The Church in Wales has announced the timetable for the election of its next Archbishop. The press release is copied below.
Election of the Archbishop of Wales
Provincial news Posted: 22 July 2025
The Electoral College will meet at St Pierre Church and Hotel in Chepstow on the 29th of July to choose the 15th Archbishop of Wales. The College can take up to three days to elect an Archbishop.
This election follows the retirement of the Bishop of Bangor, Andrew John, who held the office of Archbishop of Wales for three and a half years. His successor will be chosen from among the serving Welsh diocesan bishops – the Bishop of St Asaph, Gregory Cameron, the Bishop of Monmouth, Cherry Vann, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, John Lomas, the Bishop of Llandaff, Mary Stallard, and the Bishop of St Davids, Dorrien Davies.
Those making the decision represent churches across Wales. Each of the six dioceses elects three clerics and three lay people onto the College and the bishops are also members. The College President is the Senior Bishop, Bishop Gregory Cameron.
The meeting will begin with Holy Communion at St Peter’s Church, which is on the St Pierre estate. Following that, college members will meet for confidential discussions.
After a discussion on the needs of the Province and a period of prayer and reflection, the President will call for nominations. The bishops nominated then withdraw from the discussion, only returning to vote. A nominee must achieve two-thirds of the votes of the college in order to be elected Archbishop. If after a vote is taken no candidate receives the necessary votes, the process begins again with fresh nominations, which may or may not include those who had been nominated in the previous round.
Once the Archbishop is elected, an announcement is made. The normal practice is for the bishop to confirm his or her election immediately. The new Archbishop will be enthroned in his or her home cathedral at a later date.
If The College fails to elect an Archbishop within three days, the decision passes to the Bench of Bishops.
It was at St Peter’s, St Pierre (just by the hotel) where I had my introduction to the Church in Wales, some years ago. After the service I shook hands with the officiating minister, who looked like a reincarnation of the ferocious character actor Hugh Griffith (‘Titfield Thunderbolt’, ‘Lucky Jim’, ‘Tom Jones’, etc.). He asked where I was from.
“Kent”, I answered.
An ominous silence, then “Kent…Foreign country.”
Chastened by this, I smiled blandly, then went on my way.
Is it possible to elect someone who is not a current bishop in the Church in Wales? I’m guessing it’s possible but not probable?
I’m fairly certain that the Archbishop of Wales must be a diocesan bishop in the Church in Wales. That’s why it is a requirement that all six diocesan sees be filled before the process starts. Section V of the Constitution sets out the requirements of the Archbishop’s Electoral College, for insomniacs! Ok sure a legal beagle will provide chapter and verse of this is not correct. Blessings for the CiW for the process. Somewhat quicker than Canterbury!!
‘The Office of Archbishop shall be held by a Diocesan Bishop of the Church in Wales’ (Constitution), so it is not possible to elect someone who is not a diocesan bishop in Wales.
This should be perfectly feasible, but the appointment of “assistant bishops” to successive Archbishops (since when?) does rather beg the question.
The Constitution of the CinW requires that the Archbishop to be elected will be one of those serving as a Diocesan Bishop in the CinW. The elected Archbishop will continue to serve as a Diocesan Bishop as well as Archbishop.
No. The reason is that the archbishop holds that position in addition to being a diocesan bishop in the CiW. There is no provision for a dedicated archbishop, only for a diocesan who also acts as archbishop.
Just as in England, Ireland and Scotland — and the ancient tradition of the Church. The difference is that like the Primus in Scotland, the archbishopric is not tied to one particular see.
Thank you all.
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States is a peculiar primate in this respect. Originally the role of Presiding Bishop was simply to chair the convention,rather like the Moderator in Scotland. It became the responsibility of the longest-serving diocesan. The individual states and churches did not want a national leader at all.However this changed in the first half of the 20th century and now Presiding Bishop is a purely national role. The Presiding Bishop must, on election, resign from being a diocesan bishop (if he or she is one) and focus purely on the national church.… Read more »
Just to add. The movement was, as you state, ‘to preside’ (longest-serving). Then, to be elected ‘to preside.’ Then, to no longer serve as a Diocesan. Anomaly ‘resolved’ by the PB being notionally Bishop of the Convocation in Europe (usually a suffragan appointed). Then some kind of quasi archiepiscopal role in NYC. And then: Schori with a metropolitan styled crozier. Voila.
Not so sure of the direct parallel. An incremental parallel?
Nor is the Primacy linked to one diocese in Australia. On July 20th the bishop of Canberra-Goulburn was elected Primate of Australia. I think I am the first to post this on TA, and if so that is surprising. It is the first time ever that the Primate is bishop of a diocese other than a metropolitical one (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth). I don’t know whether the fact that the Primate-elect has the Federal capital in his diocese is seen as being significant. So many ideas and proposals after attracting limited attention for a short time fade into oblivion.… Read more »
The election of Canberra Goulburn was part of the Sydney evangelical ascendency within the ACA. It mirrored the Melbourne election of a UK import. Although the liberal wing had numbers in the HoB the Clergy and Laity had evangelical majorities .
Previously when Archbishops of Wales were elected the Electoral meeting took place in Holy Trinity Parish Church Llandridod Wells , I wonder why the venue foer this ahs changed this time round? Jonathan
The article suggests that the church is on the St Pierre estate. In which case it will be easier for everyone to avoid the media and other outside observation. Or possibly there was nowhere in Llandrindod Wells that could accommodate perhaps 50 people at fairly short notice. “St Pierre is a former parish and hamlet in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, 3 miles south west of Chepstow and adjacent to the Severn Estuary. It is now the site of a large golf and country club, the Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club, which was previously a large manor house and… Read more »
Peak summer holiday season, Royal Welsh show this week, and an Archbishop who resigned immediately without prior warning. I’d be unsurprised if they couldn’t book over half the rooms in the only hotel in Llandrindod Wells on 4 weeks notice!
Given the particular unfortunate circumstances that have led to this election, involving allegations of financial mismanagement, and given the general low morale of a province where many local churches struggle financially and try to do more with less, the “optics” of a meeting at luxurious St Pierre are bad. All that is required is quiet, comfortable bedrooms, parking, wifi, breakfast and proximity to a church. Surely a more modest, functional hotel in the nearby Valleys could have offered this for a third of the cost? True, the overall savings for the Representative Body would be just a tiny fraction of… Read more »
Howitzer I agree entirely. The optics are dreadful. It reminds me of when June Osborne, as bishop of Llandaff, organised a retreat for all the parish clergy. Plenty of sacred places to choose in Wales. Not good enough for them. They went on an all expenses jolly to Spain. Stuck in the craw for those in the diocese who couldn’t afford a holiday, let alone abroad.
A simple search on Booking.com reveals that the St Pierre is considerably cheaper (at least in July/August) than the Hotel Metropole in Llandrindod, where electors have stayed at every previous election.
There’s no shortage of things to criticise the CinW for at the moment, but I think we’re rather scraping the barrel here.
With respect, Daniel, I’m not scraping the barrel. I am generally loyal to the Church in Wales. I have even served as an elector myself and as such I know what is required to make the process happen. John Pockett makes a good point about other accommodation possibilities and I, like you, looked online to compare prices with other SE Wales options, much, much cheaper than St Pierre. I am not suggesting that this is deliberate junketing by hierarchs, just bad optics in the current circumstances and a failure to lead by example. My concern is how it looks to… Read more »
Agreed. Similarly, when a Bishop seeks to cherish their clergy and to provide a spiritually uplifting experience, they are criticised. If they don’t lift a finger they are criticised for not supporting their clergy. Both Bishop Dominic and Bishop Richard took the clergy of Monmouth diocese abroad to relatively inexpensive places(as was the place at Santiago for Llandaff). The clergy were deeply grateful, deeply engaged in what was offered for their benefit, and deeply moved by the opportunity and gratuitousness of it. In each case, funds were regularly set aside by the diocese and by a charitable trust for this… Read more »
Personally, I have no issue with clergy receiving such gifts, provided the cost is kept within what is not extravagant and giving given for other purposes is not inappropriately diverted to fund them. I am fortunate to not be living on the poverty line, but some clergy colleagues are, and such a gift might make an incredible difference to them. I would not go, if I had a choice, however. My objection would lie in it being a compulsory holiday/pilgrimage because the last thing I want to do is to go anywhere with a group of clergy I am powerless… Read more »
I am also not scraping the barrel. Did I say that June Osborne invented the overseas trips? No. I’ve always earned a meagre income and when I lived in Wales I donated sacrificially to the Church in Wales every week. I’ve never had a foreign holiday. My last holiday was six years ago – two days in Powys. If I still lived in Wales I would be offended that my donations would be used to give clergy a free foreign holiday, knowing they can afford to pay but are benefitting from the widow’s mite of people like me. I’m sickened… Read more »
Absolutely correct Howitzer, but first, if I may, a correction to Daniel’s post. The Royal Welsh Show is this week and in fact ends today. By next Tuesday, most of the tents, stands and marquees will have been dismantled and removed, along with the annual massive demand on hotels in the Llandrindod area. Howitzer’s point on the spending, yet again, by the powers-to-be in the CinW, is very pertinent and admirably made. They never learn any lessons. Given the stories swirling around Bangor about utter profligacy – an alleged ordination party held in the Royal Thames Yacht Club in Knightsbridge… Read more »
Well said, John. I am so disappointed to read what you say about +St Davids. I have heard some very impressive things about him from my sources in his Diocese and further afield. I can only think his advocacy for +Bangor lies in the mistaken commitment to collegiality of a fundamentally good person. But nevertheless, it still points to the kind of error of judgement that, in my view, the CiW cannot afford to have reflected in the next Archbishop.
St Pierre is at almost the most south-easterly point of Wales, very near the first Severn Road Bridge. It’s a long way from Amlwch! I also wonder why the traditional place of electing the Archbishop, Llandrindod Wells, has been replaced in this occasion.
I don’t have access to my copy of the Constitution of the CinW, but I thought it specified that the election of the Archbishop take place in Holy Trinity Church, Llandrindod Wells. I must be wrong, or it must have been amended.
The Constitution is available online. Chapter V “The Archbishop and the Diocesan Bishops” specifies how the archbishop and diocesan bishops are elected and how assistant bishops are appointed. There is no mention of any location at which any of these elections should take place.
https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/clergy-and-members/constitution/chapter-v-archbishop-and-diocesan-bishops/
Thank you Simon. In Part II, Section 8.1 of that Chapter, it says “Unless and until the Governing Body otherwise determine, the meeting to elect the Archbishop shall be a physical meeting held in the Church of the Holy Trinity at Llandrindod Wells and if that church shall not be available, at some church selected by the Standing Committee of the Governing Body.”
So I assume that Holy Trinity Church was not available for some reason.
Thanks — ah yes, that is in the linked Regulations (rather than the Constitution itself).
Thanks – I hadn’t noticed that distinction at first.
Read a little further…
Part II:
8.
8.1 Unless and until the Governing Body otherwise determine, the meeting to elect the Archbishop shall be a physical meeting held in the Church of the Holy Trinity at Llandrindod Wells and if that church shall not be available, at some church selected by the Standing Committee of the Governing Body.
Finding a hotel at such short notice will have been very difficult.
The Metropole changed hands a year or two back and, I understand, put up its prices considerably. I can’t speak for the CinW, but I do know that the United Reformed Church has ceased using it for its Synods (which aren’t residential) for that reason and now goes to the Priory Centre in Abergavenny instead.
When I saw ‘Metropole’ I thought of the hotel of that name in Blackpool. When Billy Butlin owned that he would make it available at an advantageous rate for Blackburn diocesan gatherings. I think that it predates Blackpool Tower.