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…)
on Friday, 6 June 2025 at 4.59 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
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
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
on Friday, 6 June 2025 at 4.16 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
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.
With 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.
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.
on Tuesday, 3 June 2025 at 10.19 am by Simon Kershaw
categorised as Church of England, News
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.
Appointment 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
on Thursday, 29 May 2025 at 11.55 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
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.
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
27/05/2025
The 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.
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.
The Right Reverend Dr Richard (Ric) Thorpe was today elected as the Archbishop of Melbourne in the Anglican Church of Australia. The official announcement is here.
Dr Thorpe is currently the suffragan Bishop of Islington in the Diocese of London.
on Thursday, 22 May 2025 at 10.02 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
The Church of England’s House of Bishops met this week. The formal agenda for the meeting is available online, although the papers do not appear to be. Following the meeting the following press release was published.
House of Bishops meeting May 2025
22/05/2025
The House of Bishops met in person from 20th to 22nd May in York.
The House spent time considering what would help the flourishing of women, both lay and ordained, in the Church of England.
First, the House considered provision for ordained women in the context of the settlement on the ordination of women to all three orders. A proposal for each diocese to have at least one diocesan advisor on women’s ministry was approved, with further work to be undertaken on the associated guidelines to ensure consistency of approach in each diocese.
Secondly, the House discussed commissioning a significant piece of work to assess ongoing disparities and discrimination based on gender in the Church of England, to identify how women and men may work better together at local and national levels and offer a vision for a diverse church that works together for the flourishing of all. The overall aim of the work is to enable the inclusion and positive treatment of women in the Church, rather than mirroring negative elements of wider culture, to offer Gospel hope and transformation. Importantly, it was noted that the work does not in any way aim to undermine the current settlement on the ordination of women to all three orders, but rather to reflect on its implementation and impact.
The House was briefed on the ongoing work of the Triennium Funding Working Group, including the proposals from Archbishops’ Council on significant changes to pensions which are part of a wider range of measures on clergy wellbeing currently under development.
The House discussed the current situation in Gaza, with a number of Bishops relating their personal experience of visits to the region. The House agreed a joint statement in which they condemned the Government of Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza, calling it “an atrocity that defies our common humanity”.
The House received an update from Living in Love and Faith Programme Board and the Faith and Order Commission Episcopal Reference Group. The Bishops then spent time in groups discussing different areas of the current LLF proposals (as outlined in a recent LLF update to provide feedback to the LLF Programme Board. A further iteration of these proposals will be brought before the House in the autumn. This will also take into account the wider feedback gained from an informal consultation of diocesan synod members that is currently underway.
The House heard insights from research aligned to the Vision and Strategy, celebrating experiences and discussing evidence of growth and revitalisation, and what can be learnt. Topics included the recent findings regarding the openness of Gen Z to faith, along with other local case studies and examples.
The Church of England issued the following press release this morning. The terms of reference of the Group are here; they include names of the members.
Task and Finish Group meets to take forward response to Makin Report recommendations
22/05/2025
The Church of England has published the Terms of Reference for a Task and Finish Group established to oversee the Church’s response to the recommendations of the Independent Lessons Learned Review concerning John Smyth QC (the Makin Report).
The group includes survivors of Church-related abuse as full members, ensuring that lived experience, together with safeguarding expertise, is central to its work. (more…)
on Tuesday, 13 May 2025 at 10.44 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
The Church of England has today announced the membership of the Canterbury CNC, apart from the three representatives from the diocese whose names are not yet available for the reasons given in my previous article. The text of the press release is copied below.
Membership of Canterbury CNC announced
13/05/2025
The Canterbury CNC is made up of a diverse group of members, including representatives from the Church of England, the Anglican Communion, and members appointed by the Crown.
The Central Members and Anglican Communion representatives of the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) have been announced.
The Crown Nominations Commission for the Archbishop of Canterbury is larger than that for other diocesan bishops, with 17 voting members in a wider Commission made up of 20 members.
In 2022, General Synod approved changes to the CNC’s Standing Orders that increased the number of representatives from the Anglican Communion from one to five for the CNC of the See of Canterbury. They are nominated by the Anglican Communion, one from each of the five regions and include primates, clergy and lay people.
Voting members
Chair: Lord (Jonathan) Evans of Weardale (appointed by the Prime Minister)
Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell
Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher (elected by the House of Bishops)
Anglican Communion representatives (nominated by the 5 regions of the Communion):
Americas: Mr Joaquín Philpotts
Oceania: The Reverend Canon Isaac Beach
Africa: The Reverend Professor Grace Nkansa Asante
Asia: The Most Reverend Hosam Naoum
Europe: The Right Reverend Mary Stallard
Central Members (drawn from the CNC Central Members elected by General Synod, or a member of the General Synod nominated to represent them):
Ms Christina Baron
Miss Debbie Buggs
The Reverend Canon Paul Cartwright
The Reverend Lis Goddard
The Reverend Canon Claire Lording
Mr Clive Scowen
Canterbury Diocesan representatives: To be announced on conclusion of the Canterbury Vacancy in See process.
Non-voting members
Secretary to the Commission: Stephen Knott (Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments)
Jonathan Hellewell (Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary)
The Right Reverend Anthony Poggo (Secretary General of the Anglican Communion)
Following a public consultation that saw thousands of people share their views on the qualities needed in the next Archbishop of Canterbury, the Commission will convene for its first meeting later this month, followed by at least two further meetings – one in July and another in September. Through these, the Commission will agree the ‘Role Profile’ and ‘Person Specification’ for the next Archbishop of Canterbury, discern the longlist, shortlist and interview candidates.
Under the Standing Orders of the General Synod, a nomination cannot be made to The Crown unless it has received the support of at least two-thirds of the total number of the voting members of the Commission in a secret ballot.
The Chair of the Canterbury CNC, Lord (Jonathan) Evans said: “Helping to choose the next Archbishop of Canterbury is both a great responsibility and a privilege. The Crown Nominations Commission understands the weight of this important decision and we pray for God’s hand on the process.
“I thank those who have taken part in the public consultation across the country and the Anglican Communion, helping us to establish the gifts, skills and qualities required in the next Archbishop. Do please keep the CNC process in your prayers as we seek to discern who God is calling to this important ministry.”
on Tuesday, 13 May 2025 at 10.36 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
The Diocese of Canterbury has issued a statement, copied below, to say that the election of its 2022-2024 Vacancy in See Committee is to be re-run; details are in the statement. This committee is the one involved in the selection of the next Archbishop of Canterbury; in particular it elects three of its members to sit on the Crown Nominations Commission. The statement was issued quietly on 7 May and has only just come to my attention.
Regular readers will recall the criticisms of the procedures in Canterbury made by Andrew Goddard here and here.
Vacancy in See Committee
A Vacancy in See Committee is required to be in existence at all times in every Diocese. The task of the Committee, should the need arise, is to assist in the procedure of appointing a new Archbishop of Canterbury or Bishop of Dover. The Committee only meets when there is a vacancy in the See. The Committee advises the Crown Nominations Commission of the General Synod on the needs of the Diocese.
The Vacancy in See Committee will elect up to three members, of which at least two will be Laity, to serve on the Crown Nominations Commission which holds responsibility for selecting the Archbishop and six members, of which at least three must be Laity, when selecting the Bishop of Dover.
Who is on the Committee?
Ex-officio members are the Archbishop (if appropriate)the Bishop of Dover (if appropriate), the Provincial Episcopal Visitors, two Archdeacons, the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, General Synod Representatives, the Diocesan Synod Lay Chair and the Diocesan Synod Clergy Chair.
In addition to the Ex-officio members the Committee is made up of 18 elected positions, 6 clergy and 12 laity. There is equal representation from each Archdeaconry in so far as this is possible.
Elections to the Vacancy in See Committee 2022-2024
The elected members of the Committee for the 2022-2024 triennium are the elected members responsible for the selection of the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, because Justin Welby announced his decision to resign as Archbishop in 2024. Following legal advice and a formal direction from the Archbishop of York, a new election was held in early 2025 to ensure the 2022-2024 VISC had elected representatives drawn from a wider pool than just our diocesan synod members.
However, it became clear Rule 75 of the Church Representation Rules was not correctly applied to the election. This Rule requires that if the number of candidates of a particular category is less than or equal to the minimum number required by that category, then those candidates should be declared automatically elected and their names should not be included on the voting paper.
The Canterbury Archbishop’s Council sought a direction from the Archbishop of York requiring fresh elections to be held, which the diocese has been advised was signed on 7 May.
The previous list of nominations will stand for the re run election and new nominations will not be sought.
This page will be updated with decisions and dates as they are known.
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Robert Saner-Haigh, for election as Bishop of Carlisle
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 9 May 2025
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Robert Saner-Haigh, Suffragan Bishop of Penrith in the Diocese of Carlisle, for election as Bishop of Carlisle, in succession to The Right Reverend James William Scobie Newcome, following his retirement.
Background
Rob was educated at Birmingham University and trained for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St. Lawrence, Appleby in the Diocese of Carlisle, and was ordained Priest in 2006. He was appointed Diocesan Initial Ministerial Education Officer in 2007 and Diocesan Director of Ordinands in 2008. Alongside both of these roles he served as Bishop’s Chaplain and Assistant Priest at St. Michael’s, Dalston, with Cumdivock, Raughton Head and Wreay. In 2010, he was appointed Priest in Charge of Holy Trinity Kendal and, from 2020, served as Director of Mission and Ministry for the Diocese of Newcastle and Residentiary Canon of Newcastle Cathedral.
In 2022, Rob took up his current role as Suffragan Bishop of Penrith, in the Diocese of Carlisle and, since 2023, he has served as Acting Bishop of Carlisle.
on Thursday, 24 April 2025 at 2.03 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England
A report by the Independent Reviewer, Canon Maggie Swinson, on the process leading to the nomination of the Bishop of Blackburn, Philip North, was published twelve months ago; we linked to it here. The House of Bishops has today issued a formal response to this report and it is copied below the fold.
on Thursday, 10 April 2025 at 3.10 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
The Bishop of Brixworth, the Right Reverend John Holbrook, has announced that he will retire on 30 September 2025. Details are on the Peterborough diocesan website.
A Safeguarding Practice Review (SPR) has been jointly commissioned by the National Safeguarding Team and the dioceses of Chelmsford and Southwark to look at the lessons to be learnt from the Church’s handling of the David Tudor case…
The full text of the press release continues below the fold…
on Saturday, 5 April 2025 at 1.04 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News
As readers probably already know Justin Welby was interviewed by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on 30 March. You can listen to the interview here, and watch it here. There has been much reporting and comment on the interview; some is below.
The Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron, will commission the Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Revd Beverley Mason, as an Honorary Assistant Bishop. This will take place at the Chrism Mass in St Asaph Cathedral on Maundy Thursday. This is briefly mentioned in Bishop Gregory’s April ad clerum, which notes that Bishop Bev has a home in his diocese.
The diocese of Liverpool has issued a fuller news item, which is copied below.
Bishop Bev is to be Made an Hon Asst Bishop at St Asaph at the Chrism Mass on Maundy Thursday
Bishop Bev has written: “I am humbled and deeply grateful to Bishop Gregory and colleagues in St Asaph for their warm welcome, love and affirmation. St Asaph has opened the door upon a new vista and I look forward with hope to a restored and renewed ministry in the Province of the Church in Wales. The Chrism Mass is a poignant reminder for all in Christian ministry of the very essence of our calling and vocation and of our re-covenanting with the God who has lived among us in our Lord Jesus Christ, who by his Cross and Passion, has redeemed the world. I pray this will be a time of blessing and renewal for all Christ’s Church.
I remain Bishop of Warrington as I continue to wait and push for a proper resolution to my unhappy situation. Today, it is 574 days since I exercised an episcopal ministry. It feels interminable – as I imagine it does for you. Thank you for your kind support, resilience and patience.
Please continue to pray for me – as I pray for you.”