Bishops' information: House and College of Bishops

• Archbishops – Diocesan bishops who have pastoral responsibility for their province
• Diocesan bishops – chief pastors of their diocese
• Other bishops – primarily suffragan bishops but also area bishops who are appointed to work with diocesan bishops to help with the pastoral responsibility for the diocese.
• PEV’s (Provisional Episcopal Visitors) – four suffragan bishops who have a special responsibility to support parishes that have petitioned under the Episcopal Ministry Act of Synod 1993.

The role of the Standing Committee is to set agendas for the House of Bishops meetings; represent the House of Bishops in discussions with other faiths and to deal with certain matters on behalf of the House of Bishops.

The Standing Committee is made up of eight members:

• Archbishop of Canterbury
• Archbishop of York

and either

• The two bishops elected as members of the Archbishops’ Council on the basis that one of them serves as the Business Committee Chair
  • If this is not possible then one of the Council bishops and the bishop elected onto the Business Committee
• One bishop from the elected Church Commissioners
• The Chair to the Faith and Order Commission
• One bishop elected from the House of Bishops
• One appointed by the Archbishops
• One female bishop elected

The House of Bishops is one of three Houses that make up the General Synod, all members of the House of Bishops are members of the General Synod. They meet separately to talk about issues such as episcopal ministry, mission and national issues that affect the Church.

• The House of Bishops meet in May and December outside of General Synod
• Under Article 7 of the Constitution of General Synod, the House of Bishops has a special role with matters relating to doctrine, liturgy or Sacrament. Also, it has the right to amend legislation as it sees fit before the legislation is put before the General Synod for approval
• Female suffragan bishops (who are not members of the House) and PEV’s can attend and speak at these meetings, however, they are not allowed to vote.

The House of Bishop is made up of:

• All diocesan bishops including the offshore dioceses of Sodor and Man and Gibraltar in Europe
• The Bishop of Dover
• The Bishop to the Armed Forces
• Nine elected suffragan bishops

In addition, six elected female suffragan bishops and three Provincial Episcopal Visitors attend and speak at meetings of the House, but are unable to vote

The six female bishops are:

• Bishop of Aston
• Bishop of Crediton
• Bishop of Hull
• Bishop of Kensington
• Bishop of Sherborne 
• Bishop of Taunton

The three Provincial Episcopal Visitors are:

• Bishop of Oswestry
• Bishop of Richborough
• Bishop of Ebbsfleet

All serving bishops in the Church of England are members of the College of Bishops. The College of Bishops meet in January and September.

The following bodies report to the House of Bishops:

• Advisory Council for Religious Communities
• Broken Rites
• Bishops' Visitors

Plans to elect clergy of UK Minority Ethnic or Global Majority Heritage backgrounds to serve on the House of Bishops have been agreed in what is hoped will be a “catalyst for change” towards making the leadership of the Church of England more representative.

• UKME/GMH Privacy Notice November 2021
• UKME Press Release - Participant Observers
• Standing Order