Introduction

General Objective

The statutory object of the Archbishops’ Council, to which each of its 19 members contributes, is to co-ordinate, promote, aid and further the work and mission of the Church of England.

Current Vacancy

We are currently seeking an exceptional individual to join the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. We are looking for an experienced trustee with a track record of strategic insight who understands how to contribute to the governance of the charity and particularly one with a large national but distributed nature. It is hoped that the successful candidate will have an interest in racial justice, and could be considered as a potential chair of the Council’s Racial Justice Board. 

The appointee will automatically become a member of the General Synod of the Church of England and their relevant diocesan and deanery Synods. They will also have the opportunity to serve on various committees and lead individual areas of work.

The Council comprises the two Archbishops, the Prolocutors of the House of Clergy, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the House of Laity, two members elected from each of the House of Bishops, House of Clergy and House of Laity, the First Church Estates Commissioner and up to six members appointed by the Archbishops with the approval of the General Synod. The Archbishops’ Council is currently chaired by Alison Coulter and the current membership is available at Archbishops’ Council | The Church of England.

The Racial Justice Board

If the member becomes the Chair of the Racial Justice Board he or she would work alongside its Deputy Chairs, the Church of England’s lead bishops for racial justice the Rt Revd Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon, and the Rt Revd Arun Arora, Bishop of Kirkstall. The Board is a committee of the Archbishops’ Council and oversees the work of the Church of England’s Racial Justice Unit in encouraging and fostering racial justice, implementing the recommendations of the Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice and sharing best practice in this area across the Church. The Board replaces the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) and is part of a new governance framework set up after following the recommendations set out in the Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice final report.

In addition to the Chair, who must be a member of the Archbishops' Council, and Deputy Chairs, who are the lead bishops on racial justice, 10 further members of the Racial Justice Board will be appointed as follows: three elected by the General Synod, three appointed by the Appointments Committee (a commission of the General Synod and the Archbishops' Council); and four independent members appointed through a public process with expertise in diversity and inclusion, equality and social justice.

Under the new arrangements, a Racial Justice Panel, to act as an external, independent scrutiny body, is being set up to ensure that there is accountability for progress towards improving racial justice in the Church of England.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Archbishops’ Council has seven objectives.

1. A Younger Church: To double the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030.
2. A More Diverse Church: To fully represent the communities we serve in age and diversity.
3. Revitalise Parishes: A parish system revitalised for mission so churches can reach and serve everyone in their community.
4. New Christian Communities: Creating 10,000 new Christian communities across the four areas of home, work / education, social and digital.
5. Missionary Disciples: All Anglicans envisioned, resourced, and released to live out the five marks of mission in the whole of life, bringing transformation to the Church and world. All local churches, supported by their dioceses, becoming communities and hubs for initial and ongoing formation.
6. Sustainability: A Church that cherishes God’s creation and leads by example in promoting sustainability.
7. Safety and Dignity: A Church that affirms the dignity of all people by being a safe place for all, especially children and vulnerable adults.

The Council and its staff achieve these objectives in a number of ways. Our work can either be indirect or direct and largely falls under seven types of activity:

• Legislate, regulate and deregulate matters (directly or through General Synod).
• Distribute money.
• Provide national services to dioceses, parishes, cathedrals, schools etc.
• Provide consultancy services.
• Campaign and engage publicly.
• Enable the Church to govern itself.
• Engage people directly, especially through digital means.

The work of the Council over the past year is described in more detail in its most recent annual report, and is debated by the General Synod each year. 

As charity trustees all members of the Council are expected to ensure that the Council:

• Meets its statutory obligations as a registered charity with the Charity Commission, and meets its duties to General Synod.
• Establishes its strategic direction and achieves its goals.
• Defines the boundaries of senior management authority.
• Delegates to senior management the implementation of planned budgets.
• Monitors performance on a regular basis and holds senior management accountable for the outcomes.
• Has effective governance, financial and internal controls, and risk management. 

Specifically members are also expected to:

• Acquaint themselves with the National Institutions Measure 1998 (as amended), the Council’s objectives and the responsibilities of its members (who are charity trustees).
• Regularly attend, and contribute to, Council meetings (usually six a year, two of which are residential) and support others to contribute.
• Be ready to speak for the Council in the General Synod and elsewhere and generally promote its policies.
• Join in regular reviews of the Council’s activity.
• Be willing to accept a lead responsibility in relation to specific areas of work of the Council, including through membership of subordinate bodies.

Draft legislation currently before the General Synod would reform the governance of the National Church Institutions. This includes replacing the Archbishops’ Council with Church of England National Services. This is expected to take effect through 2027-2028 and there is no automatic transfer of trustees from the Council to Church of England National Services. More information is available here National Church Governance Measure Supporting Policy.

Person Specification 

Essential Characteristics

• A confident Christian with a lively faith, a passion for the vision and strategy of the Church of England and the mission and ministry of the Church.
• A listening leader who can build consensus and gain respect.
• A decision-maker who respects and affirms those who disagree and who is able to change his or her mind in the light of others’ insights.
• A readiness to prove, challenge and enquire, combined with pragmatism and realism.
• A persuasive communicator who can articulate the importance of one area of work within a wider strategic vision and who demonstrates honesty and integrity.
• A person with a broad understanding of the Church’s national institutions and who is willing to share in the corporate task of the Archbishops’ Council.
• A person of prayer who will hold the activities and people of the Archbishops’ Council in prayer.
• Substantial experience of delivering change through complex organisations through partnership and learning, leveraging impact through learning, monitoring, and evaluation, at Board or Executive level; demonstrating the ability to think strategically and independently.
• A commitment to and understanding of the issues involved in racial justice

Desirable characteristics

• A broad understanding of and sympathy for the different traditions within Anglicanism, and theological literacy.
• Experience in fields such as political life, public service, voluntary sector activity or other areas engaging with government, public life and ethics.
• Ability and opportunity to respond to requests rapidly and authoritatively.

Key Relationships

• The Secretary General.
• Chair and Trustees of the Archbishops’ Council.
• Members of the General Synod.
• Key bishops, other Church leaders and staff.
• As appropriate: Members of the Racial Justice Board.

Qualifications

This appointment is open to actual communicant members of the Church of England[1] in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Time Commitment

In addition to preparation for and attendance at meetings of the Archbishops’ Council, and meetings of the General Synod, you should expect to be involved yourself in other activities such as participation in committee meetings and working groups, familiarisation visits, training etc. You are likely to be asked to be part of another sub-committee of the Archbishops’ Council.  In total the commitment could average up to 5 days a month. The appointment is for 5 years and can in theory be extended for a further five years, but note the point above about the Governance Reform programme.

As a member of the General Synod, you also become an ex officio member of your diocesan synod, deanery synod and PCC. Appointment is subject to approval by the General Synod.

Expenses

Travelling and subsistence expenses necessarily incurred by members in the execution of their duties are reimbursed in accordance with guidelines issued from time to time by the Archbishops’ Council. 

The Archbishops’ Council meets in both the Southern Province (usually London) and the Northern Province (usually Sheffield).

General

Currently women, persons from a UK minority ethnic background and younger people are under-represented on the Council. Those who are ordained and who bring current experience of parish ministry are also under-represented. Applications from within these groups would therefore be particularly welcomed.

Process

The deadline for applications is Thursday 11 December 2025, 11:59pm. Applications are to be submitted via Church of England Pathways.

Interviews will be held on Friday 16 January 2026.

If you would like an informal conversation about the role please contact alison.coulter@churchofengland.org