The Acting Bishop of Ely seeks to appoint a Chair of the Finance Committee.

This important role provides financial leadership that supports the vision and mission of the Diocese, manages financial risks and promotes financial sustainability. This is currently a voluntary and unpaid role and requires significant commitment, estimated at twelve to fifteen days p.a. Expenses will be reimbursed. This is an appointment of the Bishop of Ely.

Primary Purpose of the Post

To provide financial leadership that supports the vision and mission of the Diocese, manages financial risks and promotes financial sustainability. This leadership will encompass the promotion of understanding and transparency of the Diocesan finances.

Context

EDBF Limited is accountable under the Diocesan Boards’ of Finance Measure 1925 to the Diocesan Synod, and is registered both as a charity and a company limited by guarantee. The members of the Synod are members of EDBF Limited, and Synod approves the budget and accepts the accounts. Otherwise, the affairs of EDBF Limited are carried out through its board (or by its employees operating within its Scheme of Delegation). Under EDBF Limited’s Articles of Association, members of the Bishop’s Council are automatically the company board, whose members have the legal duties and rights of company directors and charity trustees.

This means the Board is unusually large for a charity board, and its members are mostly elected rather than being appointed in order to secure a particular set of skills or experience. Financial management is therefore undertaken (without prejudice to the responsibility of the board as a whole) by a Finance Committee whose members are appointed by the Bishop’s Council or co-opted. The Finance Committee usually includes qualified finance professionals, representatives from deaneries and members of its various sub-committees.

Sub-committees of the Finance Committee include Houses (care of church houses), Assets (finance and land holdings), EDEC (education) and Audit (assurance of risk management).

Principle Duties and Responsibilities

The Diocese is committed to both numerical and spiritual growth. It sees finance as an active facilitator of mission. The Finance Committee Chair will bring vision and leadership to the position, as well as being a responsible trustee of the financial and real property assets of the Diocese.

The position is currently voluntary and unpaid (though we are considering an honorarium) and requires significant commitment, estimated at twelve to fifteen days p.a. Expenses will be reimbursed. This is an appointment of the Bishop of Ely.

Vision and leadership

• To inspire confidence in EDBF Limited’s financial management, through transparent, open reporting and effective communication and engagement.
• To promote sustainable finance as an instrument for Christian mission.
• To take the lead on financial matters in the Diocese of Ely, working in partnership with the Diocesan Secretary and their staff, and with senior clergy, to establish and implement a long-term, sustainable financial strategy.

Best governance practice

• To provide governance for and, through the Audit Committee, oversight of the financial affairs of the Diocese, the management of its risks and its compliance with law.
• To chair the Finance Committee. To ensure it operates within its terms of reference, that conflicts of interest are identified and managed, and that decisions are taken on the basis of sound information and in good time. To oversee processes to ensure that the decisions of the Finance Committee are enacted.
• To attend the Assets and Houses Committees of the EDBF.
• To oversee arrangements for settling Ministry Share requests, including chairing the Deanery Liaison Group.
• To be an ex officio member of Bishop’s Council and Diocesan Synod.
• To represent the Diocese on the Inter Diocesan Finance Forum.

Finance expertise

• To report to Synod on financial matters, as required.
• As lead finance trustee on the Bishop’s Council/EDBF board, to equip, support, encourage and oversee the provision by the Diocesan Secretary and officers of the DBF of financial control, appropriate reporting including accounting, and budgeting and forward planning.

Key Working Relationships

• The postholder is responsible to the Chair of Trustees of EDBF Limited.

Key stakeholders

• The Bishop, Suffragan Bishop and archdeacons, and the Bishop’s senior team;
• The Diocesan Secretary;
• The Diocesan Synod, in particular the chairs of the Houses of Clergy and Laity;
• EDBF Limited Chair of Trustees;
• The Bishop’s Council/EDBF Board;
• EDBF finance staff, and other Diocesan officers and staff as required;
• Deanery Treasurers.

Person Specification

The postholder will be an active and practising member of the Church of England with an understanding of and sympathy with the overall mission of the Church of England in general, and the Diocese of Ely in particular.

The post-holder must be able to demonstrate:

• Skill and experience in financial planning for an organisation of an equivalent size and experience. The post-holder will normally hold a finance qualification;
• Business and commercial experience and skill;
• Experience and skill in chairing meetings;
• Understanding of governance, risk and compliance;
• Good communication skills;
• Ability to lead, inspire and foster a collegiate manner of working;
• A broad (lay) understanding of the implications for EDBF of charity, trust and employment law.
• Commitment
  • • The Bishop’s Council currently meets 5 evenings a year, plus one all-day meeting.
    • Synod currently meets 3 times a year (generally two Saturday mornings and one evening).
    • The Finance Committee currently meets every two months.
    • Ex officio member of the Assets Sub-Committee (four day-times per year) and Houses Committee (nine day-times per year). Attendance at every meeting is not expected.
    • The Deanery Liaison Group meets four evenings per year.
    • Regular interaction with the Diocesan Secretary and staff.
    • Occasional visits to Deaneries and other meetings.
    • Overall, we expect the role to require between twelve and fifteen working days per year.

Applications and Next Steps

• Deadline for Applications: 19th December 2025
• For an informal discussion about this post, please feel free to contact the Chair of the Ely Diocesan Board of Finance (EDBF), Chris Stanford-Beale, on chris.stanfordbeale@elydiocese.org
• To be considered for the position, please email the Acting Bishop of Ely, the Rt Revd Dr Dagmar Winter, on bishop.huntingdon@elydiocese.org. Please provide in you application of no more than 2 pages of A4, details as to your suitability.