Anglican Diocese of Southwark

Updated on Oct 02, 2024

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Parishes 300 Cathedral Southwark Cathedral Bishop Christopher Chessun Ecclesiastical province Province of Canterbury		Churches 370 Phone +44 20 7939 9400 Church 370

Archdeaconries Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham & Greenwich, Reigate, Southwark, Wandsworth Suffragans Richard Cheetham, area Bishop of KingstonJonathan Clark, area Bishop of CroydonKarowei Dorgu, area Bishop designate of Woolwich Archdeacons Jonathan Clark, Bishop of CroydonChris Skilton, Archdeacon of CroydonAlastair Cutting, Archdeacon of Lewisham & GreenwichJane Steen, Archdeacon of SouthwarkSimon Gates, Archdeacon of LambethJohn Kiddle, Archdeacon of WandsworthMoira Astin, Archdeacon of Reigate Address 4 Chapel Court, London SE1 1HW, UK Profiles Twitter Facebook Tumblr

The Diocese of Southwark /ˈsʌðᵻk/ is one of the 42 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was created on 1 May 1905 from part of the ancient Diocese of Rochester that was served by a Suffragan Bishop of Southwark (1891–1905). Before 1877 the area was part of the Diocese of Winchester.

The diocese covers Greater London south of the River Thames (except for the London Borough of Bexley and London Borough of Bromley) and east Surrey. Since the creation of the episcopal area scheme in 1991, the diocese is divided into three episcopal areas each of which contains two archdeaconries:

Croydon Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Croydon)

Archdeaconry of Croydon

includes Deaneries of Croydon Addington, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, and Sutton

Archdeaconry of Reigate

includes Deaneries of Caterham, Godstone, and Reigate

Kingston Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Kingston)

Archdeaconry of Lambeth

includes Deaneries of Brixton, Clapham, Lambeth North, Lambeth South, Streatham, and Merton

Archdeaconry of Wandsworth

includes Deaneries of Battersea, Kingston, Richmond and Barnes, Tooting, and Wandsworth

Woolwich Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Woolwich)

Archdeaconry of Lewisham & Greenwich

includes Deaneries of Charlton, Deptford, East Lewisham, Eltham and Mottingham, Plumstead, and West Lewisham

Archdeaconry of Southwark

includes Deaneries of Bermondsey, Camberwell, Dulwich, and Southwark and Newington

In other ecclesiastical use, although having lost religious orders in the English Reformation, the diocese has the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury and records centre of the Church of England in the diocese, Lambeth Palace.

Bishops

Alongside the diocesan Bishop of Southwark (Christopher Chessun), the Diocese has three area (suffragan) bishops: Richard Cheetham, area Bishop of Kingston; Jonathan Clark, area Bishop of Croydon; and an area Bishop of Woolwich (bishop-designate: Karowei Dorgu). Since 1994 the Bishop of Fulham (currently Jonathan Baker, since 2013) has provided 'alternative episcopal oversight' in the diocese (along with those of London and Rochester) to those parishes which reject the ministry of priests who are women. Baker is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in Southwark diocese in order to facilitate his work there.

Several other men are licensed as honorary assistant bishops licensed in the diocese:

2004–present: Michael Doe, Preacher to Gray's Inn, former General Secretary of USPG and former Bishop suffragan of Swindon, lives in Woolwich.

2006–present: The Lord Harries of Pentregarth is an honorary professor of Theology at King's College London, former Gresham Professor of Divinity and former Bishop of Oxford who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese.

2009–present: David Atkinson, former Bishop suffragan of Thetford, lives in South Croydon.

2011–present: Alan Chesters, retired diocesan Bishop of Blackburn, lives in Lingfield, Surrey (he is also licensed in Sussex and in Europe.)

2011–present: Peter Selby, a visiting professor at King's College London and retired Bishop of Worcester, Bishop to Prisons and suffragan (later area) Bishop of Kingston, lives in Sydenham.

2013–present: The Archbishop of Canterbury's chief of staff, Nigel Stock, Bishop at Lambeth, Bishop to the Forces and Bishop for the Falkland Islands, lives in Lambeth.

2014–present: Stephen Platten, Rector of St Michael Cornhill (Diocese of London) and retired Bishop of Wakefield (also in London and Newcastle dioceses.)

Retired Bishop suffragan of Stafford John Waller also lives in the diocese.

References

Anglican Diocese of Southwark Wikipedia

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