Vacancy in See Committee

A Vacancy in See Committee is required to be in existence at all times in every diocese. The Committee only meets when there is a vacancy in the See. In other words, in the case of the Diocese of London, when the post of Bishop of London has become vacant. The Committee holds at least two meetings, the first of which is held as soon as practicable after the vacancy has been announced. At its second meeting the Committee discusses the needs of the Diocese. It then prepares a statement setting out those needs and sends it to the Crown Nominations Commission of the General Synod, together with such factual information about the Diocese and its organisation as the Commission may have requested.

The Committee elects by ballot from amongst its members persons to be members of the Crown Nominations Commission. Such election is normally taken as the final business of the second meeting of the Committee, and is conducted by the method of the single transferable vote in accordance with the Regulations of the General Synod currently in force. Not less than half of the members elected must be lay members of the Committee.

Membership

Composition of the Vacancy in See Committee of the London Diocese:

1. The Area and other Suffragan bishops (6 seats)
2. The Dean of St Paul’s (or, if unable to serve, a member of the Chapter not already a member of the Committee) (1 seat)
3. Two Archdeacons (to represent the archdeacons in the Diocese) (2 seats)
4. The proctors elected by the Diocese to the Lower House of Convocation of the General Synod (currently 11 seats)
5. The members of the House of Laity of the General Synod elected by the Diocese (currently 11 seats)
6. The Chairmen of the House of Clergy and of the House of Laity of the Diocesan Synod (2 seats)
7. Elected membership: 4 clerical and 12 lay (total: 16 seats)
8. Up to 4 nominations by the Bishop’s Council

How to become an elected member

There are 4 clerical and 12 lay elected members of the committee (see ‘g’ above). Candidates must be nominated and seconded by qualified electors on the form that issued when an election is taking place.

Any cleric beneficed in the Diocese or licensed under seal by the Bishop of London or an Area Bishop is eligible for election by members of the House of Clergy of the Diocesan Synod, except that no archdeacon and no person in Episcopal orders is eligible to be elected in this election. (The election involves the whole House of Clergy of the Diocesan Synod. This means that a person from one Area/archdeaconry can be proposed, seconded and be voted for by persons from another).

Any lay person who is an actual communicant, as defined in Church Representation Rule 54(1), and whose name is entered on the electoral roll of a parish in the Diocese is eligible for election by the House of Laity of the Diocesan Synod. (The election involves the whole House of Laity. This means that a person from one Area/archdeaconry can be proposed, seconded and voted for by persons from another).