Synods, Boards and Committees

This statutory body is established under the Synodical Government Measure 1969.  It acts as the Standing Committee of Synod and carries on its work between sessions.  It advises the Bishop on matters where he seeks guidance and has an important role in the formulation of diocesan policy. Members of Bishop’s Council are regarded as ‘quasi trustees’ and share with DBF members responsibility to the Charity Commission.

Bishop’s Council also takes on the statutory role of Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committee.  The Council receives regular reports from other bodies and responds to national consultations and initiatives.

Full details about Bishop’s Council, including a link to its constitution are available here. The Council currently meets four times a year

This statutory body is established under the Diocesan Boards of Finance Measure 1925. It is a registered company and a registered charity. Its members are therefore company directors and charity trustees.

The Board acts as the financial executive of Synod and is responsible for preparing the annual budget and collecting parish shares.  It deals with clergy stipends and acts as the diocesan trust authority holding substantial amounts of property and funds on behalf of PCCs, incumbents and churchwardens. It is also responsible for the management of glebe land and other property. The DBF also deals with risk management, contracts for buildings and services, insurance, pensions, and the employment of the DBF’s staff. The DBF has specialist committees with roles to be filled by appointment including Audit, Assets, Glebe, Grants and Property .

Full details about the DBF, including a link to its constitution are available here. The Board currently meets five times a year.

This statutory body is established under the Diocesan Boards of Education Measure 2021, with functions including the promotion of education consistent with the faith and practice of the Church of England, the promotion of religious education and religious worship in schools and academies, the promotion of church schools and academies in the Diocese, and advice to school leaders and governors on any matter affecting church schools and academies.

The DBE’s vision for education is: ‘Living God’s Love in Education: Enabling Life in all its Fullness’. It currently serves 137 schools educating approximately 29,000 children and young people. Underpinned by the national Church of England vision for education and the diocesan vision, the DBE  ‘Lives God’s Love in Education’ through creative and innovative partnerships with local, regional and national partners. In ‘Enabling Life in all its Fullness’, it works alongside those providing statutory services to schools, delivering advice and support in a distinctively Christian manner which enables all to flourish.

The Diocese of St Albans Educational Trust is a separate incorporated body whose role is to enable the DBE to support and develop the work of stand-alone Church of England academies and local, school-led Church of England Multi-Academy Trusts. The Trust Board consists of seven Directors, five of whom are members of the DBE.

Full details about the DBE, including a link to its constitution are available here. The DBE currently meets six times a year.

Mission and ministry lie at the very heart of the St Albans Diocesan vision of Living God’s Love.  As a result, the BMM plays a key strategic role supporting discipleship, evangelism, support of parishes and other bodies in the Diocese, particularly to become younger and more diverse.

The BMM ensures that there are structures and resources to enable people to discern and respond to God’s call on their lives and to explore vocation to lay or ordained ministry.  The BMM also ensures structures and resources to train and equip lay and ordained people for ministry of all kinds.

Full details about the BMM, including a link to its constitution are available here. The BMM currently meets four times a year.

The Property Committee oversees the management of parsonage houses by maintaining, developing and improving the parsonage estate and other properties and land for which the DBF is responsible including some 270 parsonage houses, houses occupied by diocesan officials, and Holywell Lodge.

The Property Committee is a sub committee of the DBF. It includes some members elected directly by lay members of Synod and by the clergy of the Diocese, in addition to others appointed by the Bishop of St Albans and by the DBF. 

Full details about the Property Committee, including a link to its constitution are available from the DBF page (bottom section) here. The Committee currently meets four times a year.

This Committee only meets when there is a vacancy in the See of St Albans when it is responsible for preparing a description of the Diocese and a Statement of Needs for the appointment of a new Bishop.  When a vacancy occurs, the Committee is required to meet at least twice; firstly as soon as possible after the vacancy occurs, and then to consider the needs of the Diocese. It also elects from among its members those who will be members of the Crown Nominations Commission.

If a vacancy occurs in the See, the Committee membership is ‘frozen’ at that point so a full and representative membership must be in place at all times.

Full details about the Vacancy in See Committee, including a link to its constitution are available here.

This is the seventh body for which elections will be held this year and which cover the six-year period 2025-30. The Board of Patronage is established under the Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1968 and the terms of reference are “To exercise any right of patronage held by the Board in relation to benefices in the Diocese”.

The Board may determine how it will determine its business. Bishop’s Council have agreed to a proposal that the Board of Patronage should delegate its operations to the Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Executive Committee. However, the Board of Patronage is not bound by this decision and the new Board from January 2025 will decide whether or not to implement this decision.

Full details about the Board of Patronage, including a link to its constitution are available here.