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Please do join in saying this prayer for the 100th Bishop of Lichfield
Icon of St Chad © Aidan Hart. |
Chad was the first Bishop of Lichfield. He died on 2 March 672, now celebrated as St Chad's Day. Consultations taking place in June, July and August are a chance for you to have your say in the process to appoint the 100th Bishop of Lichfield.
Q. Who can take part?
We want to hear as many voices as possible. Anyone who lives, works or worships in Lichfield Diocese can respond to our online consultation.
As well as this online questionnaire, we will be inviting people to a number of opportunities to gather online or in person to discuss the joys and hopes, the challenges and the opportunities, which will come with leading Lichfield Diocese.
You will find a full list of open opportunities to join in here. We have referred to the ‘by invitation’ consultations for completeness and transparency. Details of how to join an online consultation will be in The Bulletin and also sent to parishes.
Q. Why are you consulting?
So that we can hear the views of as many people as we can to create a clear, honest but hopeful picture of the Diocese. The appointment process needs to inspire the right person to express an interest in coming to join us, not just anyone but the person whose character, gifting and experience is going to help us to become the people that God has called us to be. It needs to be honest about the challenges we face but also begin to point toward a brighter future: “we can do this if you will come to walk with us and help us be all that we can be”.
Q. What will you do with the consultation responses?
The responses we gather will be invaluable in capturing the scale and diversity of the Diocese of Lichfield for the Statement of Needs document produced by the Vacancy in See Committee. You can read more about the work of the Committee here
Q. Is the consultation anonymous?
You do not have to give your name and we promise we will not try to identify contributors from their responses but in order to capture the diversity of the Diocese, we will ask you to identify some characteristics about yourself. If you are willing to share this detail, it will help us reflect your distinctive voice but it’s okay not to answer these questions. Your voice still matters. All individual responses will be destroyed as soon as this exercise is finished in October 2026. All data is securely collected and stored.
Q. Is it onerous or time consuming to take part?
It need not be. We will be asking the same five questions at each consultation:
- From your perspective, what three words describe Lichfield Diocese to you?
- What fills you with joy and hope about mission and ministry in Lichfield Diocese?
- What are the most significant challenges facing mission and ministry in Lichfield Diocese?
- What three words describe the character of the bishop you would like to see appointed? (not ‘what do we think they should do?’ but ‘what should they be like? – being words, not doing words)
- What three things do you want a new bishop to help us to achieve?
The answers to these 5 questions will help us to write a clear statement of what we are like and what we want from our new Diocesan Bishop. A Statement of Needs which accurately reflects the joys, hopes and aspirations of the people of Lichfield Diocese.
Q. Why do you need to hear from us?
We are not seeking a bishop who will act alone – we are seeking a Diocesan Bishop who will work with the whole people of God to shape the next period in our life together.
They will work with our Area Bishops and the Bishops of Oswestry and Ebbsfleet to lead the diocese and to offer pastoral and spiritual care to all. So as you think about what a new Diocesan Bishop can help us to achieve, think about how they might work with your local bishop.
They will also exercise an important leadership function alongside the archdeacons and the staff at St Mary’s House, guiding the strategy and ensuring the practical aspects of the diocese happen.
Our Diocesan Bishop also has a strong presence in the civic life of the diocese and in the national church. How do we want them to represent us as the people of Staffordshire, the Black Country, and Shropshire, our urban centres as well as our huge rural areas, places of poverty and places of relative wealth. Places which have a bright future and places which are struggling with the legacy of the past, industries which have died and new opportunities to be grasped. How do we want them to speak for us?
Q. I don’t feel I know enough to respond sensibly. Can I find out more about what is needed?
Yes! We have provided some facts and figures about the diocese which might help you think about the very practical challenges that we are facing today.
Finally, thank you for helping us to serve you in this way. We pray that this work will honour God, serve the Diocese and help to discern the right person to be our 100th Bishop of Lichfield.
Before you start completing the online questionnaire, why not pray the prayer for the 100th Bishop of Lichfield at the top of the page.