CONSULTATION on the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury begins today. Members of the public are invited to propose candidates and comment on what the Church needs from the next Primate of All England.

A notice in this week’s Church Times invites submissions from “any person wishing to comment on the needs of the Diocese or Province of Canterbury, the Archbishop’s ministry in the wider Church of England or Anglican Communion, or who wishes to propose candidates”.

Submissions can be made on the Church of England website, or by post to the Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments, Canon Stephen Knott, who works out of Lambeth Palace.

Canon Knott is overseeing the process, alongside the Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary, Jonathan Hellewell. Both will sit as non-voting members of the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission (CNC).

The CNC will be chaired by a former director-general of MI5, Lord Evans of Weirdale (News, 17 December).

The Archbishop of York sits on the CNC, together with a bishop from the Province of Canterbury. The bishop can be a diocesan or suffragan, or a retired bishop who resides in the Southern Province.

Last week, nominees were invited to put themselves forward for the position with a 300-word statement of their suitability. A vote will be held in the House of Bishops to select a candidate.

Besides the chair, the Archbishop of York, and a bishop from the Province of Canterbury, three representatives from the diocese of Canterbury will vote on the CNC, along with six of the central members — three lay people and three clergy — who were elected by the General Synod in 2022.

There will also be five representatives of the Anglican Communion rather than one as there was for previous nominations to the see of Canterbury. One person will be chosen from each region of the Communion (News, 24 November 2023).

The full list of CNC members is expected in March.