The Person
The Chair will have a committed and mature Christian faith and will:
- Be able to think strategically about both finance and mission
- Act fairly and impartially in the interests of the Diocese and the DBF, using independent judgement and confidentiality as appropriate
- Be an effective chair of meetings
- Have good communication skills
- Be able to lead, inspire and foster a collegiate and collaborative manner of working with both staff and volunteers
- Have a professional background in business or finance and be able to demonstrate sound financial business and problem-solving skills
- Have an understanding of charitable governance
- Have the ability and willingness to challenge as well as support others
- Have a passion for furthering the mission of the Church within the Diocese
- Have a grounding in local parish life
Time commitment and support
The workload is spread fairly evenly through the year, with the main commitments as follows:
- Diocesan Synod: 3 meetings per year (two evenings/one half day and occasional away day)
- Bishop’s Council: 6 meetings per year (plus an annual away day), chairing DBF agenda items
- Bishop’s Staff: Attendance when required: 11 meetings per year (plus an annual residential)
- Finance Group: 6 meetings per year, chair
- Area and Lay Deans’ meetings when required: 3 meetings per year
- Inter Diocesan Finance Forum (IDFF): 2 meetings a year (Church House, Westminster)
- South West DBF Chairs: 2 meetings a year
- Attendance at other committee meetings as agreed or required
- Meetings with Bishop and Diocesan Secretary: arranged on an informal basis as required
- Occasional Deanery and Parish visits: as and when required
The Chair will have the time and capacity to fulfil the role based on an assumption that this is likely to take between 40 and 50 days per year. The appointment is for an initial term of three years and is eligible for reappointment for a further term of three years. The role will involve travelling to meeting in Wells and across Somerset.
The office of Chair is not remunerated, but the Chair is encouraged to reclaim all travelling and similar expenses incurred in the course of DBF business, via the appropriate diocesan routes. Clerical support is provided by the Secretariat Office.