The Vacancy-in-See Committee is a statutory Committee which has a permanent existence but only meets during a vacancy-in-see (when there is a Bishops vacancy).
The role of the Vacancy-in-See Committee is:
- to prepare a brief description of the Diocese and a statement setting out the desired profile of the new Bishop and to elect
- the diocesan representatives to the Crown Nominations Commission
The Vacancy-in-See Committee has a mixture of ex officio, nominated and elected members as follows:
- Bishop of Jarrow
- Dean of Durham
- Two Archdeacons (elected by the Archdeacons)
- Five General Synod Proctors in Convocation
- Four General Synod Members of the House of Laity
- Two Diocesan Synod House Chairs
- Not fewer than two elected lay members (on Electoral Roll in a parish in the Diocese)
- Not fewer than two elected clergy (beneficed or licensed in the Diocese)
- Up to four members nominated by Bishops Council to cover special interests
The elected members are elected following the creation of each new Diocesan Synod. The elected members of the Committee are to be elected soon. Those members already known are:
- Bishop Sarah Clark
- Dean Andrew Tremlett
- Archdeacon Rick Simpson
- Archdeacon Libby Wilkinson
- The Revd Bill Braviner
- Archdeacon Bob Cooper
- The Revd Mark Mawhinney
- The Revd Mark Miller
- The Revd Chantal Noppen
- Ali Bianchi
- Angus Goudie
- Jamie Harrison
- Helen Smith
- The Revd Steph Clark
- Diocesan Synod Laity House Chair (TBC)
- Elected clergy members
- Elected lay members
- Up to four nominated members