Chairs, Ely Diocesan Board of Finance, and of its Finance Committee

The Acting Bishop of Ely intends to appoint Chairs of the Ely Diocesan Board of Finance, and of its Finance Committee.

Please get in touch if you would like to comment on the Diocese's needs in this area, to suggest candidates or to be considered as a candidate.

Please direct enquiries to bishop.huntingdon@elydiocese.org

Explanatory note

This document sets out separate role descriptions for the roles of:

a) Chair of the EDBF Limited Trustees/Director and

b) Chair of the Finance Committee.

Ely Diocese has, in recent tradition, combined these roles. The existing JD for this combined role (last reviewed in 2016-17) is largely focused on financial management. However, in reality, EDBF does much more than manage diocesan finances, since it is also the employer of the diocese’s central staff, while its Board (the membership of which is coterminous with the Bishop’s Council) is our main forum for planning and monitoring strategy.

We therefore set out below two separate role profiles for the two roles. Clarifying the differences would seem useful, whether the two roles were held by one or two separate people. Defining the specific role of Chair of EDBF Trustees will place a renewed spotlight on strong governance and board effectiveness.

Context – who does what?

Governance of Ely diocese involves a number of bodies which work together in a collaboration which is complex, but usually harmonious:

Our main representative body is the Diocesan Synod. Its meetings are Chaired by two elected chairs (one clergy, one lay). Its members are elected by deanery synods, and they are also the “members” (the charitable-company equivalent of shareholders) of the diocesan Board of Finance. Synod generally meets three times per year, and it approves the annual budget, and otherwise makes provision for the church’s life in Ely diocese.
The Bishop’s Council exists under church law to act as Standing Committee of the Synod – which is to say, it transacts its business between meetings – and to advise the Bishop. Its members are Synod-members, elected by Synod, plus some ex officio and co-opted members. It is chaired by the Bishop, and meets roughly six times per year. Its members are also the members of the diocesan Board of Education (although the routine management of diocesan education work is done by a sub-committee) and the diocesan mission and pastoral committee (re-organising parishes, team ministries, etc.), and sometimes they meet as those bodies. The Bishop’s Council is our primary strategy-forming body.
Members of the Bishop’s Council are also automatically directors and trustees of the Ely Diocesan Board of Finance (EDBF). This is a charitable company, governed by company law and charity law. EDBF employs many of the central staff of the diocese (as opposed to parish clergy, whom it does not employ) and these staff provide support services to the hundreds of independent bodies that are the diocese’s parishes, schools and other entities. The EDBF board is responsible for EDBF’s strategy – which is to say, its plans about how best to support wider diocesan strategy.
The Finance Committee is a sub-committee of the Bishop’s Council. It advises on finance, oversees trust and property matters, drafts the budget and deals with routine staff matters. It has sub-committees for Assets (both real estate and financial investments), and for Houses (i.e., church-owned clergy residences). The Audit committee has also reported to the Finance Committee, although it has recently been proposed that it should report directly to Council. The authority of the various committees is set out and limited by a Scheme of Delegation. Finance Committee members are appointed by Council, but need not be members of Council or Synod – in practice, they are chosen for expertise, and because of involvement in one of the sub-committees or in deanery/parish finance matters.

Chair of EDBF Trustees

This role description provides a guide to the duties and responsibilities of the post and is not an exhaustive list. The post holder may undertake other relevant duties appropriate to the post and this role description may be amended over time, in consultation with the Bishop and EDBF, to meet the needs of the Diocese.

Primary Purposes of the Post

To support the effectiveness of EDBF Limited’s Board, to work in partnership with the Bishop and Diocesan Secretary, and to represent EDBF Limited to external stakeholders.

Context

Under EDBF Limited’s Articles of Association, members of the Bishop’s Council are automatically the EDBF Limited Trustees. The same people therefore sometimes meet as Council (chaired by the Bishop) and sometimes as Trustees (chaired by the post-holder). The rights and responsibilities of the Council are governed by ecclesiastical law, whilst Trustees have the legal duties and rights of company directors and charity trustees. Through agendas and papers we seek to keep clear which body is meeting when, and what law applies.

This arrangement means the Board of Trustees is unusually large for a charity board, at around 30 people. Its members are mostly elected rather than being appointed on the basis of a role profile or skills audit; and (as stipendiary clergy or members of PCCs) almost invariably have some conflict of interest. This Board therefore needs particularly clear chairing and support so that it sets strategy clearly, monitors implementation effectively and delivers the other responsibilities of charity trustees and company directors.

Financial management is undertaken (without prejudice to the responsibility of the board as a whole) by a Finance Committee (FinCom) whose members are appointed by the Bishop’s Council or co-opted. Chair of FinCom is now regarded as a separate role with its own role profile, having previously been combined with Chair of Trustees.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

The Diocese is committed to both numerical and spiritual growth through its parishes, schools, cathedral and associated organisations. The Bishop’s Council charts overall strategy by which these hundreds of independent organisations can collaborate to achieve shared goals. The Chair of Trustees then aims to ensure EDBF Limited is effective in setting its own course, as an important contributor to that overall Diocesan strategy, and in monitoring implementation.

The position is currently voluntary and unpaid (though we are considering an honorarium) and requires significant commitment, estimated at ten days p.a.

Expenses will be reimbursed. This is an appointment of the Bishop of Ely.

Vision and leadership

To inspire and exemplify a spirit of partnership with the Bishops, Diocesan Secretary and other staff and diocesan stakeholders.
To communicate godly ambition for highly effective mission and ministry.
To inspire confidence in EDBF Limited’s probity and effectiveness, by setting and communicating the highest standards of corporate governance and transparency.

Best governance practice

To chair meetings of the EDBF Limited board efficiently and kindly.
To work with the Bishop and Diocesan Secretary, and their staffs, to develop meeting agendas that ensure the Board is briefed on all important matters, and that sufficient time is set aside for discussion.
To champion the provision to the board of high-quality meeting papers, ensuring expert advice is available to the Board where appropriate (through the Diocesan Secretary or independently).
To oversee processes for tracking that board decisions are implemented.
To ensure that conflicts of interest are effectively identified and managed.
To promote effective oversight of risk management (financial, operational and strategic), in collaboration with the Chairs of Audit and Finance Committee.
To understand the skills of EDBF board members and facilitate appointments to our various Committees and Sub-Committees that make the best use of these skills.
To recognise skill gaps in the board and promote use of co-option and/or training and advice, in order to mitigate them.

Representation and management

To represent EDBF Limited to senior stakeholders, from time to time.
To share with the Diocesan Bishop line-management of the Diocesan Secretary.
To participate in resolution of serious HR issues, within the framework of the EDBF’s employment policies.
To participate in occasional meetings of the DBF Chairs nationally.

Key Working Relationships

The postholder is responsible to the Bishop.

Key stakeholders:

The Bishop, Suffragan Bishop and archdeacons, and the Bishop’s senior team;
The Diocesan Secretary;
The Diocesan Synod, in particular the chairs of the Houses of Clergy and Laity;
The Bishop’s Council/EDBF Board;
Chairs of Diocesan committees, in particular the Finance Committee;
Senior Diocesan officers and staff.

Person Specification

The postholder will be an active and practising member of the Church of England with an understanding of and sympathy with the overall mission of the Church of England in general, and the Diocese of Ely in particular.

The post-holder must be able to demonstrate:

Experience and skill in chairing meetings;
Understanding of governance, risk and compliance;
Excellent communication skills;
Ability to lead, inspire and foster a collegiate manner of working;
A broad (lay) understanding of the implications for EDBF of charity, trust and employment law.

Commitment

The Bishop’s Council currently meets 5 evenings a year, plus one all-day meeting.
Synod currently meets 3 times a year (generally two Saturday mornings and one evening).
Meetings from time to time with external stakeholders.
Involvement from time to time with HR processes.
Overall we expect the role to require around ten working days per year.

Diocese of Ely

June 2025

Chair of the Finance Committee of EDBF

Primary Purpose of the Post

To provide financial leadership that supports the vision and mission of the Diocese, manages financial risks and promotes financial sustainability.

Context

EDBF Limited is accountable under the Diocesan Boards’ of Finance Measure 1925 to the Diocesan Synod, and is registered both as a charity and a company limited by guarantee. The members of the Synod are members of EDBF Limited, and Synod approves the budget and accepts the accounts. Otherwise, the affairs of EDBF Limited are carried out through its board (or by its employees operating within its Scheme of Delegation). Under EDBF Limited’s Articles of Association, members of the Bishop’s Council are automatically the company board, whose members have the legal duties and rights of company directors and charity trustees.

This means the Board is unusually large for a charity board, and its members are mostly elected rather than being appointed in order to secure a particular set of skills or experience. Financial management is therefore undertaken (without prejudice to the responsibility of the board as a whole) by a Finance Committee whose members are appointed by the Bishop’s Council or co-opted. The Finance Committee usually includes qualified finance professionals, representatives from deaneries and members of its various sub-committees.

Sub-committees of the Finance Committee include Houses (care of church houses), Assets (finance and land holdings), EDEC (education) and Audit (assurance of risk management).

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

The Diocese is committed to both numerical and spiritual growth. It sees finance as an active facilitator of mission. The Finance Committee Chair will bring vision and leadership to the position, as well as being a responsible trustee of the financial and real property assets of the Diocese.

The position is currently voluntary and unpaid (though we are considering an honorarium) and requires significant commitment, estimated at twelve to fifteen days p.a.

Expenses will be reimbursed. This is an appointment of the Bishop of Ely.

Vision and leadership

To inspire confidence in EDBF Limited’s financial management, through transparent, open reporting and effective communication and engagement.
To promote sustainable finance as an instrument for Christian mission.
To take the lead on financial matters in the Diocese of Ely, working in partnership with the Diocesan Secretary and their staff, and with senior clergy, to establish and implement a long-term, sustainable financial strategy.

Best governance practice

To provide governance for and, through the Audit Committee, oversight of the financial affairs of the Diocese, the management of its risks and its compliance with law.
To chair the Finance Committee. To ensure it operates within its terms of reference, that conflicts of interest are identified and managed, and that decisions are taken on the basis of sound information and in good time. To oversee processes to ensure that the decisions of the Finance Committee are enacted.
To attend the Assets and Houses Committees of the EDBF.
To oversee arrangements for settling Ministry Share requests, including chairing the Deanery Liaison Group.
To be an ex officio member of Bishop’s Council and Diocesan Synod.
To represent the Diocese on the Inter Diocesan Finance Forum.

Finance expertise

To report to Synod on financial matters, as required.
As lead finance trustee on the Bishop’s Council/EDBF board, to equip, support, encourage and oversee the provision by the Diocesan Secretary and officers of the DBF of financial control, appropriate reporting including accounting, and budgeting and forward planning.

Key Working Relationships

The postholder is responsible to the Chair of Trustees of EDBF Limited.

Key stakeholders

The Bishop, Suffragan Bishop and archdeacons, and the Bishop’s senior team;
The Diocesan Secretary;
The Diocesan Synod, in particular the chairs of the Houses of Clergy and Laity;
EDBF Limited Chair of Trustees;
The Bishop’s Council/EDBF Board;
EDBF finance staff, and other Diocesan officers and staff as required;
Deanery Treasurers.

Person Specification

The post-holder must be able to demonstrate:

Skill and experience in financial planning for an organisation of an equivalent size and experience. The post-holder will normally hold a finance qualification;
Business and commercial experience and skill;
Experience and skill in chairing meetings;
Understanding of governance, risk and compliance;
Good communication skills;
Ability to lead, inspire and foster a collegiate manner of working;
A broad (lay) understanding of the implications for EDBF of charity, trust and employment law.

Commitment

The Bishop’s Council currently meets 5 evenings a year, plus one all-day meeting.
Synod currently meets 3 times a year (generally two Saturday mornings and one evening).
The Finance Committee currently meets every two months.
Ex officio member of the Assets Sub-Committee (four day-times per year) and Houses Committee (nine day-times per year). Attendance at every meeting is not expected.
The Deanery Liaison Group meets four evenings per year.
Regular interaction with the Diocesan Secretary and staff.
Occasional visits to Deaneries and other meetings.
Overall, we expect the role to require between twelve and fifteen working days per year.

Diocese of Ely

June 2025

First published on: 13th June 2025

Page last updated: Thursday 17th July 2025 11:07 AM