View source for Diocese of London

{{Short description|Diocese of the Church of England}}
{{other uses}}
{{redirect|Diocese of Essex|the modern diocese in Essex|Diocese of Chelmsford}}
{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction     = Diocese
| name             = London
| latin            = Dioecesis Londiniensis
| coat             = Diocese of London arms.svg
| coat_size        = 150px
| flag             = Flag of the Diocese of London.svg
| flag_size        = 150px
| province         = [[Province of Canterbury|Canterbury]]
| area_km2         = 460
| parishes         = 403<ref name="COFE_RS_2019">{{cite web | url = https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/Parish%20Finance%20Statistics%202019_updatedFeb2021.pdf | title = Parish Finance Statistics 2019 | year = 2021 | publisher = Church of England, Research & Statistics | page = 20 | access-date = 21 April 2021 }}</ref>
| churches         = 475<ref name="COFE_RS_2019"/>
| established      = 4th Century
| patron           = [[Paul the Apostle|Saint Paul]]
| bishop           = {{nowrap|[[Sarah Mullally]]}}
| cathedral        = [[St Paul's Cathedral|St Paul's]]
| cocathedral      = [[Westminster Abbey]] (1550–1556 only)
| language         = [[English language|English]]
| archdeaconries   = <!--by date of erection-->[[London]]; [[Middlesex]]; [[Hampstead]]; [[London Borough of Hackney|Hackney]]; [[Northolt]]; [[Charing&nbsp;Cross]]
| suffragans       = [[Jonathan Baker (bishop)|Jonathan Baker]], [[Bishop of Fulham]]<br />[[Emma Ineson]], area [[Bishop of Kensington]]<br />[[Ric Thorpe]], [[Bishop of Islington]]<br />[[Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy]], area [[Bishop of Willesden]]<br />[[Anderson Jeremiah]], area [[Bishop of Edmonton (London)|Bishop of Edmonton]]<br />area [[Bishop of Stepney]] (vacant)
| archdeacons      = [[Luke Miller]], [[Archdeacon of London]];<br />[[John Hawkins (Archdeacon of Hampstead)|John Hawkins]], [[Archdeacon of Hampstead]]<br />[[Richard Frank (priest)|Richard Frank]], [[Archdeacon of Middlesex]]<br />[[Catherine Pickford]], [[Archdeacon of Northolt]]<br />[[Peter Farley-Moore]], [[Archdeacon of Hackney]]<br />[[Katherine Hedderly]], [[Archdeacon of Charing&nbsp;Cross]]
| website          = {{url|http://www.london.anglican.org/|london.anglican.org}}
}}{{Use British English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}[[Image:Diocese of London Survey by John Harris 1714.jpg|thumb|264px|right|Map of the Diocese of London in 1714. The current diocesan boundaries are greatly reduced. A large western tract and narrow eastern tract of [[Hertfordshire]] lay in this diocese, the rest in the Diocese of Lincoln; the whole county is in the Diocese of Saint Albans today.]]

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

It lies directly north of the Thames, covering {{convert|177|sqmi|km2}} and all or part of 17 [[London]] boroughs. This corresponds almost exactly to the  [[Historic counties of England|historic county]] of [[Middlesex]].  It includes the [[City of London]] in which lies its cathedral, [[St Paul's Cathedral|St Paul's]], and also encompasses [[Borough of Spelthorne|Spelthorne]] which is currently administered by [[Surrey]]. It encompasses most of that part of [[Greater London]] which lies north of the [[River Thames]] and west of the [[River Lea]].

The diocese covered all of Essex until 1846 when Essex became part of the [[Diocese of Rochester]], after which [[Diocese of St Albans|St Albans]] and since 1914 forms the [[Diocese of Chelmsford]]. It also formerly took in southern and eastern parts of Hertfordshire. 

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.<ref>''The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge'', Vol.III, London, Charles Knight, 1847, p.362</ref> This made it the third wealthiest diocese in England after [[Diocese of Canterbury|Canterbury]] and [[Diocese of Durham|Durham]].

==Organisation==
Following the huge growth of the metropolis and its population in the 19th century, successive Bishops of London successfully campaigned for the appointment of several suffragan bishops to assist them in the care of the northern half of what became the County of London and later Greater London. A system of assigning "districts" to these suffragans evolved into an experimental [[area scheme]] in 1970.<ref>{{Church Times | title = Virtual autonomy for London's ‘area bishops’? | archive = 1970_02_20_01 | issue = 5584 | date = 20 February 1970 | page = 1 | accessed = 29 September 2020 }}</ref> An archbishop's commission on the diocesan arrangements in Greater London was established in 1975 and chaired by [[Edmund Compton]];<ref>{{Church Times | title = Commission for London | archive = 1975_10_10_020 | issue = 5878 | date = 10 October 1975 | page = 20 | accessed = 4 January 2021 }}</ref> its report considered but did not recommend forming all Greater London into an [[ecclesiastical province]].<ref>{{Church Times | title = Provincial status for London is ruled out | archive = 1976_07_09_003 | issue = 5917 | date = 9 July 1976 | page = 3 | accessed = 4 January 2021 }}</ref>

Since the formal institution of the London [[area scheme]] (the first of its kind) in 1979,<ref>{{cite web|title=4: The Dioceses Commission, 1978–2002 
|url=http://www.churchofengland.org/media/40670/chapter4.pdf|publisher=Church of England|access-date=23 April 2013}}</ref> the diocese has been divided into five episcopal areas, each of which is the particular responsibility of one of the diocese's [[suffragan bishop]]s, except for the Two Cities area which is under the direct oversight of the diocesan bishop. It is further divided into [[archdeacon]]ries and deaneries, as shown below.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Episcopal area
!Archdeaconry
!Deaneries
|-
| rowspan="4" |Two Cities Episcopal Area
<small>([[Bishop of London]])</small>
|[[Archdeacon of London|Archdeaconry of London]]
|Deanery of the [[City of London]]
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Archdeacon of Charing Cross|Archdeaconry of Charing Cross]]
|Deanery of [[City of Westminster|Westminster]] [[Metropolitan Borough of Paddington|Paddington]]
|-
|Deanery of Westminster [[Metropolitan Borough of Westminster|St Margaret]]
|-
|Deanery of Westminster [[Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone|St Marylebone]]
|-
| rowspan="7" |Edmonton Episcopal Area
<small>(area [[Bishop of Edmonton (London)|Bishop of Edmonton]])</small>
| rowspan="7" |[[Archdeacon of Hampstead|Archdeaconry of Hampstead]]
|Deanery of Central [[London Borough of Barnet|Barnet]]
|-
|Deanery of West Barnet
|-
|Deanery of North [[London Borough of Camden|Camden]] ([[Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead|Hampstead]])
|-
|Deanery of South Camden ([[Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras|St Pancras]] and [[Metropolitan Borough of Holborn|Holborn]])
|-
|Deanery of [[London Borough of Enfield|Enfield]]
|-
|Deanery of East [[London Borough of Haringey|Haringey]]
|-
|Deanery of West Haringey
|-
| rowspan="6" |Kensington Episcopal Area
<small>(area [[Bishop of Kensington]])</small>
| rowspan="6" |[[Archdeacon of Middlesex|Archdeaconry of Middlesex]]
|Deanery of [[Hammersmith and Fulham]]
|-
|Deanery of [[Hampton, London|Hampton]]
|-
|Deanery of [[London Borough of Hounslow|Hounslow]]
|-
|Deanery of [[Metropolitan Borough of Kensington|Kensington]]
|-
|Deanery of [[Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea|Chelsea]]
|-
|Deanery of [[Borough of Spelthorne|Spelthorne]]
|-
| rowspan="3" |Stepney Episcopal Area
<small>(area [[Bishop of Stepney]])</small>
| rowspan="3" |[[Archdeacon of Hackney|Archdeaconry of Hackney]]
|Deanery of [[London Borough of Hackney|Hackney]]
|-
|Deanery of [[London Borough of Islington|Islington]]
|-
|Deanery of [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets|Tower Hamlets]]
|-
| rowspan="4" |Willesden Episcopal Area
<small>(area [[Bishop of Willesden]])</small>
| rowspan="4" |[[Archdeacon of Northolt|Archdeaconry of Northolt]]
|Deanery of [[London Borough of Brent|Brent]]
|-
|Deanery of [[London Borough of Ealing|Ealing]]
|-
|Deanery of [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]]
|-
|Deanery of [[London Borough of Hillingdon|Hillingdon]]
|}


===Bishops===
Under the London area scheme the diocesan bishop, the [[Bishop of London]] retains oversight of the two cities of [[City of London|London]] and [[City of Westminster|Westminster]] while the four [[area bishop]]s 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<ref>[https://www.london.anglican.org/articles/the-revival-of-the-see-of-islington/ Diocese of London — The Revival of the See of Islington] (Accessed 1 May 2015)</ref> that [[Richard Chartres]]' (then-Bishop of London) proposal to take the [[Bishop of Islington|See of Islington]] out of abeyance for the appointment of a "bishop for church plants"<ref>{{Church Times | title = Chartres sets out plan for ‘Bishop for church-plants’ | url = http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2015/6-march/news/uk/chartres-sets-out-plan-for-bishop-for-church-plants | issue = 7929 | date = 6 March 2015 | page = <!--distinct online version--> | accessed = 25 March 2015 }}</ref> 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)|Jonathan Baker]], [[Bishop of Fulham]], who has the same ministry in the [[Anglican Diocese of Southwark|Southwark]] and [[Diocese of Rochester|Rochester]] dioceses. During a lengthy vacancy in that see, alternative episcopal oversight was offered by the then-area Bishop of Edmonton.

There are also several retired bishops living in the diocese, some of whom are licensed as [[honorary assistant bishop]]s:
*1984–present: [[Michael Marshall (bishop)|Michael Marshall]], former suffragan [[Bishop of Woolwich]], lives in [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] and is also licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in [[Diocese of Chichester|Chichester diocese]].<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Marshall, Michael Eric
| id = U26743
| volume = 2014
| edition = December 2013 online
| access-date = 26 April 2014
}}</ref>
*2002–present: [[Edward Holland (bishop)|Edward Holland]], retired [[Bishop of Colchester]], lives in [[Hammersmith]] and is also licensed in the [[Diocese in Europe]].<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Holland, Edward
| id = U11416
| volume = 2014
| edition = December 2013 online
| access-date = 26 April 2014
}}</ref>
*2003–present: [[Walter Makhulu]], [[Archbishop of Central Africa|Archbishop emeritus of Central Africa]] and retired [[Bishop of Botswana]], lives in [[Putney]].<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Makhulu, Walter Paul Khotso
| id = U10520
| volume = 2014
| edition = December 2013 online
| access-date = 26 April 2014
}}</ref>
*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]].<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Millar, John Alexander Kirkpatrick (Sandy)
| id = U27471
| volume = 2014
| edition = December 2013 online
| access-date = 26 April 2014
}}</ref>
*2009–present: [[Robert Ladds]], former [[Bishop of Whitby|Bishop suffragan of Whitby]], lives in [[Hendon]].<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Ladds, Robert Sidney
| id = U39532
| volume = 2014
| edition = December 2013 online
| access-date = 26 April 2014
}}</ref>
*2013–present: [[Michael Colclough]], retired canon pastor of [[St&nbsp;Paul's Cathedral]] and former [[bishop of Kensington]], lives in Chelsea. He is also licensed in the diocese in Europe.<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Colclough, Michael John
| id = U22903
| volume = 2014
| edition = December 2013 online
| access-date = 26 April 2014
}}</ref>
*July 2014{{snd}}present: [[Stephen Platten]], former rector of [[St Michael Cornhill]] and retired [[Bishop of Wakefield (diocese)|bishop of Wakefield]] (also in [[Anglican Diocese of Southwark|Southwark]] and [[Diocese of Newcastle|Newcastle]] dioceses.)<ref>{{Church Times | title = Appointments | url = http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2015/2-january/gazette/appointments/appointments | issue = 7920 | date = 2 January 2014 | page = 31 | accessed = 2 January 2015 }}</ref>

==Schools==
The London Diocesan Board for Schools (LDBS) has responsibility for 155 [[Church of England]] schools within the London diocese, across  18 local authorities.<ref>LDBS https://www.ldbs.co.uk/our-schools/</ref>

== Fraud ==
In December 2022, Martin Sargeant, formerly Head of Operations in the Two Cities, was sentenced at [[Southwark Crown Court]] to five years in prison for defrauding the London Diocese of £5.2m. He had built up close contacts within the Church of England. Around January 2002, he was renting a flat at [[St George in the East]] Church, London, when Gillean Craig was Rector.<ref>GOV.Uk:”MARTIN SARGEANT (dissolve)
Secretary, CONSULTANT, 2002.02.01 - 2003.07.01
3 SAINT GEORGES IN THE EAST CHURCH
CANNON STREET ROAD. LONDON E1 0BH”.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Hattie |date=19 December 2022 |title=Martin Sargeant sentenced to five years for £5.2m diocesan fraud |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2022/23-december/news/uk/martin-sargeant-sentenced-to-five-years-for-52m-diocesan-fraud |access-date=28 December 2022 |website=www.churchtimes.co.uk}}</ref>

==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==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.london.anglican.org Diocesan website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051027192157/http://www.london.anglican.org/Structure Map] from the diocesan website
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100315140115/http://www.westminsterstmargaret.org/ Westminster (St Margaret) Deanery Synod]}}

{{Province of Canterbury}}
{{Office holders in the Diocese of London}}{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|51.5138|-0.0986|type:adm2nd_dim:150000_region:GB|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diocese Of London}}
[[Category:Diocese of London| ]]
[[Category:Christianity in London]]