The process to select the next Archbishop of Canterbury is being described as an ‘omnishambles’ by some members of the Church of England.

Justin Welby announced his resignation from the post last November, and the role has been vacant since January.

A new Archbishop was due to be announced in the autumn, but that may now be delayed as three of the 17 positions on the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) are still to be filled.

These vacant positions must be filled by members of the Diocese of Canterbury, meaning new elections will be required, which could take weeks.

Each diocese in the Church of England has a Vacancy-in-See Committee, made up of members from the diocesan synod, which only convenes when a bishop leaves or retires. Their main duties are twofold: to create a 'statement of needs' outlining the qualities the diocese seeks in its next bishop, and to select representatives for the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), the national body responsible for appointing bishops.

"This is where the process has gone wrong," said Gavin Drake, former director of Communications for the global Anglican Communion, speaking to Premier. "In Canterbury’s case, the process began, and the Vacancy-in-See Committee started selecting members for the CNC. But during that process, General Synod changed the rules. What should have happened is that the rules in place when the process began should have applied throughout, as is usual. Instead, diocesan officials applied the new rules without reopening nominations."

He continued: "That meant some people who had been nominated were no longer eligible under the new criteria, which require a certain number of women, and a balance of lay and ordained members. So they ended up with a slate that technically met the new quotas but included people who hadn’t received support from the diocese — some got no votes at all. Meanwhile, those who had the backing of the electorate couldn’t serve. That’s how the Canterbury process went wrong."

The commission was set to meet in May to shortlist bishops, depending on the appointment of the final three Canterbury representatives. A second meeting is planned for July, with a final one in September, and the timetable is expected to stay on track.

Earlier this year, the Church of England held a public consultation on the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury, receiving at least 9,600 responses online, along with 160 letters or emails, and input from 1,200 children and young people.