The 106th Archbishop of Canterbury should affirm both the pro-LGBTQ direction of Living in Love and Faith and the Church’s historic teaching on marriage, the Diocese of Canterbury says in a 28-page “Statement of Needs.”
“Locally we realize that responsibilities in the diocese will form but a small part of the Archbishop’s total ministry,” says an introduction by the Ven. Dr. Will Adam, Archdeacon of Canterbury and chairman of its Vacancy in See Committee. “We have a long established, valued and well understood system of delegation of day to day responsibility for episcopal ministry in the diocese to the Bishop of Dover and expect this to continue. That said, there is a real and tangible sense of connection and affection for the Archbishop of Canterbury in the parishes and communities of the diocese.”
The diocese’s preference on sexuality debates is the eighth item on the first page of needs. It devotes 99 words to themes of inclusion and 15 words to the Church’s historic doctrine of marriage.
Throughout the document, the diocese refers to its ideal Archbishop of Canterbury with a singular they, leading to frequently awkward usage. For instance, the diocese hopes for an archbishop who “will ordain and consecrate women and men, will unequivocally affirm and support the ministry of both, and may themselves be male or female.”
In summary, other priorities are that the archbishop:
- has theological depth and a prayer-filled and dynamic personal faith;
- is a person of the utmost integrity who is able to speak honestly, out of love for the Lord and the church, about failures and injustices in the church;
- is recognized as a servant leader, who shows compassion towards the disadvantaged and marginalised and has a heart to see everyone included in the church;
- will be curious about and committed to understanding the realities of life for young people, both in and outside the church;
- is able to speak prophetically, addressing the social and political issues which impact the most vulnerable in our society.
- will be unapologetic about offering a Christian perspective to local, national and international dialogue;
- will develop a relationship of mutual trust, understanding, and support with the Bishop of Dover, … [who] leads every aspect of running the diocese as well as developing our mission strategy as the de facto diocesan bishop;
- will have demonstrated a commitment to the growth, mission, and worship of parish churches, other worshiping communities, church schools and the communities in which they are situated;
- is aware of the burden which administrative tasks place on clergy and parish officers and will truly value the gifts of time and talent which lay and ordained people offer to the church;
- will play an active pastoral and missional role as a bishop for the Diocese of Canterbury alongside the Bishop of Dover;
- will receive the warm hospitality that we will provide, finding our diocese to be a place of joy, hope, and nourishment which they will be encouraged to regard as home.
The remainder of the document features sections on these topics:
Challenges, Opportunities, and Commitments: “Our diocese is committed to ensuring that church becomes more relevant to those not yet attending, by being honest and transparent, regaining trust from those in and outside of the church and having more positive visibility.”
The Bishop of Dover: “The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin has been the Bishop of Dover since November 2019. … Bishop Rose plays an active role both locally and nationally, often contributing to conferences and discussions on political and community issues.”
Safeguarding: “We may never be perfect, but in our diocese, we work together to make our churches safer and to minimise the risks of harm and abuse. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. It is at the heart of everything we do.”
Churches, Chaplaincies, and Worshiping Communities: “We have three archdeaconries: Canterbury, Ashford, and Maidstone. These are divided into 16 deaneries, 97 benefices and 196 parishes with 303 churches. Our diocese also manages 105 church schools, offering education and spiritual and moral guidance to 26,200 children.”
Canterbury Cathedral: “Cathedral worship takes inspiration from our Benedictine roots with an inclusive take on the Anglican Choral tradition. We emphasise pilgrimage to foster spirituality and faith. Social justice and engagement with our communities marks our commitment to reaching out and building partnerships.”
Our Vision and Bold Outcomes: “By God’s grace we want to be a people who are … confident and creative disciples of Jesus Christ, rooted in scripture and drenched in prayer, living gratefully, giving generously, caring for creation and sharing the gospel, growing in number and expectations—of God and ourselves, motivated by justice and love, open to the Spirit and ready for adventure! (emphasis in original)
“Our diocese has been on a journey of listening and discerning to arrive at our vision and strategy, which is distilled into Three Bold Outcomes for 2030:
- Double the number of children and young disciples.
- Two hundred new Christian communities.
- Every parish, benefice and deanery showing signs of revitalization.”
Children and Young People: “We imagine and pray for a hope-filled future for all; both experiencing fullness of life in church schools which are living out a theologically rooted Christian vision, and children and young people growing in faith and discipleship which inspires them to contribute confidently to the Kingdom of God.”
New Christian Communities: “Ignite is a parish-based church initiative reaching marginalized and socially deprived communities. … The creation of ‘Resourcing Churches’ is part of the strategy to plant and revitalize churches. These hubs in our urban centres will be a source of expertise and encouragement to churches around them.”
Revitalization: Growing the Church: “According to research in 2024, attendance in our diocese has lagged behind the rest of the Church of England in our recovery following the pandemic. Post-pandemic, we faced a net decline, unlike the rest of the Church of England, which has seen some recovery.”
Revitalization: Growing Ministry: “Ordained ministers in the Diocese of Canterbury are supported by ‘The Canterbury Diet.’ This includes pastoral supervision, spiritual direction and an ongoing process of ministerial development review. Running through the Canterbury Diet are three golden threads, which are expressed in the following three questions:
- How are prayer and spiritual practices being developed?
- How am I learning and reflecting on ministry practice?
- How are we attending to good relationships and collaborative ministry?”
Revitalization: Growing Vocations: “The responsibility for noticing and naming God’s call in someone’s life primarily lies with leaders in the local church as they see that person’s journey in faith firsthand.”
Environmental and Net Zero Goals: “In alignment with the Church of England’s Net Zero 2030 target, we are actively working towards achieving the Silver Eco Diocese Award. This reflects our growing integration of environmental values across worship, buildings, land, community engagement, and personal lifestyle.”
The Social Justice Network: “The Social Justice Network is the Diocese of Canterbury’s charity working in communities to alleviate poverty, marginalization, and vulnerability, especially among the homeless, refugees, asylum seekers and those leaving prison into homelessness.”
Governance and Management: “The Archdeacons of Canterbury, Maidstone, and Ashford oversee five to six deaneries each, working closely with the Bishop of Dover. … In our medium-sized diocese with one bishop, Archdeacons manage tasks typically handled by suffragan bishops elsewhere, such as appointments and the developing and implementation of diocesan strategy.”
Partnerships and Overseas Links: “Mission involves the entire body of Christ, with the diocese playing a part. It is most effective through partnerships, primarily in local parishes, though some operate at the diocesan level.”
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Douglas LeBlanc is the Associate Editor for Book Reviews and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Henrico, Virginia.
