Interim Chaplain to the Acting Bishop of Guildford
Post Introduction
The Acting Bishop of Guildford is seeking to appoint the Interim Chaplain to the Acting Bishop of Guildford. This is a pivotal role supporting the strategic and operational ministry across the Diocese. Working closely with clergy, diocesan colleagues, parishes, and external partners, the Chaplain provides pastoral, strategic, and administrative leadership, oversees key clergy processes and safeguarding matters, and helps ensure the Bishop’s priorities and ministry are delivered effectively throughout the diocese.
The Bishop of Dorking became Acting Bishop of Guildford on 18 February 2026. He is expecting to fulfil this role for up to two years before a new Bishop of Guildford is welcomed in early 2028.
He has established three foci for his ministry during this time: (i) prayer; (ii) pastoral care; (iii) the priorities of discipleship (including revitalisation) and children and young people. In addition to this, as the sole bishop in the diocese for this period, he is seeking to enable the Bishop’s Office to run as efficiently and smoothly as possible
This post has attached to it an occupational requirement under the 2010 Equality Act, Part 1, Schedule 9. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS with Adult and Child Barred Lists check (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance.
Work Pattern
- Working hours will generally align with standard office hours, with flexibility to adjust the schedule to accommodate weekend teaching and preaching commitments.
- The Chaplain is expected to support and lead worship in parishes across the diocese on Sundays when not required to assist the Bishop.
- A flexible approach to working hours is essential to meet the demands and responsibilities of the role.
Place of work
- Willow Grange (Home of the Bishop of Guildford) Woking Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7QS
- Dayspring (Home of the Bishop of Dorking), Pilgrims Way, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 8AD and some home working.
Accommodation is provided by the Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance.
This is a fixed-term contract for an initial period of 18 months, with the potential of being extended for a further 6 months.
Please review the Recruitment cover letter from the Bishop of Dorking and Acting Bishop of Guildford, The Rt Revd Paul Davies. To access the full Job Description, please click here.
Responsibilities
To support the strategic ministry of the Bishop through:
- Prayer
- Praying with and for the Bishop
- Co-ordinating Morning Prayer for the Bishop’s Leadership Team from Monday – Friday
- Leading on the Bishop’s Prayer Network
- Organising the Diocesan Calendar of Prayer
- Keeping up to date lists for the Bishop of those in the diocese who need support in prayer
- Advising clergy on the preparation of orders of service, following guidelines set by the Bishop.
Assisting the Bishop liturgically at services in Guildford Cathedral (and elsewhere when required) at major festivals / ordinations / etc.
- Pastoral Care
- Sharing in the highest standard of pastoral care for all clergy and people in the diocese
- Occasionally seeing people on behalf of the Bishop as requested
- Liaising with Bishop’s PAs to ensure that clergy who urgently need to see bishop may do so
- Setting a culture of pastoral care for bishop’s staff and visitors to Willow Grange & Dayspring
- Administering the grants system for clergy
Caring for the Bishop (as a confidant) and his family.
Priorities
- Supporting the Bishop in maintaining a strong culture of discipleship in the diocese.
- Supporting the Bishop in his priority to grow ministry to children and young people.
To support the operational ministry of the Bishop through:
- Administration (in co-operation with the Bishops PAs)
- Help manage the Bishop’s Office, working with the Bishop’s PAs to prioritise matters requiring the Bishop’s attention.
- Prepare agendas, coordinate meetings (including Bishop’s Leadership Team and Area Deans meetings), and produce/distribute minutes.
- Maintain clergy files and records in line with the 2021 Clergy Files Policy, GDPR, and National Clergy Register requirements.
- Manage Permission to Officiate (PTO), Overseas Permission to Officiate (OPTO) licences, clergy status checks, references, and Bishop-to-Bishop enquiries.
- Support clergy appointments and liaise with the Registry and Lambeth Palace when required.
- Support compliance with Data Protection legislation, including Subject Access Requests.
- Coordinate key communications such as Pastoral Letters and Ad Clerum, ensuring guidance is up to date.
Research, prepare briefing papers, draft correspondence, and support the Bishop’s communications activity.
- Oversight
- Oversee PTO applications, including conducting entry interviews for clergy from outside the diocese and providing recommendations to the Bishop.
- Provide oversight of healthcare, prison, and military chaplains.
- Legal
- Support parishes with compliance relating to pastoral reorganisation, suspension of benefices, service provision, and building usage.
- Oversee administration for C4 applications, the Overseas Clergy Measure, and Eucharistic Assistants.
Support administration relating to the Clergy Discipline Measure, complaints, and grievance procedures.
- Safeguarding
- Act as the Bishop’s Office first point of contact for safeguarding matters and liaise with the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer.
- Attend safeguarding planning meetings and represent the Bishop on the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Board (DSAP) where appropriate.
- Communicate with clergy regarding expired DBS checks and withdrawal from ministry where required.
Submit relevant Serious Incident Reports to the Charity Commission.
- Hospitality
- Ensure high-quality hospitality at Willow Grange and Dayspring.
Support coordination of the biennial Tent Week.
General
- Act as the Bishop’s representative when requested.
- Coordinate and brief the Bishop for episcopal visits, liaising with parishes, schools, and external organisations.
- Maintain relationships across civic, commercial, education, ecumenical, and interfaith communities.
- Advise clergy on a range of matters.
- Provide cover for the Bishop’s PAs during periods of leave.
- Undertake additional duties as reasonably required by the Bishop.
- Participate in the Crozier network of Bishops’ Chaplains and attend the annual conference.
About You
- Spiritual, personal and emotionalmaturity:
- Be spiritually motivated and have a strong, secure and generous faith in Jesus Christ, rooted in prayer and theological study.
- Be an ordained priest in the Church of England or Church in full Communion with it, designated at selection as Incumbent Status/Stipendiary who has satisfactorily completed IME1-7.
- Be liturgically competent and sensitive.
- Have a lively intellect that reflects theologically.
- Be emotionally intelligent and able to act sensitively.
- Be able to maintain high levels of confidentiality and impartiality.
- Be resilient, dependable and stay calm under pressure.
- Be capable of robust engagement and debate in coming to corporate decisions and commitment to implementing and supporting decisions.
Demonstrate personal loyalty to colleagues.
- Administrative and organisational ability:
Have a focused and disciplined approach to work with the ability to prioritise tasks and work to deadlines.
Have proven administrative and drafting skills, capable of accurate attention to detail.
Be computer literate and possess the vision to use IT to improve systems and efficiency: someone who is at home in the digital world and sufficiently used to working effectively and securely with cloud-based information sharing.
Be adaptable and flexible and able to prioritise and meet a broad set of demands and deadlines.
Have the ability to provide written or oral briefings.
Have experience of developing and ensuring others implement processes or administrative systems.
Have experience of participating in recruitment or other HR processes within or beyond the Church.
Have knowledge and experience of working within safeguarding policies and framework and be able to respond to issues diplomatically and pastorally.
Have experience of supporting a leader or senior manager.
- Interpersonaland relational skills:
- Be approachable and personable with honed social skills.
- Be a collaborative person and cohesive influence within teams.
- Be an active listener who reads situations well and expresses an interest in and care for others.
- Be able to communicate clearly and articulately one-to-one and in groups.
- Have emotional intelligence, the ability to identify and assess their own and others’ emotions and demonstrate self-control.
- Other personal attributes:
- Leading by example, demonstrating enthusiastic commitment to the ministry and priorities of the Acting Bishop of Guildford and the Church of England, and an understanding that the purpose of working for the bishop in this role is to serve the Kingdom of God.
- Possessing a high level of personal credibility and a natural authority, a person who engages and commands the confidence and respect of others quickly.
- A natural alliance builder with a flexible approach to working with other groups and organisations and to sharing resources and information.
- Strong personal commitment to equalities and diversity in employment and service delivery, with a caring and respectful attitude to staff.
- A positive team member who contributes, supports and leads as the situation requires, in order to maximise the effectiveness of the team’s work.
- Willingness and availability to work outside normal office hours where appropriate and necessary, including weekends, on occasion.
- This role may require some national travel.
Application Process: A CV (no longer than 2 sides of A4) and a letter of application, explaining why this role would appeal to you and providing evidence that you have the necessary attributes and gifts for the task (no longer than 2 sides of A4).
The closing date is Wednesday 12th August 2026 at 12 noon.
Interviews will take place in Guildford on Thursday 20 August 2026.
