The House of Bishops comprises one of the three Houses of the
General Synod. It consists of all 44 Diocesan Bishops of the Church
of England, plus the Bishop of Dover, and seven suffragan bishops
elected from among the total number of suffragan bishops (four from
the Province of Canterbury, and three from the Province of York).
The three Provincial Episcopal Visitors can also attend and speak
when the House meets separately, but they do not having voting
rights (unless they are elected to the House as a suffragan
bishop).
Meetings of the House
In addition to meeting as part of the General Synod, the House
of Bishops meets twice a year in private session. These meetings
are timed to precede sessions of the General Synod by about six to
eight weeks. A Summary of Decisions from these meetings is normally
published at the time that papers are circulated for the following
session of General Synod.
The House's agendas range widely reflecting matters relating to
the exercise of episcope in the Church, but it has a special role
under Article 7 of the Constitution of the General Synod for
matters relating to doctrine and liturgy.
The House of Bishops' Standing Committee
The House has a Standing Committee which meets at least three
times a year under the Chairmanship of the Archbishop of York. In
addition to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, this Committee
includes either (i) the two bishops elected as members of the
Archbishops' Council on the basis that one of them serves as
Business Committee Chair - or (ii) if that is not the case one of
the Council bishops and the bishop elected on to the Business
Committee (to be determined); one bishop from among the four
elected as Church Commissioners (the Bishop of London);
the Chair of the Faith and Order Commission (the Bishop of
Chichester); one bishop elected on to it by the House (to be
determined); and a further bishop appointed by the Archbishops (to
be determined).
As well as preparing agendas for the House's meetings, it also
deals with other matters on the House's behalf.
Other Sub-Committees / Panels of the House
Under the umbrella of the House, there are a number of
sub-groups, including:
• The CME Committee - chaired by the Bishop of Newcastle,
working closely with the Archbishops' Adviser for Bishops'
Ministry
• The Environmental Group - chaired by the Bishop of London
• The Europe Panel - chaired by the Bishop of Guildford
• The Urban Bishops' Panel - chaired by the Bishop of
Ripon and Leeds [The Rural Affairs Group, under the aegis of
the Mission & Public Affairs Division, is chaired by the Bishop
of Knaresborough]
Although it is formally a sub-group of the Faith and Order
Commission, the House also has a particular relationship with the
Commission's Episcopal Reference Group (chaired by the Bishop of
Chichester). This group assists the theological work of the
House.
A number of time-limited Working Parties or Sub-Groups may also
be set up from time to time to consider particular matters on
behalf of the House.
All diocesan and suffragan bishops meet annually. This College
of Bishops' Meeting is normally held residentially over 72 hours in
mid-September. A further 24 hour residential meeting of
diocesan bishops together with the archbishops is held shortly
after Easter. There are also eight regional groups of bishops,
which include all diocesans and suffragans within the region. These
meet independently of the House two / three times a year, and are
convened by a bishop within the region.
Administration
The House is serviced by staff from the Central Secretariat in
Church House, Westminster, as follows:
• Ross Gillson, Administrative Secretary to
the House 020 7898 1375
• The Revd Frances Arnold, Executive Officer 020
7898 1372
• Dr Martin Davie, Theological Consultant 020
7898 1488