# Diocese of Coventry

The Diocese of Coventry is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Coventry, who sits at Coventry Cathedral in Coventry, and is assisted by one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Warwick. The diocese covers Coventry and Warwickshire.
The diocese is divided into two archdeaconries, Warwick and Coventry. Warwick archdeaconry is then divided into the deaneries of Shipston, Fosse, Alcester, Southam and Warwick & Leamington, whilst Coventry archdeaconry is divided into the deaneries of Rugby, Nuneaton, Kenilworth, and Coventry South, East and North.
The diocese was formed on 6 September 1918 from part of the Diocese of Worcester.
An ancient diocese exists (now called the Diocese of Lichfield) which had the title the "Diocese of Coventry" from 1102 until 1228, then "Diocese of Coventry and Lichfield" until 1539, then "Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry" until 1837, when Coventry itself was passed to the Diocese of Worcester. There were then two Bishops suffragan of Coventry in that diocese, 1891–1903.

## Bishops

The diocesan Bishop of Coventry (Sophie Jelley), is assisted by a Bishop suffragan of Warwick (vacant). The provincial episcopal visitor (for parishes in the diocese who reject the ministry of priests who are women) is the Bishop suffragan of Oswestry, who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there.
David Evans, a former Bishop of Peru and Bolivia, has been licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese since 2003; returned to England in 1988 and retired to Warwick in 2010.

### 2023–25 vacancy

From 6 November 2023 until 31 December 2024, Ruth Worsley (Bishop of Taunton in the Diocese of Bath and Wells) was also part-time Acting Bishop of Coventry; and from 9 November 2023, Saju Muthalaly (Bishop of Loughborough in the Diocese of Leicester) was also part-time Assistant Bishop of Coventry. From 1 January 2025, retired bishop Tim Thornton became acting diocesan bishop.

## Archdeaconries and archdeacons

While the diocese is divided into archdeaconries and has archdeacons like other dioceses, Coventry diocese is unique in that the two do not correlate. In 2010, the post of Archdeacon of Warwick was replaced by that of Archdeacon Missioner (Morris Rodham was appointed) and statutory oversight over the archdeaconry of Warwick was delegated to the Archdeacon of Coventry (then Ian Watson). Following Watson's retirement in 2012, John Green was appointed as Acting Archdeacon of Coventry pending his installation into the new role of Archdeacon Pastor, which duly occurred on 9 December 2012. These arrangements follow the Bishop's 2009 document Signposts for the Future, and the creation of the two posts of Archdeacon Missioner and Archdeacon Pastor are consistent with the suggested "transitional period" after which there will be only one archdeacon in the diocese. Rodham and Green remained, legally, collated to the Archdeaconries of Warwick and of Coventry. Green retired at the end of August 2017, and Clive Hogger joined him as Acting Archdeacon for July and August, then remained Acting Archdeacon after Green's retirement. Sue Field was collated Archdeacon Pastor and Archdeacon of Coventry on 18 March 2018; Barry Dugmore was collated Archdeacon Missioner and Archdeacon of Warwick on 6 October 2019. Field was required to resign in January 2023 following disciplinary proceedings.

## List of churches

| Location | Church |
| Alcester | St. Nicholas, Butter Street |
| Alderminster | St. Mary and Holy Cross |
| Allesley | All Saints, Birmingham Road |
| Allesley Park | St. Christopher, Winsford Avenue |
| Alveston | St. James |
| Ansley | St. Lawrence, Church End |
| Ansty | St. James |
| Arley | St. Wilfrid, Rectory Road |
| Arrow | The Holy Trinity |
| Ashow | The Assumption of our Lady |
| Astley | St. Mary the Virgin, Nuthurst Lane |
| Aston Cantlow | St. John Baptist |
| Atherstone | St. Mary, Market Square |
| Attleborough | Holy Trinity, Fifield Close |
| Baginton | St. John Baptist, Church Road |
| Barcheston | St. Martin |
| Barford | St. Peter, Church Street |
| Barton-on-the-Heath | St. Lawrence |
| Bearley | St. Mary the Virgin, Church Lane |
| Beaudesert | St. Nicholas |
| Bedworth | All Saint's |
| Berkswell | St. John Baptist, Church Lane |
| Bidford on Avon | St. Laurence, Church Street |
| Bilton | St. Mark, Church Walk |
| Binley | St. Bartholomew, Brinklow Road |
| Binton | St. Peter |
| Birdingbury | St. Leonard, Frankton Road |
| Bishop's Itchington | St. Michael |
| Bishops Tachbrook | St. Chad, Church Hill |
| Bourton | St. Peter |
| Brailes | St. George, High Street |
| Brinklow | St. John Baptist |
| Brownsover | Christ Church, Helvellyn Way |
| Bubbenhall | St. Giles |
| Budbrooke | St. Michael, Church Hill |
| Bulkington | St. James, School Road |
| Burmington | St. Barnabas and St. Nicholas |
| Burton Dassett | All Saints |
| Burton Hastings | St. Botolph |
| Butlers Marston | St. Peter and St. Paul |
| Caldecote | St. Theobald and St. Chad |
| Camp Hill | St. Mary and St. John |
| Canley | St. Stephen |
| Charlecote | St. Leonard |
| Cherington | St. John Baptist |
| Chesterton | St. Giles |
| Cheylesmore | Christ Church |
| Chilvers Coton | All Saints |
| Church Lawford | St. Peter |
| Churchover | The Holy Trinity |
| Claverdon | St. Michael and All Angels |
| Clifford Chambers | St. Helen |
| Clifton-upon-Dunsmore | St. Mary |
| Combroke | St. Mary and St. Margaret |
| Copston Magna | St. John |
| Corley | |
| Coughton | St. Peter |
| Coventry | St. Alban |
| Coventry | St. Anne and All Saints |
| Coventry | St. Margaret, Ball Hill |
| Coventry | St. Peter Hillfields |
| Coventry | Holy Trinity |
| Coventry | St. George |
| Coventry | St. John Baptist |
| Coventry | St. Mary Magdalen |
| Coventry | St. Michael (Cathedral) |
| Cubbington | St. Mary |
| Darlingscott | St. George |
| Dunchurch | St. Peter |
| Earlsdon | St. Barbara |
| Eastern Green | St. Andrew |
| Ettington | Holy Trinity and St. Thomas of Canterbury |
| Exhall | St. Giles |
| Farnborough | St. Botolph |
| Fenny Compton | St. Peter and St. Clare |
| Fillongley | St. Mary and All Saints |
| Finham | St. Martin in the Fields |
| Flecknoe | St. Mark |
| Fletchamstead | St. James |
| Foleshill | St. Laurence |
| Foleshill | St. Paul |
| Frankton | St. Nicholas |
| Gaydon with Chadshunt | St. Giles |
| Grandborough | St. Peter |
| Great Alne | St. Mary Magdalen |
| Halford | Our Blessed Lady |
| Hampton Lucy | St. Peter ad Vincula |
| Harborough Magna | All Saints |
| Harbury | Holy Trinity |
| Haselor | St. Mary and All Saints |
| Haseley | St. Mary |
| Hatton with Haseley | Holy Trinity |
| Henley-in-Arden | St. John the Baptist |
| Hillmorton | St. John the Baptist |
| Holbrooks | St. Luke |
| Honiley | St. John the Baptist |
| Honington | All Saints |
| Hunningham | St. Margaret |
| Idlicote | St. James the Great |
| Ilmington | St. Mary |
| Kenilworth | St. John |
| Kenilworth | St. Nicholas |
| Kenilworth | St. Barnabas |
| Keresley | St. Thomas |
| Kineton | St. Peter |
| Kinwarton | St. Mary the Virgin |
| Ladbroke | All Saints |
| Langley | St. Mary |
| Leamington | St. John Baptist |
| Leamington Hastings | All Saints |
| Leamington Priors | All Saints |
| Leamington Priors | St. Mary |
| Leamington Priors | St. Paul |
| Leamington Spa | Holy Trinity |
| Leamington Spa | St. Mark |
| Leek Wootton | All Saints |
| Lighthorne | St. Laurence |
| Lillington | St. Mary Magdalene |
| Long Compton | St. Peter and St. Paul |
| Long Itchington | Holy Trinity |
| Longford | St. Thomas |
| Long Lawford | St. John |
| Lower Shuckburgh | St. John the Baptist |
| Lowsonford | St. Luke |
| Loxley | St. Nicholas |
| Luddington | All Saints |
| Mancetter | St. Peter |
| Mappleborough Green | Holy Ascension |
| Marton | St. Esprit |
| Meriden & Great Packington | St. Laurence |
| Monks Kirby | St. Edith's |
| Moreton Morrell | Holy Cross |
| Morton Bagot | Holy Trinity |
| Napton on the Hill | St. Lawrence |
| New Arley | St. Michael |
| Newbold-on-Avon | St. Botolph |
| Newbold on Stour | St. David |
| Newbold Pacey | St. George |
| Newton | The Good Shepherd |
| North End | All Saints |
| Norton Lindsey | Holy Trinity |
| Nuneaton | St. Mary |
| Nuneaton | St. Nicolas |
| Offchurch | St. Gregory |
| Old Milverton | St. James |
| Oldberrow | St. Mary |
| Oxhill | St. Lawrence |
| Pailton | St. Denys |
| Pillerton Hersey with Pillerton Priors | St. Mary |
| Potters Green | St. Philip |
| Preston Bagot | All Saints |
| Preston-on-Stour | St. Mary |
| Princethorpe | St Cuthbert |
| Priors Hardwick | St. Mary |
| Priors Marston | St. Leonard |
| Radford (North) | St. Francis of Assisi |
| Radford Semele | St. Nicholas |
| Radford | St. Nicholas |
| Radway | St. Peter |
| Ratley | St. Peter ad Vincula |
| Rowington | St. Lawrence the Martyr |
| Rugby | St Matthew |
| Rugby | St Oswalds |
| Rugby | Overslade Church |
| Ryton on Dunsmore | St. Leonard |
| Salford Priors | St. Matthew |
| Sambourne | Mission Church |
| Sherbourne | All Saints |
| Shilton | St. Andrew |
| Shipston on Stour | St. Edmund |
| Shottery | St. Andrew |
| Shotteswell | St. Laurence |
| Snitterfield | St. James the Great |
| Southam | St. James |
| Spernall | St. Paul |
| Stockingford | St. Paul |
| Stockton | St. Michael |
| Stoneleigh | St. Mary |
| Stratford upon Avon | Holy Trinity |
| Stretton-on-Dunsmore | All Saints |
| Stretton on Fosse | St. Peter |
| Studley | Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Styvechale | St. James |
| Sutton under Brailes | St. Thomas a Becket |
| Temple Grafton | St. Andrew |
| Thurlaston | St. Edmund |
| Tiddington | St. Peter |
| Tidmington | |
| Tile Hill | St. Oswald |
| Tredington | St. Gregory |
| Tysoe | Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Ufton | St. Michael and All Angels |
| Ullenhall | St. Mary the Virgin |
| Walsgrave on Sowe | St. Mary |
| Walton D'Eivile | St. James |
| Wappenbury | St. John Baptist |
| Warmington | St. Michael |
| Warwick | Christ Church |
| Warwick | All Saints |
| Warwick | Collegiate Church of St Mary |
| Warwick | St. Nicholas |
| Wasperton | St. John the Baptist |
| Weddington | St. James |
| Weethley Hamlet | St. James |
| Wellesbourne | St. Peter |
| Weston under Wetherley | St. Michael |
| Westwood | St. John the Baptist |
| Whatcote | St. Peter |
| Whichford | St. Michael |
| Whitchurch | St. Mary |
| Whitley | St. James |
| Whitnash | St. Margaret |
| Willenhall | St. John the Divine |
| Willey | St. Leonard |
| Willoughby | St. Nicholas |
| Withybrook | All Saints |
| Wixford | St. Milburga |
| Wolford | St. Michael |
| Wolston | St. Margaret |
| Wolverton | St. Mary the Virgin |
| Wolvey | St. John the Baptist |
| Wood End | St. Chad |
| Wootton Wawen | St. Peter |
| Wormleighton | St. Peter |
| Wyken | St. Mary Magdalene |
| Wyken Croft | Risen Christ |