The See of London will become vacant on 28 January 2026 at the confirmation of the election of Sarah Mullally when she legally becomes the Archbishop of Canterbury. On 15 October 2025 The Diocese of London opened the Diocesan Consultation for next Bishop of London, extracts of which are reproduced below.
Diocesan consultation opens for next Bishop of London
The Church is beginning a formal process of discernment and consultation to identify community needs and appoint a new Bishop of London.
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On Friday 3 October 2025, the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Sarah Mullally DBE, was announced as the nominee to become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. Consequently, the post of the Bishop of London will become vacant later in January 2026 – a “Vacancy in See”.
The Church is now entering the formal process to discern the needs of the Diocese, which will ultimately lead to the appointment of a new bishop. This is a unique opportunity for every member of the diocese to share their voice and help shape the Church’s future direction.
The Diocese of London Vacancy in See Committee will now convene with a primary task of producing a Statement of Needs to discern the essential character, skills and experience the Church will be looking for in the next Bishop of London.
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A diocese-wide consultation featuring a focused set of questions is being launched. We urge all members of the community—clergy, lay members, and Anglicans of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds—to take the time to contribute. Your voice is important, and every response matters. Input gathered from this consultation will be formally discussed at the Committee’s second meeting in December.
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Vacancy in See process
The Vacancy in See process is a structured period of discernment and consultation that occurs when a diocesan bishop retires, resigns, or moves to another post. It involves:
- Formation of a Vacancy in See Committee – This group oversees the consultation process, prepares the Statement of Needs and elects diocesan members to the Crown Nominations Commission.
- Diocesan-wide Consultation – Through surveys, the committee gathers views from across the diocese.
- Drafting the Statement of Needs – Informed by feedback, the committee drafts a document that reflects the spiritual, pastoral, and practical needs of the diocese.
- National Consultations – The Archbishops’ and Prime Ministers’ Appointments Advisers consult with people and leaders from churches, schools, community and civic groups.
- Submission to the Crown Nominations Commission – This national body (made up of the Archbishops, six members elected from the General Synod and six members elected from the Vacancy in See Committee) uses the Statement of Needs, outcomes from the national consultation, to guide the selection of candidates for bishop.
- Appointment of the New Bishop – Following interviews and discernment by the Crown Nominations Commission, a new bishop is nominated and appointed.
Clearly, the Diocese of London is keen to avoid the (much ill-informed) criticism of the long time it took before the announcement (on 3 October) that Sarah Mullally is to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby having announced his resignation on 12 November 2024 and with the resignation effective from 7 January 2025. However, with CNC dates already announced up to mid May 2026 (interviews for Leeds are fixed for 13/14 May) it seems unlikely that the London CNC will hold interviews before mid June at the earliest.
Thanks, David. That seems to be in line with the table on Peter Owen‘s website of vacant Sees. Today’s post was based upon the official documents from the diocese of London but with my editorial settings of the text, I suspect that you are correct in your assumption of the earliest date for the interviews for the London CNC
Yes, I took the dates for the Leeds CNC interviews from Peter’s spreadsheet. Obviously, dates could not be fixed ahead for the London CNC, since until the announcement of Sarah Mullally’s nomination (now Archbishop of Canterbury Designate – or ‘ABCD’ as Rebecca Chapman understands she is being referred to at Lambeth Palace – see her article in the Spectator, a link to which was provided in today’s C of E Daily Media Digest), it was not known which diocese would become vacant. It seemed reasonable to assume that at least a month would elapse before another CNC would meet to interview candidates, even if the shortlisting meeting is held earlier.
For ABCD, see Question 8 of the 2021 Boxing Day Quiz, https://lawandreligionuk.com/2022/01/01/boxing-day-quiz-2021-the-answers/. dp