A new steering group was elected at the Sea of Faith Network's Annual General Meeting, held on Wednesday 30th September 2026.
Three Trustees were also elected at the meeting, which also heard reports on the Network's activity, finances and membership.
The AGM also passed a motion to introduce a ex-officio member of the steering group for the Network's educational initiatives, including Solarity and Big Ideas for Religious Education. Dave Francis has now been appointed to that position by the Trustees.
The election results and appointments made at the AGM and the meetings that followed are detailed below.
Steering group
The steering group guides the activity and life of the network, bringing member perspectives to bear on our work. The steering group is composed of up to 8 elected members and 5 ex-officio members. Elected members serve one-year terms and may serve a maximum of 5 consecutive terms.
The Steering Group will appoint its Chair and Vice-Chair when it first meets later in October.
Elected members
- Ross McRory
- Marianne Mead
- Sam Alexander
- Andy Kemp
- Martin Spence
- Clem Cook
- Oliver Essame
- Dave Francis was also elected but has since been appointed an ex-officio member.
This means there is one vacancy on the steering group.
Ex-officio members
- Stephen Mitchell (Chair of the Trustees)
- Stephen Williams (Treasurer)
- Edward Nickell (Secretary)
- Paul Overend (Editor of Sofia Magazine)
- Dave Francis (Educational initiatives)
Trustees
The Trustees hold overall legal responsibility for the charity, ensuring it is well run, financially sound, and acting in line with its charitable purposes.
Trustees are elected for three-year terms and may serve 2 consecutive terms. The network must have a minimum of three trustees and a maximum of 12.
Elected Trustees
- Stephen Mitchell, elected to his second term.
- Stephen Williams, elected to his second term.
- Paul Overend, elected to his first term.
Continuing Trustees
- Edward Nickell, continuing his second term.
- Clem Cook, continuing his first term.
Officers
The Trustees met following the AGM to appoint officers.
- Chair of the Trustees: Stephen Mitchell
- Treasurer: Stephen Williams
- Secretary: Edward Nickell