From L-R: Sir Hector Sants, the Revd Joy Mawdesley, the Ven Stephen Pullin, Prof Helen King (online), Helen Lamb, and the Revd Matt Beer
Six people will serve as representatives of the diocese on the Crown Nominations Commission prayerfully and diligently, seeking God’s guidance in discerning the right Bishop for Oxford.
Pray with us for the Crown Nomination Commission:
“Thank you for the gifts you’ve given the people nominated to the Crown Nomination Commission, equip them for this task and help them to work well together and with the others on commission. Give them the humility, wisdom and grace for all they’re called to do. Help us to pray for them often.”
The Revd Matt Beer
Matt is one of the younger members of the Vacancy in See Committee. He has significant experience of interviewing candidates for church, diocesan and education roles.
Matt has served in the Diocese of Oxford for 15 years, first as a youth worker before being selected for training. He served his curacy in Milton Keynes, ministering in one of the most multicultural areas of the diocese. He started a new worshipping community in an area of significant deprivation in the West Midlands before coming back to the diocese as Vicar at St Mary’s Cogges in Witney. He is also an Associate Area Dean for the Witney Deanery. He has served on school governing bodies, trustee boards, a Bishop’s Council, and previously on General Synod.
In his ministry he is committed to fostering reconciliation and hope among those who may not agree, holding together conviction and generosity.
Prof Helen King
Helen is a lay member of the diocese. She has been responsible for many appointment processes throughout her professional career.
Having been part of this diocese for 20 years, she has taken on a variety of roles in her local church. Helen is an authorised lay preacher, intercessor and communion assistant. She has led nurture courses, volunteered as a street pastor, and takes communion to care homes. In 2021, Helen was elected to General Synod, where she has focused on safeguarding and sexuality. She also volunteers in a number of other Church and non-Church related bodies.
In her ministry, Helen works for inclusion of all members in Christ’s body.
Helen Lamb
Helen is a lay member of the diocese. She has substantial experience of interviewing and appointing candidates to a wide range of roles throughout her HR career.
In a Church context, Helen has served as a patron appointing incumbents in the diocese and as a parish representative in the Diocese of Ely. She has more recently participated in the diocesan consultation subcommittee.
Helen has a deep appreciation for the diversity of views, priorities, and concerns across the diocese.
The Revd Joy Mawdesley
Joy has 20 years of experience in the recruitment of employees and volunteers in Church and secular settings.
Having lived, worked and worshipped in the diocese for the past 32 years, she has experienced worshipping in four different market town and village churches in both Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Ten years ago, Joy was ordained and is Associate Rector at St Nicolas, Newbury, and St Mary the Virgin in Speen.
Joy has significant experience of safeguarding practice, understanding of and working with diversity, and an awareness of the extremes of wealth and poverty in our diocese.
The Venerable Stephen Pullin
Stephen is Archdeacon of Berkshire. He has extensive experience of interviewing clergy for parochial appointments, prayerfully discerning who God is calling, as well as interviewing candidates for the Church of England’s Strategic Leadership Development Programme.
Stephen has been Archdeacon of Berkshire for six years and has been in the diocese since 2014. He trained as an ordinand at Trinity College, Bristol, completing his curacy in the Diocese of Bristol. He moved to Reading in 2014 to become the Priest in Charge at Reading Minster. He was also Area Dean of Reading until 2017, when he became an Assistant Archdeacon of Berkshire.
Stephen brings in-depth knowledge of how the diocese functions and the strengths and weaknesses of its many parts, as well as some of the less-visible challenges that the next Bishop of Oxford will need to address.
Sir Hector Sants
Hector is the current Chair of the Diocesan Board of Finance. He has extensive experience of interviewing and evaluating candidates for organisations that operate through consensus-based decision making.
Having been a resident in the diocese for almost 35 years, Hector became Chair of the Diocesan Board of Finance in 2022. He has a wealth of experience in non-executive roles in the public and charitable sector after retiring from full-time work in 2013. This includes chairing the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Task Group on Responsible Credit and Savings. He is currently the PCC Secretary of a small rural parish.
Hector understands both the operational and cultural challenges of keeping the Diocese resourced, safe, and well governed, and the complexities of small and particularly rural parish ministry. He has a natural drive to seek continuous improvement.