Following the dissolution of General Synod in July, the House of Bishops, as a house of the General Synod, is dissolved until November 17. In its absence a ‘Bishops’ Meeting’, at the invitation of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, took place in person from Monday October 12 to Wednesday October 14.
The meeting did not handle any of the formal business which has to be dealt with by the synodical House, such as approving formal guidance, but focussed on discussion of emerging work and matters of common concern across the Church.
In a session on interfaith relationships in local communities, the Bishops shared positive stories from their dioceses of working together with other faith representatives, as well as the particular concerns of their own local communities. They agreed on the vital importance of relationship building and enabling others to have difficult conversations, and they examined how the Church could work for the common good at a time of increased societal division.
The meeting heard an update on ongoing work on Church of England safeguarding. It began by noting the significant improvement in safeguarding provision and training over the past 15 years and recognising the enormous culture change in the Church during that period. Attendees heard that since 2016 there have been 850,000 instances of people being trained in safeguarding, and consistency of provision and knowledge has improved significantly across the Church.
Bishop Joanne Grenfell gave an update on the work being done by the Safeguarding Structures Programme Board. The Bishops also heard an update from Robert Springett, lead advocate Bishop for safeguarding, on the development of the Managing Safeguarding Allegations and Concerns Code of Practice and on the Church of England Redress Scheme.
The Bishops discussed the work being undertaken on the governance and culture of the House of Bishops. Topics included relationships and behaviours, how to work well together and encourage a diversity of voices as well as any practical changes needed to help increase Standing Committee transparency.
The Bishops discussed vocations in the Church of England following a renewed focus on how to encourage those considering a call to ordination. They discussed what they had noticed locally, and the relationship with theological education institutions.
Work being done on episcopal appointments and vocational discernment was outlined, including how best to ensure candidates are developed and equipped to enter the discernment process. Those taking part in the discussions noted the cost of long vacancies and shared experiences of identifying and encouraging candidates for episcopal ministry.
The Bishops received broad updates on current pieces of work from across the Church, including on the progress of taking forward the ongoing work on relationships, sexuality and gender; Programme Spire; and global conflict from Bishop Hugh Nelson and Bishop Flora Winfield.
On the final day the meeting discussed the National Funding for Diocesan Ministry Review. The Review was commissioned in response to the motion passed by Synod in July 2025 to examine the Church’s approach to resourcing diocesan ministry for the future, including questions of sustainability, ministry capacity and the effectiveness of current funding arrangements.