Alternative Spiritual Oversight (ASO)
Alternative Spiritual Oversight (ASO) is informal, temporary spiritual oversight, facilitated by CEEC, within the Church of England. It provides support and spiritual oversight from and for people continuing to hold to the biblical and Anglican doctrine of marriage and sexual ethics within the Church of England.
It does this while continuing to recognise the ongoing formal and legal role of serving bishops.
Is ASO for you?
ASO is for you if you are a church or church leader feeling in impaired relationship with your bishop. We know many are feeling isolated, weary and longing for oversight from a bishop who holds to biblical and Anglican doctrine, especially around marriage and sexual ethics. Is this you?
ASO could help, while we seek permanent structural provision within the Church of England for those who hold to the biblical and Anglican view of authority in all matters of faith and conduct, including relationships and marriage.
It’s part of our wider provisions for orthodox believers in the Church of England.
The Background
Some clergy and/or PCCs now feel in impaired fellowship with their bishops as a result of their bishop’s support for the Prayers of Love and Faith and for the general direction of travel towards same sex marriage.
While they recognise the ongoing formal, legal and safeguarding role of their bishops, the reality is that many people (both lay and clergy) are feeling isolated, and long for support and spiritual oversight from people continuing to hold the biblical and Anglican view of authority in all matters of faith and conduct, including relationships and marriage.
CEEC is therefore facilitating the provision of such support in order to help clergy and parishes receive spiritual oversight without having to look outside of the Church of England. This provision is both informal and temporary but could be a stepping-stone to the formal and permanent provision which we hope and pray will be agreed as part of a new structural arrangement and settlement.
Clergy and/or parishes, seeking alternative spiritual oversight, must continue to be accountable for safeguarding to their diocesan bishop and safeguarding officers.

ASO Panel
CEEC has appointed a diverse panel of experienced leaders from across the evangelical constituency (spanning charismatics and conservatives, egalitarians and complementarians) to discern whom God might be calling to be Overseers. This panel is chaired by CEEC President Julian Henderson (the previous Bishop of Blackburn) and comprises:
- Rt Revd Pete Broadbent – former Bishop of Willesden
- Rt Revd Julian Henderson (chair), former Bishop of Blackburn
- Busola Sodeinde – General Synod and Church Commissioner
- Revd Elaine Sutherland – Vicar, Holy Trinity Leicester
- Rt Revd Rod Thomas – former Bishop of Maidstone
- Jane Patterson – member of General Synod and 10 years on Crown Nominations Commission (CNC)
- Brian O’Donoghue – Pioneering and Operations Director, Renew
- Revd Canon John Dunnett – National Director, CEEC and chair of Evangelical Group on General Synod
- Revd John Coles – Ambassador, New Wine
Overseers
CEEC continues to invite suggestions of people who might be called to this overseer ministry. View the overseer role description.
Current Overseers
We have commissioned a diverse group of experienced leaders from across the evangelical constituency (spanning charismatics and conservatives, egalitarians and complementarians) to be spiritual overseers:
- Revd Christabel Ager
- Revd Simon Austen
- Revd David Banting
- Right Revd Pete Broadbent
- Revd Mark Burkill
- Revd Kieran Bush
- Revd Mike Cain
- Revd John Coles
- Revd Anita Colplus
- Revd Paul Darlington
- Revd Ian Dowsett
- Revd Paul Harcourt
- Revd David Heath-Whyte
- Right Revd Julian Henderson
- Revd Paul Jump
- Revd Angus MacLeay
- Revd Phil Moon
- Revd Jane Morris
- Revd Richard Moy
- Right Revd Rob Munro
- Revd Mark Pickles
- Revd Mark Redhouse
- Revd Steve Rees
- Revd Vaughan Roberts
- Right Revd Henry Scriven
- Right Revd Keith Sinclair
- Revd Mike Smith
- Revd William Taylor
- Right Revd Rod Thomas
- Revd Donna Williams
Do you know someone who might be called to be an overseer?
CEEC is inviting suggestions of people who might be appropriate for overseer ministry.
Please provide us with the name and contact details of the person/people you’d like to nominate and the reason why they might be suitable for the role.
