Anglican Diocese of Birmingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Diocese of BirminghamDioecesis Birminghamiensis |
|
|---|---|
Coat of arms
|
|
Flag
|
|
| Location | |
| Ecclesiastical province | Canterbury |
| Archdeaconries | Aston, Birmingham |
| Statistics | |
| Parishes | 162 |
| Churches | 195 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Established | 1905 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral Church of Saint Philip |
| Language | English |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Michael Volland, Bishop of Birmingham |
| Suffragan | Anne Hollinghurst, Bishop of Aston |
| Archdeacons | Jenny Tomlinson, Archdeacon of Birmingham Archdeacon of Aston (vacant) |
| Website | |
| birmingham.anglican.org | |
The Diocese of Birmingham is a special area within the Church of England. It was created in 1905 and is part of the Province of Canterbury. This diocese covers parts of the West Midlands region in England, including areas that used to be in Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire. It's like a church district with its own leader, the Bishop of Birmingham.
What is the Cathedral?
The main church for the Diocese of Birmingham is the Cathedral Church of Saint Philip. It's located right in the middle of the City of Birmingham.
This church was originally built in the 1700s as a parish church. In 1905, when the diocese was formed, it became a cathedral. Before this, the area was part of the Diocese of Worcester.
Who are the Bishops?
The main leader of the diocese is the Bishop of Birmingham, currently Michael Volland. There's also another bishop who helps out, called the Bishop suffragan of Aston, who is Anne Hollinghurst. This helper bishop role was created in 1954.
Sometimes, retired bishops who live nearby also help the diocese. They are called honorary assistant bishops. For example, Maurice Sinclair, a retired Presiding Bishop from the Southern Cone, lives in Selly Park and helps out. Mark Santer, a former Bishop of Birmingham, also helps from Moseley. Another helper is Iraj Mottahedeh, a retired Bishop of Iran.
Since 1994, there's also a special bishop, the Bishop suffragan of Oswestry (Paul Thomas), who helps churches in the diocese that prefer not to have women priests. He is also an honorary assistant bishop here.
How is the Diocese Organized?
The Diocese of Birmingham is divided into two main areas called Archdeaconries:
- The Archdeaconry of Aston
- The Archdeaconry of Birmingham
These archdeaconries are further split into smaller areas called deaneries. Each deanery has a number of churches and clergy (church leaders). For example, the Deanery of Aston includes places like Aston and Solihull. The Deanery of Birmingham includes areas like Central Birmingham and Edgbaston.
The diocese has a total of 162 parishes and 195 churches, serving a population of nearly 1.5 million people.
See also
- Religion in Birmingham
