Diocese of London

The Diocese of London forms part of the Church of England's Province of Canterbury in England.

Historically the diocese covered a large area north of the Thames and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north and west. The present diocese covers  and 17 London boroughs, covering most of Greater London north of the River Thames and west of the River Lea.  This area covers nearly all of the historic county of Middlesex.  It includes the City of London in which lies its cathedral, St Paul's, and also encompasses Spelthorne which is in Middlesex but part of Surrey County Council.

The Report of the Commissioners appointed by his Majesty to inquire into the Ecclesiastical Revenues of England and Wales (1835), noted the annual net income for the London see was £13,929. This made it the third wealthiest diocese in England after Canterbury and Durham.

Essex formed part of the diocese until 1846 when the county became part of the Diocese of Rochester (and later changed again to the Diocese of St Albans and is now in the Diocese of Chelmsford).

Organisation
Since the institution of the London area scheme (the first of its kind) in 1979, the diocese has been divided into five episcopal areas, each of which is the particular responsibility of one of the diocese's suffragan bishops. It is further divided into archdeaconries and deaneries, as shown below.

1lapsing to the care of the Archdeacon of London

Bishops
Under the London area scheme the diocesan bishop, the Bishop of London retains oversight of the two cities of London and Westminster while the four area bishops have responsibility in their own episcopal areas. The suffragan see of Stepney was created in 1895, Kensington in 1901, Willesden in 1911 and Edmonton in 1970. The suffragan see of Marlborough existed from 1888 to 1918. On 1 May 2015, it was announced that Richard Chartres' (then-Bishop of London) proposal to take the See of Islington out of abeyance for the appointment of a "bishop for church plants" would go ahead. Ric Thorpe was consecrated Bishop suffragan of Islington on 29 September 2015.

Alternative episcopal oversight (for parishes in the diocese which do not accept the ordination of women as priests) is provided by a fifth suffragan bishop, Jonathan Baker, Bishop of Fulham, who has the same ministry in the Southwark and Rochester dioceses. During a lengthy vacancy in that see, alternative episcopal oversight was offered by the area Bishop of Edmonton.

There are also several retired bishops living in the diocese, some of whom are licensed as honorary assistant bishops:
1984–present: Michael Marshall, former suffragan Bishop of Woolwich, lives in Chelsea and is also licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in Chichester diocese.
2002–present: Edward Holland, retired Bishop of Colchester, lives in Hammersmith and is also licensed in the Diocese in Europe.
2003–present: Walter Makhulu, Archbishop emeritus of Central Africa and retired Bishop of Botswana, lives in Putney.
2006–present: Sandy Millar, a former vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, lives in Aldeburgh, Suffolk and is also an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
2009–present: Robert Ladds, former Bishop suffragan of Whitby, lives in Hendon.
2013–present: Michael Colclough, retired Canon Pastor of St Paul's Cathedral and former Bishop of Kensington, lives in Chelsea. He is also licensed in the Diocese in Europe.
July 2014present: Stephen Platten, Rector of St Michael Cornhill and retired Bishop of Wakefield (also in Southwark and Newcastle dioceses.)

Schools
All Church of England schools within the London diocese are networked together by the London Diocesan Board for Schools (LDBS).

See also
List of churches in the City of London
List of churches in the City of Westminster
List of churches in the Diocese of London
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster

References

External links
Diocesan website
Map from the diocesan website
Westminster (St Margaret) Deanery Synod

 
Category:Christianity in London