Six elected to help choose the next Bishop of St Albans
Six local people will join the Crown Nominations Commission to find the next Bishop of St Albans. They were elected by representatives of St Albans Diocese, the Church of England in Beds, Herts, Luton and North Barnet.
Made up of four lay people and two clergy from the Diocese’s Vacancy in See Committee, they are: Mr Anthony Archer, Mr Simon Baynes, The Revd Richard Hibbert, The Venerable Trevor Jones, Mrs Christina Rees and Mr John Wallace. The Vacancy in See Committee is made up of ex-officio members and of clergy and laity elected by St Albans Diocesan Synod. The committee begins the process of finding a new bishop once the current bishop has signalled his intention to retire.
Those elected will sit alongside the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and six other voting members on the Crown Nominations Commission, made up of three clergy and three lay members of General Synod, the Church of England’s ‘Parliament’.
The Archbishops’ and Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretaries, who attend the Crown Nominations Commission, consult widely on the needs of the diocese and identify possible candidates for the next Bishop of St Albans. To aid this process, they hold consultations by invitation with local figures. On 18 th June they will also hold a public meeting when anyone can come and express views to them on the diocese’s or wider church’s needs, or the next bishop. It will take place at 7:30pm at the Alban Church of England Middle School, Silver Street, Great Barford, Bedfordshire MK44 3HZ.
Views can also be expressed in writing about the needs of the diocese, or the wider church, or proposing candidates, by 23 rd June 2008, to The Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary, 10 Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA or The Archbishops’ Appointments Secretary, The Wash House, Lambeth Palace London SE1 7JU.
Through a series of meetings the Crown Nominations Commission considers candidates and recommends two names, one of which is nominated by the Queen to be the Bishop of St Albans. It is expected that the Crown Nominations Commission will complete its work in the autumn, though it is impossible to say how long after that the announcement of a new Bishop will be made from Downing Street.
Once chosen by the Crown, the Bishop Designate is ‘confirmed’ in the diocese, but this is a formality. His public ministry begins, usually a few months later with enthronement in the Abbey.
The Rt Revd Christopher Herbert, The Bishop of St Albans, retires officially in January 2009, but his last public engagement in the diocese is a farewell service in St Albans Abbey on 8 th November.