View source for Diocese of Lincoln

{{Short description|Diocese of the Church of England}}
{{For|the American Catholic diocese|Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction     = Diocese
| name             = Lincoln
| latin            = Dioecesis Lincolniensis
| coat             = Diocese of Lincoln arms.svg
| coat_size        = 150px
| flag             = Flag of the Diocese of Lincoln.svg
| flag_size        = 150px
| province         = [[Province of Canterbury|Canterbury]]
| parishes         = 515
| churches         = 640
| bishop           = [[Stephen&nbsp;Conway]], [[Bishop of Lincoln]]
| cathedral        = [[Lincoln Cathedral]]
| language         = [[English language|English]]
| archdeaconries   = Lincoln, Stow and Lindsey, Boston
| suffragans       = [[Nicholas Chamberlain]], [[Bishop of Grantham]]<br />[[Bishop of Grimsby]] (vacant)
| archdeacons      = [[Gavin Kirk (priest)|Gavin Kirk]], [[Archdeacon of Lincoln]]<br />[[Aly Buxton]], [[Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey]]<br />[[Archdeacon of Boston]] (vacant)
| website          = [https://www.lincoln.anglican.org/ www.lincoln.anglican.org]
}}
The '''Diocese of Lincoln''' forms part of the [[Province of Canterbury]] in [[England]].  The present diocese covers the [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] of [[Lincolnshire]].

== History ==
[[File:'Ecclesiastical England at the time of Henry VIII'.png|thumb|Dioceses of Henry VIII. Lincoln is the large green area, with Oxford and Peterborough marked subdivisions.]]
The diocese traces its roots in an unbroken line to the Pre-Reformation [[Bishop of Lindsey|Diocese of Leicester]], founded in 679. The [[Episcopal see|see]] of Leicester was translated to [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Dorchester|Dorchester]] in the late 9th century, before taking in the territory of the [[Diocese of Lindsey]] and being translated to Lincoln. The diocese was then the largest in England, extending from the [[River Thames]] to the [[Humber Estuary]]. In 1072, [[Remigius de Fécamp]], bishop under [[William I of England|William the Conqueror]], moved the see to Lincoln, although the Bishops of Lincoln retained significant landholdings within [[Oxfordshire]]. Because of this historic link, for a long time [[Banbury]] remained a [[Royal Peculiar|peculiar]] of the Bishop of Lincoln. The modern diocese remains notoriously extensive, having been reportedly referred to by [[Bob Hardy (bishop)|Bob Hardy]], [[Bishop of Lincoln]], as "2,000 square miles of bugger all" in 2002.<ref>[http://www.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/leaves-fond-memories/story-11210582-detail/story.html Lincolnshire Echo — Thousands attend emotional farewell to the Bishop of Lincoln] (Accessed 18 June 2016)</ref>

The dioceses of [[Diocese of Oxford|Oxford]] and [[Anglican Diocese of Peterborough|Peterborough]] were created in 1541 out of parts of the diocese, which left the diocese with two disconnected fragments, north and south.  In 1837 the southern part was transferred to other dioceses:  [[Bedfordshire]] and [[Huntingdonshire]] to the [[Diocese of Ely]], [[Hertfordshire]] to the [[Diocese of Rochester]] and [[Buckinghamshire]] to the Diocese of Oxford.  Also in 1837, the county of [[Leicestershire]] was transferred from Lincoln to Peterborough (and became the independent [[Diocese of Leicester]] in 1927). The Archdeaconry of Nottingham was transferred to the Lincoln diocese at the same time.

In 1884, the Archdeaconry of Nottingham was detached to form a part of the new [[Diocese of Southwell]].

==Organisation==

===Bishops===
By virtue of the 2009 scheme of delegation,<ref>{{cite web|title=Instrument Delegating the functions of the Bishop of Lincoln in order to give effect to a Collaborative Working Agreement approved by the Diocesan Synod of the Diocese of Lincoln on 8th July 2009 and made pursuant to Section 13 Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007 |url=http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/pdf_view.php?id=623 |publisher=Diocese of Lincoln |access-date=29 May 2012 |quote=The Office of Diocesan Bishop ensures the territorial integrity of the Diocese so that within the area of the Diocese there is scope for other areas to be formed as Parishes, Deaneries, Archdeaconries and areas of Episcopal oversight – the Sees of Grimsby and Grantham are examples of the latter. }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> whilst the Bishop of Lincoln exercises general oversight, the Bishops of Grimsby and of Grantham<ref>{{cite web |title=Diocese of Lincoln Who's Who |url=http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/page.php?i_@CI_74#1a |publisher=Diocese of Lincoln |access-date=21 May 2011 |quote=The Area Bishops |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101115205137/http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/page.php?i_%40CI_74#1a |archive-date=15 November 2010 |df=dmy }}</ref> were seen as leaders in mission in the north and south of the Diocese respectively until that scheme lapsed upon the 6 April 2013 retirement of the Bishop of Grimsby, which was followed by a review of roles of bishops in the diocese.<ref>[http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/pdf_view.php?id=1272 Diocese of Lincoln – Diocesan Profile 2013] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928075139/http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/pdf_view.php?id=1272 |date=28 September 2013 }} (Accessed 28 March 2013)</ref> The suffragan See of Grantham was created in 1905, and the See of Grimsby in 1935. It would seem that the decision to not fill the suffragan see of Grantham was taken at some point,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131016205414/http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/page.php?n_%40F_74 Diocese of Lincoln – Who's Who (Archived, 16 October 2013)] (Accessed 2 April 2014)</ref> but later reversed.

[[Alternative episcopal oversight]] (for parishes in the diocese which reject the ministry of priests who are women) is provided by the [[provincial episcopal visitor]], [[Norman Banks (bishop)|Norman Banks]], [[Bishop of Richborough|Bishop suffragan of Richborough]], who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there. There are also four retired bishops living in the diocese who are licensed as [[honorary assistant bishop]]s:
*2019&ndash;present: [[Rob Gillion]], interim [[Priest-in-Charge]], St&nbsp;John the Baptist, [[Spalding, Lincolnshire|Spalding]] and former [[Bishop of Riverina]] (New South Wales)<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Gillion, Alan Robert
| id = U281815
| edition = December 2019 online
| access-date = 22 April 2020
}}</ref>
*2001–present: [[David Tustin]], former Bishop suffragan of Grimsby, lives in [[Wrawby]].<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Tustin, David
| id = U38273
| volume = 2014
| edition = December 2013 online
| access-date = 26 April 2014
}}</ref>
*2013–present: Another retired area Bishop of Grimsby, [[David Rossdale]], lives in [[East Keal]].<ref>[http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/pdf_view.php?id=1351 crosslincs (Diocese of Lincoln newspaper) – No. 38, Lent 2013] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424014713/http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/pdf_view.php?id=1351 |date=24 April 2014 }} (Accessed 23 April 2014)</ref><ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Rossdale, David Douglas James
| id = U18290
| volume = 2014
| edition = December 2013 online
| access-date = 26 April 2014
}}</ref>
*2013–present: [[Tim Ellis (bishop)|Tim Ellis]], retired area Bishop of Grantham, lives in [[Intake, Sheffield]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-24267779 BBC News – Bishop of Grantham Tim Ellis steps down] (Accessed 23 April 2014)</ref><ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Ellis, Timothy William
| id = U36927
| volume = 2014
| edition = December 2013 online
| access-date = 26 April 2014
}}</ref>
[[File:Lincoln Deaneries.png|thumb|A map of the deaneries in the Diocese of Lincoln]]

===Archdeaconries===
The diocese is divided into three archdeaconries and 22 deaneries. On 22 April 2013, it was announced that a third archdeacon had been appointed pending a pastoral reorganisation. The changes to the archdeaconries enacted by the resulting pastoral scheme were announced on 15 November:<ref>[http://lincoln.anglican.org/news_item.php?592 Diocese of Lincoln – New Archdeaconries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205075800/http://lincoln.anglican.org/news_item.php?592 |date=5 December 2013 }} (Accessed 29 November 2013)</ref>

*'''[[Archdeacon of Lincoln|Archdeaconry of Lincoln]]''' (established 11th century): [[Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire|Bolingbroke]]; [[Calcewaithe]] and [[Deanery of Candleshoe|Candleshoe]]; [[Deanery of Christianity (Lincoln)|Christianity]]; [[Graffoe]]; [[Horncastle, Lincolnshire|Horncastle]]; [[Deanery of Lafford|Lafford]]; [[Louthesk]]
*'''[[Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey|Archdeaconry of Stow and Lindsey]]''' (established 11th century): [[Isle of Axholme]]; [[Corringham, Lincolnshire|Corringham]]; [[Grimsby]] and [[Cleethorpes]]; [[Haverstoe]]; [[Lawres]]; [[Manlake]]; West [[Wolds|Wold]]; [[Yarborough, Lincolnshire|Yarborough]]
*'''[[Archdeacon of Boston|Archdeaconry of Boston]]''' (established 2013): ([[Aveland]] and Ness with) [[Stamford, Lincolnshire|Stamford]]; [[Beltisloe]]; [[Deanery of Elloe East|Elloe East]]; [[Deanery of Elloe West|Elloe West]]; [[Grantham]]; [[Holland, Lincolnshire|Holland]]; [[Loveden]]

The diocese produces a bi-monthly newspaper, ''Crosslincs''.

==See also==
*[[Bishops of Lincoln]]
*[[Bishop of Grimsby|Suffragan Bishop of Grimsby]]
*[[Lincoln Cathedral]]
*[[Prebendaries of Aylesbury]] – The prebend of Aylesbury was attached to the See of Lincoln as early as 1092.

==References==
*[http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/statistics/churchstatistics2002 Church of England Statistics 2002] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203171913/http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/statistics/churchstatistics2002 |date=3 February 2007 }}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{cc}}
*{{Official website|http://lincoln.anglican.org}}
*{{CathEncy|wstitle=Lincoln (2)}}
*[https://www.lincoln.anglican.org/crosslincs-magazine Diocese of Lincoln ''Crosslincs'' magazine]

{{Lincolnshire}}
{{Province of Canterbury}}
{{Office holders in the Diocese of Lincoln}}
{{authority control}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lincoln, Anglican Diocese}}
[[Category:Diocese of Lincoln| ]]
[[Category:Dioceses of the Church of England]]
[[Category:Anglo-Saxon dioceses|Dorchester]]
[[Category:Former Roman Catholic dioceses in England|Dorchester]]
[[Category:Dioceses established in the 7th century]]
[[Category:678 establishments| ]]
[[Category:7th-century establishments in England]]
[[Category:Religion in Lincolnshire]]