Post Introduction

The Acting Bishop of London is seeking to appoint a prayerful and pastorally sensitive priest as Chaplain. The ideal individual will have excellent interpersonal, administrative and communication skills, a warm and hospitable manner, and a high degree of cultural competence. The role of the Chaplain is to support the Bishop in her episcopal ministry.    

This is an interim post for a period of twelve months and could be suitable as a secondment from a current parish role or as a stand-alone role depending on the successful candidate’s circumstances.

The Bishop’s office staff team comprises the Bishop’s Chaplain, the Bishop’s Adviser, the Executive Assistant, the Diary and Hospitality Manager and the Correspondence Assistant.  

The key overarching priorities are three-fold:  

• To be proactive in anticipating the Bishop’s practical needs in relation to her upcoming commitments in the diary. This requires excellent forward planning, keeping a keen eye on the diary, the ability to anticipate and act on the Bishop’s needs, and liaising as appropriate and in a timely manner with everybody involved.  
• To support the Bishop and the Diary and Hospitality Manager in ensuring that The Old Deanery is consistently a place of warm welcome and generous hospitality for all who visit or take part in events there.  
• To support the bishop in relation to clergy discipline matters and complaints, including administering the CDM (Clergy Discipline Measure) process and ensuring appropriate pastoral care for all involved. 

The overarching priorities are expressed through this role through a wide variety of tasks, including the following:  

Support the Bishop in exercising her pastoral oversight  

• Ensure that the Bishop is fully and appropriately briefed for all engagements, working with the Bishop’s Diary and Hospitality Manager and the Bishop’s Adviser.  
• Assist the Bishop in supporting clergy welfare including liaising with Archdeacons and other Bishops’ Chaplains.  
• Oversee the work of the Clergy Household Support Officer and the following teams, including recruiting, supervising and ensuring appropriate training:  
• The Bishops’ Visitors – who support clergy partners/spouses through divorce/dissolution of civil partnership  
• The Clergy Supporters – who support clergy through divorce/dissolution of civil partnership  
• Coordinate with the Diary and Hospitality Manager and the Bishop’s Adviser regarding briefing materials and draft outline talks for the Bishop's visits to various organisations within and outside the Diocese.  
• Assist the Bishop with daily routine matters, including contact - face to face, online, by telephone, email and correspondence - over matters of a pastoral, theological, liturgical and disciplinary nature, drafting letters in the Bishop’s name and responding in his/her own name to letters addressed to the Bishop where appropriate. Liaise with the Bishop’s Adviser in the drafting of Ad Clerums.  
• Working proactively with the Correspondence Secretary to maintain clergy files, and providing advice to the Bishop as necessary.  
• Attending and assisting with evening and lunchtime events and other social functions at The Old Deanery and elsewhere as requested, to ensure that The Old Deanery is a place which offers a warm welcome and generous hospitality.
• May be required to provide secretariat support for London College of Bishops and Senior Staff meetings.

Support the Bishop in relation to clergy discipline matters

• Counsel and advise the Bishop in all matters relating to Clergy Discipline, Capability and Grievance Procedures.
• Administer these processes in liaison with the Diocesan Registrar, HR Director, DSA and others.
• This includes investigating informal complaints and supporting the Bishop in dealing with complaints made under the CDM.

Sustain good pastoral support as part of the CDM process including:

• The CDM Accompaniers and Safeguarding Links – who support clergy who are respondents in CDM complaints and safeguarding concerns  
• The CDM Supporters – who support complainants in the CDM process  

Support the Bishop in administering the sacraments and leading God’s people in worship  

• Engage proactively when the Bishop is involved in liturgy, with the Dean and Precentor regarding services in the Cathedral and with clergy regarding services in churches and chaplaincies. Prepare the Bishop’s orders of service where necessary and check draft orders prepared by the cathedral and parishes.  
• When requested, attend the Bishop in the Cathedral on principal feasts and at ordinations, and other major services, and at institutions, licencings and confirmations in the Diocese.  
• Continue the development of the worshipping life of The Old Deanery, including planning, preparing for and leading worship.  
• Undertake whatever other tasks the Bishop may reasonably require.   

The essential characteristics of the appointed person will be:  

• A Clerk in Holy Orders. This post has attached to it an occupational requirement under the   2010 Equality Act, Part 1, Schedule 9  
• Mature in outlook with a deep and secure faith with a rich pattern of daily worship and well-established spiritual discipline.  
• Robust in recognising the realities of working in a Bishop’s office, with the challenging variety of issues - including those relating to disciplinary matters - which will require your attention.
• Able to work to the Bishop’s agenda, recognising that much of the Chaplain’s work, and the credit for it, is inevitably of a ‘hidden’ nature.  
• A good team player who can work well with others creating networks and collaborative relationships.  
• Adaptable and flexible, able to prioritise tasks and work to deadlines. Have a good understanding of how they maintain their own wellbeing.  
• Skilled in complex pastoral work; able to handle difficult and sensitive matters with tact and diplomacy; able to maintain strict confidentiality.  
• Liturgically sensitive, competent and flexible.  
• Able to see the big picture while capable of accurate attention to detail; having good political judgement and the ability to spot the implications of particular issues and courses of action.  
• Have proven administrative, drafting and research skills; computer literate, familiar with email, Microsoft packages, social media and the use of databases.  
• Able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people belonging to institutions, organisations and other groups beyond the Church of England.  
• Culturally competent with the ability to work effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds.  
• Spiritually motivated and able to see opportunities for service and the proclamation of the gospel even in the most routine matters.  

Interviews will be held 08 May 2026

Please apply via the application link on 30 April 2026.