The Diocese of Durham is in the process of selecting its next bishop following the departure of Archbishop Justin Welby.Archbishop Welby left his position as the Bishop of Durham to become the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury earlier this month.
A public consultation meeting was held on Saturday to help inform the process of selecting his successor.
At the end of the process, the Crown Nominations Committee (CNC) will submit two names to the Prime Minister who will then pass on one candidate for final approval by the Queen.
The CNC will meet in May and again in June with an announcement on the next Bishop of Durham expected during the summer.
The next Bishop of Durham is expected to pick up where his predecessor left off in addressing the urgent need for mission growth and discipleship.
The Prime Minister's appointments secretary Sir Paul Britton said the people of Durham were looking for a bishop who would "continue to ensure that the Church is absolutely at the leading edge in the Northeast, in building a more prosperous, and populous, community here, and who will also speak for the North East in London".