An International consultation has begun on whether Anglicans globally could have more of a say on who will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Consultation has been set up by the Archbishop’s Council and takes up a diocesan synod motion from Canterbury diocese asking it to consider reducing the diocese’s representation on the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC).
The rationale behind the proposal is given in a letter by William Nye, secretary-general of the Archbishops’ Council.
In the letter it states: “The background purpose of the change is to enable the representation of the Anglican Communion to be increased.
“In a Communion that is at least 75 per cent from the Global South, at the last Canterbury CNC the entire Communion was represented by the Archbishop of Wales.”
The Archbishops’ Council proposes reducing the diocese’s quota from six voting CNC members to three.
It has also put forward the more radical suggestion of increasing the voting members from the Anglican Communion from one to five
The new-look CNC would thus comprise: a chair appointed by the Prime Minister; two bishops, including the Archbishop of York if he or she is not a candidate; six central members elected by the General Synod (three clergy and three lay); three representatives from the Canterbury diocese; and five representatives from the Anglican Communion.
The document suggests that the five international CNC members would come from each of the five regions in the Communion: the Americas, the Middle East and Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Europe.
The consultation, which lasts till 31 March, is open to all.
Read the consultation here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2022-01/Consultation%20Document%20Changes%20to%20the%20Membership%20of%20the%20CNC%20for%20the%20See%20of%20Canterbury%20January%202022.pdf