Bishop's Council

Bishop’s Council is the operational governance body for our diocese - the board of trustees that provides oversight of the diocesan strategy and aligns resources, both financial and people, to ensure we can all fulfil that strategy. 

One membership representing several bodies

View the list of people currently on the Bishop’s Council.

Bishop’s Council in this diocese has the remit of several diocesan bodies in one:

1. First and foremost, as the Bishop’s Council, it’s an advisory body to the Bishop of Guildford. This is an important role and sets the tone for all the other responsibilities of Bishop’s Council members. This is because the whole diocesan community is under ‘episcopal’ leadership, which means ultimate authority rests with the Bishop in Synod.
2. Secondly, the same members are also the standing committee of Diocesan Synod, undertaking business on behalf of Diocesan Synod in between their meetings.
3. Everyone on the Bishop’s Council is also a director of the Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF), which is the incorporated charitable body that legally owns all diocesan assets, employs diocesan staff, is custodian trustee of parish assets; has responsibility to raise income (eg parish share) and authorise expenditure. It is also required to present a budget and annual report to Diocesan Synod.
4. The Bishop’s Council members are also the Mission & Pastoral Committee, the body that considers and approves all proposals for pastoral re-organisation and takes a lead on strategic pastoral and mission issues across our diocese.
5. And finally, the same membership also fulfils the functions of the Parsonages Board, providing approvals on all property investment and the provision of clergy housing.

Bishop’s Council is chaired by the Bishop of Guildford, with a sub-section of the agenda for the Mission & Pastoral Committee chaired by the Bishop of Dorking. 

Bishop’s Council Committees, Boards and Groups 

Bishop’s Council is supported in its work by the following:

Supporting documents

• Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance (October 1927)
• Memorandum of Association of the Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance (as altered by special resolution dated 24 April 1991)
• Articles of Association of the Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance (as at 10 March 2007)