Elections
Bishop’s Council and other boards
Bishop’s Council
The Bishop's Council (BC) is a body of direct advisers to the Bishop. It has the duty of preparing and agreeing agendas for the Diocesan Synod, to which it acts as Standing Committee. On major matters, particularly issues referred to the Diocesan Synod by the General Synod, the Council may set up working groups from its members. The Bishop’s Council’s role is essentially strategic – looking forward and giving advice to the Bishop on the future of the diocese, its structure, its objectives, its finances. A more detailed description of Bishop’s Council can be found here:
Diocesan Board of Finance
This Bishop’s Council is also the Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF), exercising a policy-forming oversight of the Diocese’s financial resources. And, that by virtue of being also the Diocesan Board of Finance, members are therefore directors of the company and charity trustees. The BC/DBF will advise the Synod on the annual budget and will present the annual report and accounts.
Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committe
The Bishop’s Council/Diocesan Board of Finance also acts as the Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committee (DMPC).
There is a requirement for the majority of the members of the BC/DBF/DMPC to be lay. Of the 8 ex-officio members (Bishop, Dean, Archdeacons, Diocesan Secretary, Chairmen of the House of Clergy and House of Laity) 6 are clergy; so to get the overall balance right the majority of the elected members must be lay. There is, additionally, 1 member nominated by the Bishop usually the Chair of the DDFC who is a lay person at this time.
Elections to these boards
The BC/DBF/DMPC will normally meet about 8 times a year. Individual members are likely to find themselves invited to be members of working groups. The members of Diocesan Synod will, from among their members, elect Bishop’s Council members, who are the Trustees of the Portsmouth Diocesan Board of Finance (among other responsibilities). There will be the need for each Deanery to be represented by a Clergy and Lay Member of Diocesan Synod and, because there must be more lay members than clergy members, there will be a few additional spaces for Lay Trustees.
Nomination forms should be submitted to Jane Dobbs by 12 noon, November 20th, 2024. Voting will close on December 16th, at 12 noon.
Vacancy-in- See Committee
A bishop looks after a ‘see’, so when there is a vacancy in a bishop’s post, it is called a Vacancy in See. The previous committee recruited Bishop Jonathan. The next committee may well (hopefully) not have anything to do during their three-year term, but we are obliged to have a full committee in place.
Nomination forms should be submitted to Jane Dobbs by 12 noon, November 20th, 2024.
Portsmouth Diocesan Board of Patronage
The Portsmouth Diocesan Board of Patronage is Patron of 15 of our Parishes. The Board consists of a mixture of elected personnel both Lay and Ordained and those who are members because of the office they hold (Archdeacons, Area Deans and Lay Chairs of their Areas when a vacancy occurs in their area of responsibility). Membership is NOT restricted to Diocesan Synod members.
You can read more about how the Board operates here.
The clerical and lay members are elected by the separate Houses of the Diocesan Synod. Elected members hold office for a term of six years beginning on January 1 following their election. Five lay members and three clergy members are elected to the Board.
If you wish to stand for election please download the relevant nomination form:
Nomination forms must be completed and returned by 12 noon, November 20th, 2024. If you are not on the Diocesan Synod then you should contact your Area Dean to find out who in your deanery is on Synod so that you can request for a nomination or second.