Next Bishop of Chelmsford

Identifying the next Bishop of Chelmsford: Statement of Needs published

Click here or on the image on the left to see the Statement of Needs. In particular see page 12!)

Thank you to everyone who took part in our diocesan consultation to help identify the next Bishop of Chelmsford. Your responses have helped tell the story of our wonderfully diverse diocese in the newly published Statement of Needs.
 
The process to identify the next Bishop of Chelmsford is well underway and the Diocese of Chelmsford’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, which helps tells the story of our Diocese, incorporates views which were shared by more than 1,000 people, groups and churches as part of our diocesan consultation.

This includes the views of more than 100 young people and young people's groups.

The Statement of Needs will be read by candidates as well as the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), the national body that will interview candidates and ultimately nominate someone to be the next Bishop of Chelmsford. The CNC will make their nomination to the Prime Minister who, if he accepts will advise Her Majesty the Queen, who will formally appoint the next Bishop of Chelmsford.

The Statement of Needs sets out what people value most about the Church of England in Essex and East London, the challenges and opportunities the new Bishop will face and the qualities the 11th Bishop of Chelmsford will need to bring to the role, particularly as we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.

The document states:

“We are praying for a bishop who will lead the Diocese of Chelmsford with faith, imagination, energy and confidence as together we grasp the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Canon Robert Hammond, one of the elected members to the Crown Nominations Commission and Chair of the Vacancy in See Committee says:

“Thank you to everyone who took part in our Diocesan consultation to help identify the next Bishop of Chelmsford. The responses gathered from all corners of the diocese, have helped us put together a Statement of Needs that captures the extraordinary variety of cultures and traditions in our wonderfully diverse diocese. The document will be enormously helpful to the Crown Nominations Commission and candidates as we continue to discern who God is calling to be the eleventh Bishop of Chelmsford.” 

Our CNC Representatives

The Vacancy in See Committee have elected six of its members onto the Crown Nominations Commission, the national body that will interview candidates and ultimately nominate someone to be the next Bishop of Chelmsford. Find out more here.

Our CNC representatives are encouraging people to get in touch to share their views as well as to suggest potential candidates for the role. You can contact them by emailing nextbishop@chelmsford.anglican.org