WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page i Working with the Spirit: choosing diocesan bishops A review of the operation of the Crown Appointments Commission and related matters GS 1405 WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page ii Church House Publishing Published 2001 for the Church House Archbishops’ Council of the Great Smith Street Church of England by Church London House Publishing SW1P 3NZ © The Archbishops’ Council 2001 ISBN 0 7151 3853 7 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored or transmitted by any means or in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any Cover design by Visible Edge information storage and retrieval Typeset in 10 pt Sabon system without written permission, Printed in England by which should be sought from the Copyright and Contracts Administrator, The Archbishops’ Creative Print and Design Group, Council, Church House, Great Ebbw Vale, Wales Smith Street, London SW1P 3NZ (Tel: 020 7898 1557; Fax: 020 7898 1449; Email: copyright@c-of- e.org.uk). This report has the authority only of the Review Group which produced it. WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page iii A bishop is called to lead in serving and caring for the people of God and to work with them in the oversight of the Church. As a chief pastor he shares with his fellow bishops a special responsibility to maintain and further the unity of the Church, to uphold its discipline, and to guard its faith. He is to promote mission throughout the world. It is his duty to watch over and pray for those committed to his charge, and to teach and govern them after the example of the Apostles, speaking in the name of God and interpreting the gospel of Christ. He is to know his people and be known by them. He is to ordain and send new ministers, guiding those who serve with him and enabling them to fulfil their ministry. He is to baptize and confirm, to preside at the Holy Communion, and to lead the offering of prayer and praise. He is to be merciful, but with firmness, and to minister discipline, but with mercy. He is to have a special care for the outcast and needy; and to those who turn to God he is to declare the forgiveness of sins. From The Ordination or Consecration of a Bishop The Alternative Service Book 1980 iii WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page iv WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page v Contents Membership of the Review Group vii Foreword by the Chairman ix chapter 1 Introduction 1 chapter 2 The pool of candidates 16 chapter 3 The Crown Appointments Commission 30 chapter 4 Views from the vacant diocese 60 chapter 5 Election and confirmation 74 chapter 6 Summary 85 chapter 7 Recommendations 90 Towards a theology of choosing bishops by The Rt Revd Dr Michael Nazir-Ali 103 The choosing of bishops in the Early Church and in the Church of England: an historical survey by Colin Podmore 113 Bibliography 139 appendix 1 Evidence submitted to the Review Group 143 appendix 2 Written Answer by the Prime Minister, 8 June 1976 148 appendix 3 The Crown Appointments Commission Standing Order (SO 122) 150 appendix 4 The practice of other churches 155 Notes 167 Glossary 173 v WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page vi WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page vii Membership of the Review Group Baroness Perry of Southwark (Chairman) Mrs Janet Atkinson (Vice-Chairman) The Venerable Nicholas Baines Members Archdeacon of Lambeth (Vicar of Rothley and Rural Dean of Goscote, Leicester until June 2000) Dr Philip Giddings The Very Revd Richard Lewis Dean of Wells The Rt Revd Jack Nicholls Bishop of Sheffield Lay Canon Elizabeth Paver Canon Patience Purchas The Rt Revd Dr Michael Nazir-Ali Theological Bishop of Rochester Consultant Sir Kenneth Bloomfield Consultant Mr Philip Mawer Assessor Mr Brian Hanson Assessor Dr Colin Podmore Secretary vii WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page viii WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page ix Foreword by the Chairman This report concerns a matter of importance, not only to the Church of England, but also to the State and the wider society. The role of diocesan bishops is an onerous one and those who are called to serve in this way must be capable of exercising great responsibility. The method whereby they are selected is, therefore, of crucial concern. Of equal concern is the confidence in which the process is held by the rest of the Church and by society, hence the debate which led to the establishment of our Review Group. The Group commends this Report to the Church and to all who have a concern for its welfare in society. It has been prepared with much thought and prayer, and with an overriding intent to bring together all the varying points of view submitted to us in evidence in a way which meets the genuine concerns expressed about the existing system, as well as the stout defence of its strengths. Doubtless there will be some who think we have gone too far in recommending change and some who think we have not gone far enough. That is the nature of any report which deals with controversial issues. Our hope is that, after thought and reflection, the majority of those concerned will feel that the thrust of the Report is one that will be of real benefit to the Church and to God’s mission on earth. The system for the appointment of bishops has often been a matter of controversy throughout history. However, the reforms and changes of the last century have given a greater role to the Church in the appointment of its leaders. This Report, we believe properly, builds on that work. We are immensely grateful to all who gave evidence to the Group, either in person or in writing. We are conscious of the work which this entailed and of the prayerful thought which went into the submissions. We are especially grateful to present and former members of the Commission, including the Secretaries who have the onerous task of administering it, for their evidence. We thank them wholeheartedly, and hope that they will recognize in our comments and our recommendations many of the points which they themselves have made to us. ix WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page x Foreword I wish to acknowledge my personal debt to all members of the Review Group. Although they brought a rich variety of views and experience to our task, our deliberations were blessed on all occasions with immense courtesy, respect for the opinions of others and a true spirit of Christian love. Our work was much enhanced by the presence of our two wise assessors, Philip Mawer and Brian Hanson, as well as by our two consultants, the Bishop of Rochester and Sir Kenneth Bloomfield. Finally, I would like to acknowledge our thanks and respect for the enormous contribution made by our secretary, Dr Colin Podmore. His scholarship, skill and cheerful patience have been a strength to the Group and to me as its Chair. We were indeed fortunate to have his talented assistance. PERRY OF SOUTHWARK Baroness Perry of Southwark February 2001 x WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page 1 chapter 1 Introduction Background 1.1 The Crown Appointments Commission (CAC) is governed by a Standing Order of the General Synod (see Appendix 3). Its task is to propose to the Crown candidates for nomination as diocesan bishops. It was created in 1977 in response to a parliamentary Written Answer given on 8 June 1976 by the then Prime Minister, Mr (now Lord) Callaghan (see Appendix 2). The Written Answer was given following a series of discussions involving Archbishop Coggan, Sir Norman Anderson (Chairman of the House of Laity), Prime Ministers Wilson and Callaghan and the leaders of the Opposition parties. For the background, see ‘The Choosing of Bishops in the Early Church and in the Church of England: An Historical Survey’ (pages 113–138). 1.2 The Written Answer envisaged the establishment by the Church of a small permanent committee, of which both the Prime Minister’s and the Archbishops’ Appointments Secretaries would be members. The committee would draw up a shortlist of two names, which might be given in order of preference. The Prime Minister would continue to give the final advice to the Queen, and in doing so would ‘retain a real element of choice’. He would have the right to recommend the second name rather than the first, or to ask the committee for a further name or names. A special procedure would be needed for the appointment of an Archbishop of Canterbury: ‘The committee might then be chaired by a layman chosen by the Prime Minister’. 1.3 Different arrangements apply to the appointment of the Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe, in which the Crown has no involvement.1 The proce- dure for appointing the Bishop in Europe is not considered in this report. 1.4 In 1983 a small group was established to review the operation of the CAC. It reported in 1985, concluding that ‘The arrangements for the appointment of diocesan bishops agreed between Church and State in 1976/7 are sound in essentials and, subject to certain matters of detail, should continue.’2 1 WorkSpirit 19/1/05 13:12 Page 2 Working with the Spirit: choosing diocesan bishops The present review 1.5 Thirteen years later, in July 1998, the General Synod debated a private member’s motion calling for an end to the election of bishops by cathedral chapters.