Anglican Diocese of Southwark
The Diocese of Southwark 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. Before 1877 the area was part of the Diocese of Winchester.
The diocese covers Greater London south of the River Thames 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:
- Croydon Episcopal Area
- *Archdeaconry of Croydon
- **includes Deaneries of Croydon Addington, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, and Sutton
- *Archdeaconry of Reigate
- **includes Deaneries of Caterham, Godstone, and Reigate
- Kingston Episcopal Area
- *Archdeaconry of Lambeth
- **includes Deaneries of Brixton, Clapham, Lambeth North, Lambeth South, Streatham, and Merton
- *Archdeaconry of Wandsworth
- **includes Deaneries of Battersea, Kingston, Richmond and Barnes, Tooting, and Wandsworth
- Woolwich Episcopal Area
- *Archdeaconry of Lewisham & Greenwich
- **includes Deaneries of Charlton, Deptford, East Lewisham, Eltham and Mottingham, Plumstead, and West Lewisham
- *Archdeaconry of Southwark
- **includes Deaneries of Bermondsey, Camberwell, Dulwich, and Southwark and Newington
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.Bishops
Alongside the diocesan Bishop of Southwark, the Diocese has three area bishops: Richard Cheetham, area Bishop of Kingston; Jonathan Clark, area Bishop of Croydon; and Karowei Dorgu, area Bishop of Woolwich. Since 1994 the Bishop of Fulham has provided 'alternative episcopal oversight' in the diocese 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.
Several other bishops are licensed as honorary assistant bishops in the diocese:
- 2004–present: Michael Doe, Preacher to Gray's Inn, former General Secretary of USPG and former Bishop suffragan of Swindon, lives in Woolwich.
- 2006–present: The Lord Harries of Pentregarth is an honorary professor of Theology at King's College London, former Gresham Professor of Divinity and former Bishop of Oxford who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese.
- 2009–present: David Atkinson, former Bishop suffragan of Thetford, lives in South Croydon.
- 2011–present: Alan Chesters, retired diocesan Bishop of Blackburn, lives in Lingfield, Surrey
- 2011–present: Peter Selby, a visiting professor at King's College London and retired Bishop of Worcester, Bishop to Prisons and suffragan Bishop of Kingston, lives in Sydenham.
- 2013–present: The Archbishop of Canterbury's chief of staff, Nigel Stock, Bishop at Lambeth, Bishop to the Forces and Bishop for the Falkland Islands, lives in Lambeth.
- 2014–present: Stephen Platten, Rector of St Michael Cornhill and retired Bishop of Wakefield
