Archdeaconries Cheltenham, Gloucester Churches 396 Bishop Rachel Treweek Ecclesiastical province Province of Canterbury | Parishes 323 Phone +44 1452 410022 Church 396 | |
Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral
Bristol Cathedral (1836–1897) Suffragan Robert Springett, Bishop of Tewkesbury Archdeacons Jackie Searle, Archdeacon of Gloucester
Phil Andrew, Archdeacon-designate of Cheltenham Address 6 College Green, Gloucester GL1 2LY, UK Profiles |
Life vision party launching the diocese of gloucester s vibrant new vision
The Diocese of Gloucester is a Church of England diocese based in Gloucester, covering the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire. The cathedral is Gloucester Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Gloucester. It is part of the Province of Canterbury.
Contents
- Life vision party launching the diocese of gloucester s vibrant new vision
- History
- Organisation
- Bishops
- References
History
The diocese was founded during the English Reformation on 3 September 1541 from part of the Diocese of Hereford and the Diocese of Worcester. In 1542 the Diocese of Bristol was created to cover Bristol, but on 5 October 1836 it was merged back into the Gloucester diocese, which became the Diocese of Gloucester and Bristol until Bristol became an independent diocese again on 9 July 1897, whereupon the Gloucester diocese resumed the name Diocese of Gloucester.
The diocese has twinning links with the dioceses of Dornakal and Karnataka Central in the Church of South India, Västerås in Sweden, El Camino Real in California, USA, and Western Tanganyika in Tanzania. It is currently supporting the work of the Diocese of Western Tanganyika to build a new high school.
Organisation
The diocese is divided into two archdeaconries, Cheltenham, headed by the Archdeacon of Cheltenham, Robert Springett, and Gloucester, headed by the Archdeacon of Gloucester, Jackie Searle. The Archdeaconry of Cheltenham consists of the deaneries of Cheltenham, Cirencester, North Cotswolds, & Tewkesbury and Winchcombe, and the Archdeaconry of Gloucester consists of the deaneries of Forest South, Gloucester City, Severn Vale, Stroud, & Wotton.
Bishops
The diocesan Bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek (the first female diocesan bishop in the Church of England), is assisted by the Bishop suffragan of Tewkesbury Robert Springett.) The provincial episcopal visitor (for parishes in this diocese – among twelve others in the western part of the Province of Canterbury – who reject the ministry of priests who are women, since 1994) is Jonathan Goodall, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet, who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there.
There are seven former bishops licensed as honorary assistant bishops in the diocese: