Bishop Paul writes: “At the end of this month, the Vacancy in See Committee (ViSC) will begin the lengthy process towards the nomination of a new diocesan bishop. The ViSC is made up of 21 people - members are listed on the diocesan website.

“Its main tasks are to prepare a statement of needs, and to elect members from the diocese to the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC). The CNC eventually shortlists and interviews candidates. 

“The length of the process is affected by the number of other vacant sees in the Church of England at any one time. Due to the fact that there are so many vacant sees at present, and that the Guildford vacancy was unexpected, we anticipate that the Guildford CNC will not complete its work until the late summer of 2027. 

“That means it is unlikely that we will welcome the next Bishop of Guildford into the diocese until early 2028. I will keep you updated on the process as it progresses.”