# Diocese of Chelmsford

The Diocese of Chelmsford is a Church of England diocese, part of the Province of Canterbury. It was created on 23 January 1914 from part of the Diocese of St Albans. It covers Essex and part of East London. Since 1984 it is divided into three episcopal areas, each with its own area bishop. The diocese covers around 1,500 square miles (3,900 km$^2$) with a population of more than 3 million. It has 463 parishes and 588 churches.

## History

The diocese was created on 23 January 1914, as part of the provisions of the Bishoprics of Sheffield, Chelmsford and the County of Suffolk Act 1913. It covered the entire county of Essex and that part of Kent north of the River Thames (North Woolwich). The area had since 4 May 1877 been part of the Diocese of St Albans. Before 1 January 1846 the area was part of the Diocese of London and then the Diocese of Rochester.

## Geographic area

The diocese covers a region of around 1,500 square miles (3,900 km$^2$) and has a population of more than 3 million. It covers Essex and five East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest. The diocese has seen one of the strongest regenerations in Europe, which continues. The Thames Gateway, the M11 corridor, Stansted and Southend airports, Harwich, Tilbury, London Gateway, Purfleet ports and most of the housing built in connection with the London 2012 Olympics are in the diocese. It is co-terminous with the boundaries of the Catholic Diocese of Brentwood.

## Organisation

The diocese of Chelmsford is overseen by the Bishop of Chelmsford. Since the area scheme was created in 1983 and inaugurated in January 1984, the diocese has been divided into three episcopal areas which are overseen by an area bishop. The diocese is divided further into archdeaconries, each divided into a number of deaneries.
The suffragan See of Colchester was created in 1882, for the Diocese of St Albans until 1914. Barking in 1901 also for St Albans, and Bradwell in 1968.
| Episcopal areas | Archdeaconries | Deaneries |
| Barking Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Barking) |
| Barking Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Barking) | Archdeaconry of West Ham | Deanery of Newham |
| Barking Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Barking) | Archdeaconry of West Ham | Deanery of Redbridge |
| Barking Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Barking) | Archdeaconry of West Ham | Deanery of Waltham Forest |
| Barking Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Barking) | Archdeaconry of Barking | Deanery of Barking and Dagenham |
| Barking Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Barking) | Archdeaconry of Barking | Deanery of Havering |
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) | Archdeaconry of Chelmsford | Deanery of Brentwood |
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) | Archdeaconry of Chelmsford | Deanery of Chelmsford North |
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) | Archdeaconry of Chelmsford | Deanery of Chelmsford South |
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) | Archdeaconry of Chelmsford | Deanery of Maldon and Dengie |
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) | Archdeaconry of Chelmsford | Deanery of Epping Forest and Ongar |
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) | Archdeaconry of Southend | Deanery of Basildon |
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) | Archdeaconry of Southend | Deanery of Hadleigh |
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) | Archdeaconry of Southend | Deanery of Rochford |
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) | Archdeaconry of Southend | Deanery of Southend-on-Sea |
| Bradwell Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Bradwell) | Archdeaconry of Southend | Deanery of Thurrock |
| Colchester Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Colchester) | Archdeaconry of Colchester | Deanery of Colchester |
| Colchester Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Colchester) | Archdeaconry of Colchester | Deanery of Harwich |
| Colchester Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Colchester) | Archdeaconry of Colchester | Deanery of St Osyth |
| Colchester Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Colchester) | Archdeaconry of Colchester | Deanery of Witham |
| Colchester Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Colchester) | Archdeaconry of Stansted | Deanery of Braintree |
| Colchester Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Colchester) | Archdeaconry of Stansted | Deanery of Dunmow and Stansted |
| Colchester Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Colchester) | Archdeaconry of Stansted | Deanery of Hinckford |
| Colchester Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Colchester) | Archdeaconry of Stansted | Deanery of Saffron Walden |
| Colchester Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Colchester) | Archdeaconry of Stansted | Deanery of Harlow |

### Bishops

Alongside the diocesan Bishop of Chelmsford (Guli Francis-Dehqani), the Diocese has three area (suffragan) bishops: Roger Morris, area Bishop of Colchester; Lynne Cullens, area Bishop of Barking; and Adam Atkinson, area Bishop of Bradwell.
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 suffragan of Richborough, who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there.

## Churches

The diocese has 463 parishes and a total of 588 churches.
| Deanery | Clergy | Church | Founded (building) |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | S. Brazier-Gibbs | St Laurence, Blackmore | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | S. Brazier-Gibbs | SS Peter & Paul, Stondon Massey | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | I. Farley | St John the Baptist, Buckhurst Hill | 1837 |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | H. Aucken | St Martin, Chipping Ongar | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | H. Aucken | St Peter, Shelley | Medieval (1888) |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | H. Aucken | St Andrew, Greensted-juxta-Ongar | Anglo-Saxon |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | H. Aucken | St Margaret of Antioch, Stanford Rivers | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | L. Batson O. Maxfield-Coote A. Summers | St John the Baptist, Epping | Medieval (1889) |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | L. Batson O. Maxfield-Coote A. Summers | All Saints, Epping Upland | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | L. Batson O. Maxfield-Coote A. Summers | St Alban the Martyr, Coopersale | 1852 |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | L. Batson O. Maxfield-Coote A. Summers | St Andrew, North Weald Bassett | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Hawkins | St Germain, Bobbingworth | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Hawkins | St Mary the Virgin, Moreton | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Hawkins | St Nicholas, Fyfield | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Hawkins | St Christopher, Willingale | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | J. Pickles | All Saints, High Laver | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | J. Pickles | St Mary the Virgin, Little Laver | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | J. Pickles | St Mary Magdalen, Magdalen Laver | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | J. Pickles | St Mary, Matching | Medieval |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Davies | St John the Baptist, Loughton | 1846 |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Davies | St Nicholas, Loughton | Medieval (early C20th) |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | M. Macdonald M. White | St Mary the Virgin, Loughton | 1871 |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | L. Petitt | St Michael & All Angels, Loughton | 1937 |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | S. Gibbs | St Mary the Virgin, High Ongar | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | S. Gibbs | St James, Marden Ash | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | S. Gibbs | All Saints, Norton Mandeville | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | J. Fry | St Mary the Virgin, Stapleford Tawney | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | J. Fry | St Mary the Virgin, Theydon Bois | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | J. Fry | All Saints, Theydon Garnon | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | J. Fry | St Michael, Theydon Mount | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Kosla P. Preston | St Mary, Chigwell | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Kosla P. Preston | All Saints, Chigwell Row | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Kosla P. Preston | St Winifred, Chigwell | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Kosla P. Preston | St Mary & All Saints, Lambourne | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | C. Kosla P. Preston | St Mary the Virgin, Stapleford Abbotts | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | P. Smith V. Yeadon | Holy Cross & St Lawrence, Waltham | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | P. Smith V. Yeadon | Holy Innocents, High Beach | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | P. Smith V. Yeadon | St Lawrence, Ninefields | |
| Epping Forest & Ongar | P. Smith V. Yeadon | St Thomas, Upshire | |