The Church of England media centre reports that the next Secretary General of the Archbishops’ Council and of the General Synod is to be William Nye, who will succeed William Fittall when he retires at the end of November after thirteen years in post.

William Nye, aged 49, joins the Archbishops’ Council from the Civil Service, where he has worked in national security at the Cabinet Office, diplomacy, intelligence and defence at HM Treasury and arts at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. For the last four years he has been the Principal Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. He is a long-serving PCC member and churchwarden and has also served as a deanery synod representative.

He is due to start work at Church House at the beginning of November in preparation for taking up his new responsibilities on 1 December.  Under Standing Order 123 of the Synod’s Standing Orders, the person appointed by the Archbishops’ Council as its Secretary General is also, subject to the approval of the Synod, Secretary General of the Synod. In accordance with the Standing Order that approval will be deemed to be given unless 40 or more members have given notice to the Clerk of the Synod by midnight on Wednesday 24 June, in accordance with Standing Order 12, that they wish the appointment to be debated by the Synod.