipswich – 28/29 April; Worcester – 12/13 June; and Canterbury, for which there is a considerable ‘window’ in the calendar from July – September. It presumably ought to be possible to ‘tuck in’ St Albans in November/December. However, there are some other retirements* coming down the pike,… Read more »
Exactly! And with Norwich and Chelmsford firmly in the frame for preferment, the whole of East Anglia could well be without a bishop by the end of the year.
The Archbishop of York’s position looks precarious too. Reappointing a known paedophile as Area Dean and bestowing an honorary canonry upon him may yet bring about his resignation.
If there are able Suffragan or Area Bishops who could if approached take on a Diocesan role, translate them to Vacant Dioceses rather than putting into vacant Dioceses those who have had no previous Episcopal experience and then in their places bring in a new crop of Suffragan and Area Bishops. There was a report that came out a few years ago, which said that Diocesan Bishops appointing Suffragan Bishops needed to consider the needs of the wider Church in making such appointments and not only their own respective Dioceses and really needed to be training future Diocesan Bishops or… Read more »
What’s he done Guv? Move along nothing to see here … ?
Is this a serious question? Beyond his diocese he has co-ordinated the work of the bishops in the House of Lords for many years and has personally campaigned for a change in the law on gambling.
Two years can hardly be described as ‘many years’ He was appointed as convenor of the Lords Spiritual on 23rd September 2022.
Sorry – muddled my wording. He entered the Lords in 2013. ‘Many years’. He became formal convenor on 2022 as you say – but he was significantly in this for much longer.
The Rt Rev Smith has also published on ‘leadership’, e.g ‘The Reflective Leader’ with Peter Shaw. The related strapline to that title: ‘standing still to move forward’. Perhaps he will be able to opine on ‘stepping down to move forward’ or ‘standing aside to …’- maybe a series? Dr John Sentamu described the book as ‘realistic, robust and relevant’- worth reflecting on, given time?
Soul Survivor is in his diocese!
And Paula Vennells.
Where ARE they going to find all these bishops?!
Who needs that many?
The CNC is due to consider probably six diocesan vacancies this year, but it ought to have been only four, as two are second attempts (Carlisle (2) – second meeting 13/14 March; and Ely (2) – 12/13 November). Durham was completed in late November, and an announcement is presumably due shortly. That leaves St Edmundsbury and Ipswich – 28/29 April; Worcester – 12/13 June; and Canterbury, for which there is a considerable ‘window’ in the calendar from July – September. It presumably ought to be possible to ‘tuck in’ St Albans in November/December. However, there are some other retirements* coming down the pike,… Read more »
Exactly! And with Norwich and Chelmsford firmly in the frame for preferment, the whole of East Anglia could well be without a bishop by the end of the year.
There are presumably suffragans who can take up the slack.
Almost makes me yearn for the days when the King could say ‘I think I like this bloke’, let’s have him.
The King could choose a lady of course. I’m not sure whether the word ‘bloke’ is in His Majesty’s lexicon.
Nor lady. I think you mean woman.
The last King who plausibly had this competence was George V. He couldn’t have chosen a woman, or a lady.
The Archbishop of York’s position looks precarious too. Reappointing a known paedophile as Area Dean and bestowing an honorary canonry upon him may yet bring about his resignation.
If there are able Suffragan or Area Bishops who could if approached take on a Diocesan role, translate them to Vacant Dioceses rather than putting into vacant Dioceses those who have had no previous Episcopal experience and then in their places bring in a new crop of Suffragan and Area Bishops. There was a report that came out a few years ago, which said that Diocesan Bishops appointing Suffragan Bishops needed to consider the needs of the wider Church in making such appointments and not only their own respective Dioceses and really needed to be training future Diocesan Bishops or… Read more »
The Dioceses Commission has a role in considering the need for and role of suffragan bishops, and offers guidance:
https://www.churchofengland.org/about/general-synod/committees-and-commissions/dioceses-commission
It recognises that they have responsibilities beyond the diocese.
Churchy bitchery is deeply uninspiring and seems to be becoming a default position whilst Western Christianity atrophies.