Vacancy in the See of Salisbury

 
Statement of Needs: available for you to read
Since February the Vacancy in See Committee of the Diocese has been meeting. 32 members of the committee, together with four colleagues from the Channel Islands, met to discuss what the Diocese needs in its next Bishop. Committee members have been involved in a wide range conversations and consultations across various networks within and beyond the Church. As a result of these consultations a ‘Statement of Needs’ has been agreed. It is now available to all as part of our commitment to transparency. You will find the Statement, together with an additional paper regarding the Channel Islands, here.

In addition, last month the Archbishops’ and the Prime Minister’s Appointment Secretaries met via Zoom with individuals and groups from across the Diocese including local civil representatives to hear directly from them about their hopes and needs for this appointment.

Crown Nominations Commission: election of six from the Diocese
The findings from the Appointment Secretaries’ meetings, together with our ‘Statement of Needs’ are now carried forward to a long and shortlisting process. The discernment process will be undertaken by the Crown Nominations Commission whose final meetings will take place on 9th and 10th November. From within the Vacancy in See Committee the members have elected a group of six to represent the Diocese in this process. They will meet with six elected from the General Synod and the Archbishops of York and Canterbury to discern the person to be appointed.

The names and contact details of the Diocesan six representatives are now published. You are invited to write to them with an expression of view or suggested names of potential candidates by the end of June. Representatives will not be able to enter into correspondence.

Gillian Clarke (gillianmaryclarke@hotmail.com)
Gillian is Chair of the House of Laity of the Diocesan Synod, and Lay Chair of the Deanery of Wimborne in Dorset. As well as extensive experience of the life of the Diocese, Gillian brings a background from the education sector as a teacher, senior manager and OFSTED inspector/ OFQUAL consultant.

Rosemary Macdonald (RMacdonald@ukcommunityfoundations.org)
Rosemary is a Lay Canon of the Cathedral. She was CEO of the Wiltshire Community Foundation until her recent move to be CEO of the national community foundation body. She has extensive experience of the Wiltshire context and communities.

Debrah McIsaac (debbie@dball.com)
Debrah is an elected member of General Synod and Bishop’s Council. She is Lay Chair of Alderbury Deanery on the outskirts of Salisbury. Debbie’s career was in the legal sector in Canada and in the UK and is a lay and practical theologian closely involved in the life and work of church and parish.

Gerald Osborne (gerald.osborne@lawnfarm.co.uk)
Gerald is an organic farmer and a priest. He lives in the village in which he was born. He is a Non-Residentiary Canon of the Cathedral and Rural Dean of Pewsey, one of the many rural parts of the Diocese. He has been a self-supporting minister in a multi-parish benefice for over 20 years, working closely with colleagues, both lay and in full time ministry, from a range of traditions.

Martyn Underhill (msunderhill2@gmail.com)
Martyn is a Lay Canon of the Cathedral. He has recently retired as Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset after nine years of service in that role and a career in the police. He has extensive experience of the county of Dorset and its communities.

Sarah Wood-Roe (rev.sarahwr@gmail.com)
Sarah is Assistant Rural Dean of Salisbury. She has served in a variety of stipendiary and non-stipendiary roles in the Diocese in both Wiltshire and Dorset, also serving as a school chaplain in Surrey. Sarah was the youngest member of the Vacancy in See Committee.

Please pray for this process
The process is complex and long. It is important. Throughout the process we are all invited to pray for those involved and for the outcome. This prayer was used in meetings of the Vacancy in See Committee, and we are all invited to keep it on our hearts in coming weeks:

Come, Holy Spirit.
Come, quicken our minds.
Come, enlighten our hearts.
Come, enlarge our wisdom.
Come, increase our love.
Come, that we might know your will.
Come, that we might make it known.
Come. We wait upon you.
Come, that in our work we might honour you alone.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Amen.