Appointment of a new Diocesan Bishop

This section of the website sets out the process for the appointment of a new Bishop of Ely.

The appointment of a Diocesan Bishop is made by The Crown on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) of the Church of England nominates a candidate to the Prime Minister and the current convention is that this name is passed to the Sovereign for approval.

Announcement: Appointment of the next Bishop of Ely - January 2026

We are delighted to share the announcement from Downing Street that His Majesty the King has approved the nomination of the Right Reverend Sarah Clark, Acting Bishop of Durham and Suffragan Bishop of Jarrow in the Diocese of Durham, for election as Bishop of Ely. Read the announcement here.

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Key Dates

Key dates in 2023

6 July 2023: The following two items were discussed at an extraordinary meeting of Bishop’s Council.
- Members of Bishop’s Council were required to elect the Chair of the Vacancy in See Committee (ViSC) from amongst the elected ViSC committee members. The Elected Chair was Very Revd Mark Bonney, Dean, Ely Cathedral
- Members of Bishop’s Council were required to appoint a person to act as Secretary to the Vacancy in See Committee. The appointed person was Canon Paul Evans, Diocesan Secretary.
18 September 2023: Public consultation ends on Statement of Needs (click here)
30 October 2023: Public Meeting (which was held over Zoom and Chaired by the Dean) at which individuals will be invited to ask questions, make statements and state their wishes for the new Bishop of Ely.
- A recording of this session can be viewed here - https://youtu.be/7u0cgjZ5JYA
30 October 2023 (week commencing): There were (via Zoom) consultations with the Archbishop’s Appointments Secretary and the Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary during the week commencing 30 October 2023.
16 November 2023: Vote (via Civica) for the election of 6 representatives from the Diocese of Ely’s Vacancy in See Committee to the Crown Nominations Commission (click here).
30 November 2023: The Statement of Needs was agreed and published - click here to view the document.

Key dates in 2024

13 May 2024: Crown Nominations Committee Meeting 1 (shortlisting of New bishop) will take place
11 and 12 July 2024: Crown Nominations Committee Meeting 2 (interviews of possible New Bishop) will take place.
On the 15 July 2024 it was announced that the Crown Nominations Commission, which was considering the nomination of the next Bishop of Ely, was not able reach the level of consensus required to nominate a new Diocesan Bishop. You can read this announcement and what it means for timings here.

Overview of the Process for the Nomination of a Diocesan Bishop

This page summarises the main stages in the selection and appointment of a new Bishop, through the "Announcement of Vacancy" and "Arranging a meeting of the Vacancy in See Committee" to "Election of Diocesan Representatives to the Crown Nominations Commission", "Meetings of the Crown Nominations Commission" and "Submission of the name of the preferred candidate to the Prime Minister".

Vacancy in See Committee (ViSC)

This page provides further information on the Vacancy in See Committee, it's duties and membership. It outlines what the Vacancy in See Committee (VISC) is responsible for as well as the Formation of the Committee.

Crown Nominations Commission

The Vacancy in See Committee (ViSC) is responsible for electing six (6) representatives from its own membership to serve on the Crown Nominations Commission for their Diocese. The Crown Nominations Commission meets to: Develop the role profile and the person specification for the next bishop, Shortlist candidates for interview, Interview candidates.

Statement of Needs

The Vacancy in See Committee is responsible for preparing “The Diocesan Statement of Needs” which sets out a description of the Diocese, reflections on the challenges and opportunities for Gospel and Church in the communities served and the gifts and skills they might be seeking in a new bishop to lead them in their response to these.