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The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop in the Church of England. He is first among equals (primus inter pares) among the Bishops and Primates of the 41 Provinces of the Anglican Communion. The Archbishops' Council agreed to amend the Standing Orders to reduce the number of members elected by the Diocese of Canterbury to three and increase other churches' representatives to five. The CNC will also treat the See of Dover as a diocesan see. The Archbishop of Canterbury's role is 20% Anglican Communion, 25% pastoral care and support, and 5% diocesan work.

The balance of representatives on the CNC does not reflect the current nature of the role. General Synod has voted to take note of the proposals and is happy to continue the conversation. This will lead to greater unity and openness to our sisters and brothers in the Communion and in the Church of God. Diocese of Canterbury has requested that the number of representatives on the Archbishops' Council be decreased from six to three. This request goes hand in hand with the request for a CNC process for the See of Dover. The Church of England will not instruct the Communion on the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and any future vacancy will not affect the role.