Diocese of Chelmsford
Diocese of Chelmsford | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Ecclesiastical province | Canterbury |
| Archdeaconries | Barking, Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow, Southend, Stansted, West Ham |
| Statistics | |
| Parishes | 463[1] |
| Churches | 588 (As of August 2014[update])[2] |
| Schools | 140[3] |
| Information | |
| Cathedral | Chelmsford Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford |
| Suffragans | Peter Hill, area Bishop of Barking[4] Roger Morris, area Bishop of Colchester[5] area Bishop of Bradwell (vacant) |
| Archdeacons | Annette Cooper, Archdeacon of Colchester Elwin Cockett, Archdeacon of West Ham Robin King, Archdeacon of Stansted John Perumbalath, Archdeacon of Barking Elizabeth Snowden, Archdeacon of Chelmsford Mike Lodge, Archdeacon of Southend Vanessa Herrick, Archdeacon-designate of Harlow |
| Website | |
| chelmsford.anglican.org | |
The Diocese of Chelmsford is a Church of England diocese, part of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers Essex and the five East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest (most of which made up the historic county of Essex), and is co-terminous with the boundaries of the Catholic Diocese of Brentwood. It is divided into three episcopal areas, each with its own area bishop. The Diocese covers a region of around 1,500 square miles (3,900 km2)[3] and has a population of more than 3 million;[2] it has 463 parishes[1] and a total of 588 churches;[2] it is the second largest Anglican diocese in England.[citation needed]
The Diocese was created on 23 January 1914,[6] covering the entire county of Essex and that part of Kent north of the River Thames (North Woolwich), which had previously been part of the Diocese of St Albans.[7]
The Diocese of Chelmsford is Europe's premier region for regeneration. The Thames Gateway, the M11 corridor and Stansted airport, Harwich seaport and the main site for the London 2012 Olympics are all located within the Diocese.
Organisation
The diocese of Chelmsford is overseen by the Bishop of Chelmsford. Since the area scheme was created in 1983[8] and inaugurated in January 1984,[9] the diocese has been divided into three episcopal areas which are overseen by an area bishop. The diocese is divided further into archdeaconries, each divided into a number of deaneries.
The suffragan See of Colchester was created in 1882 (for the Diocese of St Albans until 1914), Barking in 1901 (also for St Albans), and Bradwell in 1968.
| Episcopal areas | Archdeaconries | Deaneries |
|---|---|---|
| Barking Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Barking) |
Archdeaconry of Harlow | Deanery of Epping Forest & Ongar |
| Deanery of Harlow | ||
| Archdeaconry of West Ham | Deanery of Newham | |
| Deanery of Redbridge | ||
| Deanery of Waltham Forest | ||
| Archdeaconry of Barking | Deanery of Barking | |
| Deanery of Havering | ||
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) |
Archdeaconry of Chelmsford | Deanery of Brentwood |
| Deanery of Chelmsford North | ||
| Deanery of Chelmsford South | ||
| Deanery of Maldon and Dengie | ||
| Archdeaconry of Southend | Deanery of Basildon | |
| Deanery of Hadleigh | ||
| Deanery of Rochford | ||
| Deanery of Southend on Sea | ||
| Deanery of Thurrock | ||
| Colchester Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Colchester) |
Archdeaconry of Colchester | Deanery of Colchester |
| Deanery of Harwich | ||
| Deanery of St Osyth | ||
| Deanery of Witham | ||
| Archdeaconry of Stansted | Deanery of Braintree | |
| Deanery of Dunmow and Stansted | ||
| Deanery of Hinckford | ||
| Deanery of Saffron Walden |
Bishops
Alongside the diocesan Bishop of Chelmsford (Stephen Cottrell), the Diocese has three area (suffragan) bishops: Peter Hill, area Bishop of Barking; Roger Morris, area Bishop of Colchester; and the area Bishop of Bradwell, which post is vacant following the death of John Wraw.
There are also some retired bishops living in the diocese who are licensed as honorary assistant bishops: a retired area Bishop of Bradwell, Derek Bond, has lived in Saffron Walden since 2007[11] and Trevor Mwamba, Team Rector of Barking and former Bishop of Botswana was licensed as an honorary assistant bishop at diocesan synod on 9 November 2013.[12]
Alternative episcopal oversight (for parishes in the diocese which reject the ministry of priests who are women) is provided by the provincial episcopal visitor, Norman Banks, Bishop suffragan of Richborough, who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there.
References
- ^ a b Diocese of Chelmsford – Parishes (Accessed 12 February 2015)
- ^ a b c Diocese of Chelmsford – Media Facts, August 2014 (Accessed 12 February 2015)
- ^ a b Diocese of Chelmsford – Children's Ministry (Accessed 12 February 2015)
- ^ Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham – Archdeacon of Nottingham to become Bishop (Accessed 2 May 2014)
- ^ Diocese of Worcester – Archdeacon of Worcester to become Bishop of Colchester (Accessed 2 May 2014)
- ^ "No. 28795". The London Gazette. 23 January 1914. p. 588.
- ^ London Gazette. 23 January 1914.
- ^ "4: The Dioceses Commission, 1978–2002" (PDF). Church of England. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ "(picture caption)". Church Times. No. 6309. 13 January 1984. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 15 June 2017 – via UK Press Online archives.
- ^ Diocese of Chelmsford – Episcopal areas map (Accessed 12 February 2015)
- ^ "Charles Derek Bond". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ Diocese of Chelmsford, Diocese Synod – Minutes of the 132nd meeting of the Synod, 9 November 2013 (Accessed 22 April 2014)
