Vacancy In See
With the departure of Bishop Philip Mounstephen for Winchester the leadership of the diocese has now passed to the Rt Revd Hugh Nelson, Bishop of St Germans. Bishop Hugh will be acting diocesan bishop until a new appointment is made, a process which is likely to take until early 2025.
During the Vacancy in See the life of the diocese continues, Bishop Hugh will have all the legal powers of the diocesan bishop and we will continue to implement the plans that have been approved by deanery synods, the Bishop’s Diocesan Council, and Diocesan Synod. Some things will be different, taking up new responsibilities will mean that Bishop Hugh will need to change how he works, and the change will mean a smaller leadership team for the diocese.
Please keep Bishop Hugh in your prayers as he steps into this new role.
Work to appoint a new bishop
One new feature of diocesan life will be the work that takes place to appoint a new Bishop of Truro. There are three main elements to this work.
The first part of the work to find a new bishop is something that we can all join in with, we need to pray that God’s Holy Spirit will work through the appointment, there is a prayer for us to use during the vacancy.
Two committees make key decisions to support the recruitment of the new bishop; the Vacancy in See Committee is made up of diocesan members mostly elected from parishes and deaneries, the first thing this committee does is create a “Statement of Needs” that describes the diocese and what we need from a new bishop. The second committee is the Crown Nominations Commission or CNC, this has some local members and some national representatives, the CNC will look at longlists, shortlists and then interview candidates before making a recommendation to the Prime Minister and the King for approval.
The third main element involves all of us, there is a wide consultation both about what goes into the Statement of Needs to describe us, and about what we are looking for in a new bishop.
Key dates
SEPTEMBER 17, 2023: Bishop Philip lays down the Truro crozier in the cathedral, the leadership of the diocese passes to Bishop Hugh.
NOVEMBER 9, 2023: First meeting of the Vacancy in See Committee. The Committee will begin work and consultation on what should go into the Statement of Needs.
FEBRUARY 2024: Formal consultations with the Archbishops’ and Crown Appointments Secretaries, including a public consultation by Zoom on February 6, 2024.
FEBRUARY 22, 2024: Final meeting of the Vacancy in See Committee, the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) picks up the reins.
SEPTEMBER 2024: CNC shortlisting.
OCTOBER 2024: CNC interviews.
JANUARY 2025: Likely date for announcement.
EASTER 2025: Likely time for diocesan welcome of new Bishop of Truro.
Once the Vacancy in See Committee begins its work more information will appear here, including information about members and how they will consult with the wider diocesan family
