Due to the impending retirement of our present Diocesan Chancellor, Phillip Waller QC, CBE, the Bishop of Portsmouth is seeking to appoint a new Diocesan Chancellor with effect from early 2024. The new Diocesan Chancellor will be a judge, or a senior barrister or solicitor of good standing and will be a communicant member of the Church of England.

The Diocesan Advisory Committee deals with around-40-50 faculty cases per year for 150 Churches and 100 associated church buildings. Many churches are Victorian, we have 28 Grade 1 listed buildings in mainly rural areas and a small number of modern churches mainly in suburban areas. There has recently been grant sponsored activity in refurbishing a small number of churches, mainly in the city of Portsmouth. The Church of England’s Net Zero Carbon target of 2030 adds significant challenges.

The new Chancellor will have an important role to play. The Chancellor, as the independent judge of the Consistory Court, will oversee the faculty jurisdiction across the Diocese, relating to the use of and alterations to church buildings and land. She or he will work closely with the Diocesan Registrar and Registry Clerks, the Archdeacons and the Diocesan Advisory Committee.

For an Informal conversation about the position please contact the Diocesan Registrar, Sue de Candole.

Diocesan Registry - registry@battbroadbent.co.uk

The appointment is for a named individual, but it is anticipated that the person appointed will wish to appoint a Deputy Chancellor to assist him/her in the performance of his/her duties, subject to the approval of the Bishop.

The Diocesan Chancellor is expected to provide the professional services set out in The Ecclesiastical Judges, Legal Officers and Others (Fees) Order 2022. The retainer for this work is laid down in the Order and for 2023 this is £11,518.08. The retainer covers the remuneration for the Chancellor, any Deputy, secretarial and assistant support as well as all office overheads.

There may be exceptional circumstances, particularly when the Bishop or senior staff or the Registrar may need urgent response to business, when evening and weekend work may be required.

The Chancellor will be an ex officio member of the Diocesan Synod.

A Chancellor’s appointment ceases on resignation in writing to the Bishop, or upon attaining the age of 70, as is more fully set out in the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Care of Churches Measure 2018.

Please see Job Description for full details

Applications close at 5pm on 8th January 2024

Interviews will be held on 24th January 2024

See job description

The Diocese of Portsmouth is made up of around 13,000 or so worshippers in around 130 Church of England parishes across south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. They are led by our bishop, and include clergy, readers, retired clergy, chaplains, paid staff and thousands of volunteers who work in our parishes. The diocese is also divided into seven deaneries, each of which co-ordinates the mission and ministry of parishes in their area.

Our current vision is to live as disciples of Christ, pray individually and together, and to serve our communities – hence our vision is described as Live | Pray | Serve.