Following the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft's announcement of his upcoming retirement, a consultation period for views on our next diocesan bishop has now opened.
The consultation period is now open - anyone living, working or worshipping in the diocese can contribute their views via an online form, before Wednesday 4 February at 5pm.
Below is adapted from a letter to licensed clergy, church wardens and PCC Secretaries from the Venerable David Tyler. We encourage church leaders to share the survey with their parishioners and community contacts, to help us ensure we hear from as many different people as possible.
Dear friends and colleagues,
Today (7 January) we begin the process of seeking views from across the diocese as we look for a new bishop, following Bishop Steven’s retirement announcement.
We are writing to you, our clergy, PCC Secretaries and church wardens, as we need your help.
We need to create a document called a Statement of Needs which will set out information about the diocese, including its hopes and challenges, and what people have told us is important to them in a new bishop.
We have created a short, anonymous survey that will be the main way we ask for views and opinions to be included in the Statement of Needs. The survey features four questions and will take less than ten minutes to complete.
We will share a link to the survey on our website and via our communications more widely. We also know that encouragement from you to the groups you interact with in church and beyond will mean we receive many more rich and thoughtful contributions. Every voice matters and will be heard.
In addition to completing the survey, could you please commit to doing at least one of the following:
- Including the link in your parish newsletters and encouraging people to complete it via your parish notices and conversations after services.
- Downloading a version of the survey for those who don’t want to use an online form, including those with special educational needs, and making it available in your church/es.
- Convening a meeting to ask people to discuss what they want from a bishop, and sending those views back to us for those who don’t want to complete an online survey. This information can then be added online by you to summarise the thoughts of the group, as the online survey allows submissions from groups as well as individuals.
We appreciate you may get asked to do these things more than once over the next few weeks (indeed, you might receive another email very shortly that is being sent to all people who regularly receive newsletters and other Diocesan communications). We apologise for the repetition. Please do liaise with others locally so that we reduce duplication of effort while ensuring all feel encouraged to participate.
The survey will close on Wednesday 4 February at 5pm, and while the timescale for this feels compressed, we are following advice from the Appointments Secretaries who will themselves hold a further second consultation in March. That will include civic and council leaders, and organisations we work with.
Above all, we want to help you do this. Please send all and any queries about the survey to newbishop@oxford.anglican.org, as well as using that for survey responses if need be.
We are immensely grateful for any help you can offer.
With every blessing, and our thanks.
The Ven David Tyler
Chair of the Communications and Engagement Vacancy In See Group
Archdeacon of Dorchester