The is the senior
bishop leading the Church of England. They are appointed by His
Majesty The King, as Supreme Governor of the Church of England,
on the recommendation of the Crown Nominations Commission
(CNC).
Upon the resignation of an a Crown
Nominations Commission is established to identify and submit the
name of a preferred candidate to the Prime Minister, who is
constitutionally responsible for advising The King on the
appointment. He has no active role in the decision.
The CNC
is comprised of:
-
The Chair (a layperson) - to be appointed by the Prime
Minister.
-
A Bishop - to be elected by the House of Bishops
-
The or, if they choose
not to be a member of the CNC, a further Bishop
to be elected by the House of Bishops
-
Three representatives elected from the Diocese of Canterbury
by their Vacancy in See Committee
-
The six representatives (three clergy and three lay) elected
by General Synod to serve as members of the Commission for a
five year period
-
Five representatives from other churches in the Anglican
Communion - one each from Africa; the Americas; Middle East
and Asia; Oceania and Europe.
The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Prime
Minister's Appointments Secretary and the Archbishops' Secretary
for Appointments are non-voting members of the Commission.
Before the Commission meets the Church of England will lead a
consultation process to determine the needs of the diocese, the
Church of England and the Anglican Communion.
The Commission will then meet to agree its processes and review
candidates.
Since 2007, the Prime Minister has accepted the CNC's recommended candidate
and tendered their name to the Monarch.
The CNC may
also submit the name of a second appointable candidate, should it
not be possible to appoint the first candidate.
Once The King approves the chosen candidate, the Prime Minister's
Office will announce the name of the Archbishop-designate.
Further details on timescales will be announced in due course.
