Bishop Chris chairs the Vacancy In See Committee, that will be heavily involved in finding a replacement for Bishop Tim.

Those who saw reports of Bishop Tim’s commissioning at Lambeth Palace, may have been asking themselves whether the process for his replacement as Bishop of Truro was under way.

The answer, in short, is yes. However, it won’t be a quick process, and needs to be planned to take into account the processes for filling vacancies in other dioceses within the Church. The earliest we can expect an announcement as to who that new bishop will be is August or September next year.

It will be a year or more, then, until the new Bishop of Truro takes up their post within the diocese.

A lot of the work in the early days will fall to the Vacancy in See Committee which is chaired by Bishop Chris, and includes both archdeacons, our General Synod representatives and both clergy and lay members of our diocesan synod. They will be assisted and supported by the Diocesan Secretary, Esther Pollard, and other members of the Church House secretariat. The role of this group is to set out the needs of the diocese and also to elect six representatives to the Crown Nominations Commission.

But the story doesn’t end there. There is also involvement from six central members of the Commission elected by the General Synod, the two Archbishops and the Prime Minister’s and Archbishops’ Secretaries for Appointments, Edward Chaplin and Caroline Boddington. Our six representatives will travel to Lambeth Palace next year to finalise the shortlisting and interview process with these other members of the committee.

There will also be an element of public consultation during the process and opportunities for both members of the church and the public to have their say over what they feel is crucial in our new bishop. Edward and Caroline will visit the diocese in the New Year to conduct their own listening exercise. Further details of how you can get involved in these will be released once arrangements are finalised.

It is also planned to publish the details of the members of the Vacancy in See Committee on this website from next month (October 2017), so individuals will have the opportunity to make their views known to them.

The Crown Nominations Commission will meet in May and June next year. This means that we have time to prayerfully reflect on our Christian life together and to consider the next stages of our journey in Christ and the nature of the bishop we are seeking to lead us in this.

Bishop Chris said: “While we are clearly all deeply sorry to see Bishop Tim leave us, it is a unique privilege and a responsibility for members of the Vacancy in See Committee to contribute to the process of identifying a new Bishop of Truro – and I am confident that, by approaching this with a heart to listen, a commitment to prayer and minds open to the discernment of the Holy Spirit, we will rise to that.

“It is also important for people to know that, as the Anglican Church in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, we will not simply stand still between now and the arrival of our new diocesan bishop. We have a lot of exciting things planned for the next year as we continue to live out our confidence in the gospel in our shared mission and purpose to discover God’s kingdom and grow the church.”