Anglican Diocese of Southwark

Diocese of Southwark

Location
Ecclesiastical province	Canterbury
Archdeaconries	Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham & Greenwich, Reigate, Southwark, Wandsworth
Statistics
Parishes	300
Churches	370
Information
Cathedral	Southwark Cathedral
Current leadership
Bishop	Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark
Suffragans	Richard Cheetham, area Bishop of Kingston Jonathan Clark, area Bishop of Croydon Karowei Dorgu, area Bishop designate of Woolwich
Archdeacons	Jonathan Clark, Bishop of Croydon Chris Skilton, Archdeacon of Croydon Alastair Cutting, Archdeacon of Lewisham & Greenwich Jane Steen, Archdeacon of Southwark Simon Gates, Archdeacon of Lambeth John Kiddle, Archdeacon of Wandsworth Moira Astin, Archdeacon of Reigate
Website
southwark.anglican.org

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:

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.

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.