Key Diocesan Committees

Working alongside synods are key committees, some of which hold statutory functions.

Election to Diocesan Committees.

Nominations are now open for election to the Vacancy in See Committee, the Archidiaconal Mission and Pastoral Committees and the Board of Patronage. For all of the elections the term of office is 3 years from January 2025, except the Board of Patronage which has a 6 year term.

To stand for the Vacancy in See committee you should be a clergy person, beneficed in the diocese or licensed under seal by the bishop of the Diocese; or a lay person who is an actual communicant, aged over 16 and on a parochial electoral roll or the Cathedral Community Roll in the diocese, or part of the worshipping community involved in a mission initiative in the diocese.

Candidates for the Board of Patronage should be clergy beneficed in or licensed to any parish in the Diocese or lay people who are actual communicants, aged over 16 and on a parochial electoral roll in the Diocese (or the Cathedral Community Roll).   There are 3 places for members of the clergy and 5 places for members of the laity.

Any person on Diocesan Synod may stand for election to their local Mission and Pastoral Committee.  You should be nominated and seconded by Diocesan Synod members from your archdeaconry.  Lay candidates must be proposed by lay members and clergy candidates by clergy members.  There is one clergy place and two lay places available in each archdeaconry.

The closing date for all nominations is Tuesday 22nd October. . For further information please contact the Synod Office

• Board of Patronage

The Diocesan Board of Patronage has a number of livings in the diocese in its gift, and is responsible for nominating a priest to the Bishop when a vacancy arises.

Membership: Revd Preb. Rosie Austin, Revd Ruth Frampton, Mrs Patricia Wass, Mr Jonathan Hudson, Revd David Caporn, Mr Keith Rushforth, Mrs Helen Flaherty,  Mr Andrew Southall

• Vacancy in See Committee

The key function for this committee is to prepare a statement of the needs of the diocese in support of appointing a bishop when a vacancy arises and to appoint members to the Crown Nominations Commission.

Membership 2025-2027:

The Bishop of Crediton, the Bishop of Plymouth, the Dean of Exeter Cathedral, two representative archdeacons, to be determined, The Chair of the House of Clergy  (Revd. Preb. Michael Partridge), 5 Proctors in Convocation (Revd. Graham Hamilton, the Ven. Douglas Dettmer, the Rev Prof. Morwenna Ludlow, the Rev Preb. Karl Freeman, the Revd Preb. Rosie Austin), 2 elected clergy members (Revd. Andrew Thomas,  Revd. Ed Hobbs), Clergy nominated by the BCSC: (to be determined), Chair of the House of Laity (Dr Kerry Gilbert), elected members of General Synod (Mr Luke Appleton, Mr Simon Friend, Mr Tim Hamilton, Vacancy), 8 elected lay members (Dr Francis Sansbury, Mr Andrew Southall, Mrs Helen Friend, Mr Martin King, Mrs Heather Morgan, Mrs Emma White, Mr Keith Rushforth and 1 vacancy), laity nominated by the BCSC (to be determined).

The Diocesan Secretary is the secretary of the committee. The chair of the committee will be elected at the meeting of Bishop’s Council on 30 November 2024

• Assets Group

The Group meets as a conglomeration of the Diocesan Glebe Committee under the Endowments and Glebe Measure 1976 and the Diocesan Parsonages Committee under the Repair of Benefice Buildings Measure 1972.

The scope of the Group’s work is:

• Glebe management
• Parsonage house management and repair
• Internal audit
• Management accounts (for all areas)
• Investment policy and returns
• Common Fund receipts and appeals
• Finances involved in work on Church schools
• Operation of EDPS Ltd
• Properties with development potential
• Applications from parishes for grants and loans

Membership: Vice Chair of the DBF (Bob Mills),  Chair of the DBF (Giles Frampton), Clerical Vice Chair of the DBF (Mike Williams), the four Archdeacons, four elected deanery treasurers (Paul Cooper, Vivian Eddy, Clare Born, Mike Jefferies), BDC appointments (Jan Keliher). Also in attendance the diocesan secretary (Stephen Hancock), property services manager (Graham Davies), diocesan accountant (Neil Williams), mission resources adviser (Brigit Kiyaga).

• The Diocesan Board of Education Committee

For more information on the work of the Committee, click here DBEC