Process, representation, and the next Archbishop of Canterbury

Andrew Goddard writes: On Tuesday 27th May, in the week when the first Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) meeting takes place to begin discerning who should be nominated as Archbishop of Canterbury, the Canterbury Diocese Vacancy-in-See Committee (ViSC) elected its three representatives. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this final stage in the process once again highlights problems with the … Continue Reading

Canterbury tales: what happens next?

Andrew Goddard writes: This week the number of confirmed members of the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) rose from 3 to 14 with only 3 names left to be determined and announced (those from Canterbury diocese). A helpful website provides details of each of the people and the 3 non-voting members.ย  What can we learn … Continue Reading

Is there progress on the appointment of a new Archbishop?

Andrew Goddard writes: Since exploring some of the details about how the next Archbishop of Canterbury will be chosen, there have been a number of further developments which are worth highlighting. Although we have to wait until โ€œearly Aprilโ€ for the names of the 5 Communion members (selected several months ago) and confirmation of the … Continue Reading

Choosing Bishops: A Failure to Discern?

Andrew Goddard writes:ย This article, building on my earlier account, explores issues surrounding this weekโ€™s public meeting of the House of Bishops to consider the Crown Nominations Commissionโ€™s (CNC) discernment process for diocesan bishops. Although that meeting was welcomingly transparent, the discernment processes leading to the proposals supported by it were much less so. Four areas … Continue Reading

Is the Church in an episcopal stalemate?

Andrew Goddard writes: As the College of Bishops gathers in Oxford next week for its regular September residential, the Bishops of Penrith and Huntingdon remain Acting Bishops of Carlisle and Ely respectively and will probably be so into the second half of next year. It is also probable that there will be perhaps 5 or … Continue Reading