What happens after a nominated bishop withdraws?

The sudden withdrawal of the individual nominated to be the next Bishop of Durham has been called "very unusual".

On Monday the Church of England announced that its nomination for the fourth most senior cleric in the organisation had decided to "withdraw".

No explanation was given and the identity of the individual remains unknown. The Diocese of Durham said the news was "difficult" and "disappointing".

The editor of the Church Times Sarah Meyrick said it would probably take another year before a new nomination was put in place.

Ms Meyrick said she had never seen someone drop out from a bishop role in this way before.

"It was made very clear in that statement [from the Diocese of Durham] that it was the individual's decision," she said.

The diocese asked people to pray for that person and "all those affected" by the decision.

The role has been vacant since the retirement of the Right Reverend Paul Butler in February 2024 and has since been filled on an interim basis by the Bishop of Jarrow Sarah Clark.

The parishes supported by the bishop and the diocese span across north-east England from Gateshead to Stockton.

Ms Meyrick said the nomination would have been decided by a Church of England committee made up of national and local representatives.

"Each diocese will draw out a statement of needs and then the committee meets and then they consider and interview candidates," she said. "It's all highly confidential."

This means there is always a gap between when a bishop retires and a replacement is found, she said.

"It's a long drawn-out process," she said.

Moreover as there are several other bishop vacancies around the country, a diocese needs to wait its turn to be considered.

"It's a bit like snakes and ladders," she said. "You go back to the end of the queue."

This suggests that a new nomination would probably not be in place for another year, she said.

The lack of a permanent leader is unlikely to affect the day to day running of the diocese, Ms Meyrick says.

"They're very much a figurehead," she added.

But on a national level, the appointee immediately gets a seat in the House of Lords as their position in the church is so senior.

This right does not extend to the current interim appointment, she said.

"The last Bishop of Durham was very active talking about issues such as poverty and education," said Ms Meyrick.

"[Now] you haven't got that voice."

She acknowledged there was bound to be much speculation about why the individual withdrew from the position.

"Is it church politics, or a health issue, or a family matter?" she said. "We just don't know."

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