The Revd Canon William Whyte will become the next chair of the Diocese of Oxford Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches.
The Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) is a statutory body which exists to assist in the process of assessing applications for change and conservation relating to places of worship and to provide education and training for those charged with the care of churches. Working with the Head of Church Buildings, Liz Kitch, William will represent the DAC within the diocesan structures and chair the committee made up of experts offering specialist advice on a wide range of church buildings topics.
William has served on the DAC for the past three years and brings with him a wealth of experience as a professional historian and author on architecture. William has been an advisor for English Heritage/Historic England and serves as a trustee for English Heritage as well as the Chair of the Oxford Preservation Trust. He is currently working with the Churches Conservation Trust on the topic of contested history.
He said: “As a priest and as an architectural historian, I know how important church buildings are. With 808 of them, Oxford has more churches than any other diocese in England – and two thirds of those buildings are listed Grade I or II*.
“After three years on the DAC, I also understand how hard its members and the diocesan church buildings team work to care for these vitally important places, ensuring that they are able to serve their primary purpose of facilitating people’s encounter with God.
“It is a huge honour and a profound responsibility to succeed Abigail Lloyd as chair, and I look forward to working together as we seek to conserve our churches and serve the needs of parishes throughout the diocese.”
Head of Church Buildings Liz Kitch said: “The Church Buildings Team and I look forward to working with William and the wider DAC as we continue our commitment to support all parishes to conserve and adapt their buildings for today’s needs.”
About the Revd Canon Professor William Whyte
William Whyte is professor of social and architectural history in the University of Oxford and has spent the last two decades or more exploring the relationship between architecture and faith, authoring a number of publications on the subject in the process. He is also a priest, serving as Associate Minister in the Parish of Wolvercote and Wytham as well as an Honorary Canon of Christ Church Cathedral.
He has served as part of the expert advisory group for English Heritage/Historic England and is currently a trustee of English Heritage. He is chair of the fabric committee for the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford and a member of the fabric advisory commission for Westminster Abbey.
More recently, William has been Senior Responsible Owner and chair of project board for the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Oxford’s largest ever capital project, which was delivered on time and on budget in November. Beyond the university, he chairs the Oxford Preservation Trust, the Oxford Historical Society, and the Victoria County History of Oxfordshire. He is also chair of the London Blue Plaques Panel.
About the DAC and Church Buildings Team
The DAC is the lead body in the diocese for advice on the care and development of churches - providing advice to parishes, archdeacons, and the Diocesan Chancellor. It has a key role to promote good practice over the maintenance and development of church buildings.
The committee is made up of both clergy and lay people and can offer specialist advice on a wide range of topics including archaeology, bells, clocks, lighting, organs, stained glass, heating, re-orderings, etc – as well as on the conservation of our rich store of historic buildings. All of this time and expertise is given freely.
Church Buildings and sustainability
Across the diocese, churches are working to improve their sustainability and energy efficiency as part of the diocese’s aim to reach net zero by 2035. The DAC and Church Buildings Team offer advice and support through the statutory permissions process to enable churches to progress towards reaching the target and limit their carbon footprint. The Church Buildings Team and the Environment Team are working together to implement the diocesan environmental policy, encouraging and enabling churches to make decisions for creation care and net zero carbon. This work is supported by national church funding, and informed by diocesan planning and the national routemap to net zero carbon.