The Diocese of Southwark

The Diocese of Southwark

Background of the Diocese of Southwark

The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 43 Dioceses of the Church of England. It is a large, complex diocese comprising most of Greater London south of the Thames together with the eastern third of the County of Surrey. It has over 300 parishes with nearly 400 churches, served by 500 clergy ministering to approximately 2,200,000 people. It is one of the largest dioceses in terms of population and parishes and one of the most diverse. Approximately one third of its parishes qualify as Urban Priority Areas (i.e. in the most deprived 10% of parishes in England) mainly in a crescent from Deptford through Peckham, Camberwell, Brixton and Clapham to Battersea. One half of its parishes are suburban, ranging from Woolwich and Lewisham to Wimbledon, Surbiton and Purley. The remaining sixth of parishes may be described as rural but include some of the most affluent 'stockbroker belt' in England.

The Bishop of Southwark, in overall charge of the Diocese, is based at Trinity House. The Bishop's Staff, comprising the Area Bishops, other senior clergy and lay staff, meets approximately bi-monthly to oversee the development of the overall mission strategy of the Diocese.'

The Diocese has two Boards: Finance and Education and also three Working Groups which deal with issues of: Social Responsibility and Regeneration; Mission, Evangelism, Spiritual Formation and Church Growth, and Children and Young People’s Policy Development.

For most parochial matters the Diocese operates as three Episcopal Areas. The Kingston and Croydon Areas have Episcopal Area Offices, the Woolwich Area at present operates from Trinity House, a pleasant modern office building just off of Borough High Street within a quarter of a mile of Southwark Cathedral. Trinity House is the Diocesan Office where most of the administrative staff of the Diocese are based under the overall direction of the Diocesan Secretary. Each Area Bishop is supported by an Area Mission Team, at present two Archdeacons and one or more full time equivalent staff per area, each of whom has specialist expertise in one of the areas of responsibility of the Working Groups.