The Diocese of Exeter is a
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...
diocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...
covering the county of
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The
Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell. . It is part of the
Province of Canterbury
The Province of Canterbury, or less formally the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces which constitute the Church of England. The other is the Province of York (which consists of 12 dioceses).
Overview
The Province consist ...
. The diocesan bishop (
Robert Atwell since 30 April 2014)
is assisted by two
suffragan bishops, the
Bishop of Crediton and the
Bishop of Plymouth. The See of Crediton was created in 1897 and the See of Plymouth in 1923.
History
The Diocese of Crediton was created out of the
Diocese of Sherborne in AD 909 to cover the area of
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
and
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
.
Crediton
Crediton is a town and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon in England. It stands on the A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton, about north west of Exeter and around from the M5 motorwa ...
was chosen as the site for its cathedral, possibly due it having been the birthplace of
Saint Boniface
Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations o ...
and also the existence of a monastery there.
[Exeter: Ecclesiastical History]
Retrieved 5 June 2008.
In 1046,
Leofric became the Bishop of Crediton: following his appointment he decided that the see should be moved to the larger, more culturally significant and defensible walled town of
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
. In 1050, King
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066.
Edward was the son of Æt ...
authorised that Exeter was to be the seat of the bishop for Devon and Cornwall and that a cathedral was to be built there for the bishop's throne. Thus, Leofric became the last diocesan Bishop of Crediton and the first
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell. .
The diocese remained unchanged until 1876, when the former
Archdeaconry of Cornwall became the independent
Diocese of Truro
The Diocese of Truro (established 1876) is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury which covers Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and a small part of Devon. The bishop's seat is at Truro Cathedral.
Geography and history
The ...
.
Organisation
Bishops
The current diocesan
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell. is
Robert Atwell, who is assisted by
Jackie Searle,
Bishop suffragan of Crediton and
James Grier,
Bishop suffragan of Plymouth. The
provincial episcopal visitor
A provincial episcopal visitor (PEV), popularly known as a flying bishop, is a Church of England bishop assigned to minister to many of the clergy, laity and parishes who on grounds of theological conviction, "are unable to receive the ministry of ...
(for parishes in this diocese – among twelve others in the western part of the Province of Canterbury – which do not accept the ordination of women as priests, since 1994) is the
Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet (for traditional
Anglo-Catholics
Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches.
The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglican ...
), and
Rod Thomas
Rod Thomas (born 11 January 1947) is a Welsh former professional footballer who represented Wales at International level.
During his career Thomas played for Gloucester City, Swindon Town, Derby County, Cardiff City, Gloucester for a second ...
,
Bishop of Maidstone (for
Conservative Evangelicals); they are licensed as
honorary assistant bishops in the diocese.
There are three former bishops licensed as honorary assistant bishops in the diocese:
*2005–present:
Richard Hawkins, retired former
Bishop suffragan of Plymouth and
of Crediton, lives in
Whipton.
*2010–present:
Martin Shaw, a retired former
Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, lives in
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
itself.
*2018–present:
Mark Rylands
Mark James Rylands (born 11 July 1961) is a British former Anglican bishop. From 2009 until 2018, he was the area Bishop of Shrewsbury in the Church of England.
Early life
Rylands was born on 11 July 1961, the son of Michael Rylands and Denise ...
, former
Bishop of Shrewsbury, lives in Ashburton
Archdeaconries and deaneries
The diocese is divided into four archdeaconries. The Bishop suffragan of Crediton generally oversees the Archdeaconries of Barnstaple and Exeter and the Bishop suffragan of Plymouth the Archdeaconries of Plymouth and Totnes.
The following mergers of deaneries have taken place:
* the deaneries of Tiverton and Cullompton merged in 2012 to form the deanery of Tiverton & Cullompton
* the deaneries of Devonport, Moorside and Sutton merged in 2015 to form the deanery of Plymouth City.
*including Cathedral
Coat of arms
The arms of the diocese are Gules two keys in saltire Or a sword hilt downwards in pale Argent with hilt Or surmounted by a mitre. The charges are emblems of Saints Peter (keys) and Paul (sword) who are the patron saints of the cathedral.
[''Exeter Diocese: Resources'' in "CCEd, the ]Clergy of the Church of England database
The Clergy of the Church of England database (CCEd) is an online database of clergy of the Church of England between 1540 and 1835.
The database project began in 1999 with funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and is ongoing as a ...
" (Accesse
online
5 February 2014)
List of churches
''Last fully updated 5 October 2018.''
Outside deanery structures
Deanery of Aylesbeare
Deanery of Cadbury
The Deanery of Cadbury represents the Church of England in mid Devon, within the Archdeaconry of Exeter and the Diocese of Exeter. The current rural dean is Matthew Tregenza.
United Benefice of Crediton and Shobrooke with Sandford and Upton Hell ...
1part of the North Creedy West Mission Community
2part of the North Creedy East Mission Community
Deanery of Christianity
1part of the East Exeter Mission Community
2part of the West Exe Mission Community
Deanery of Honito
Deanery of Kenn
Deanery of Ottery
Deanery of Tiverton & Cullompton
1part of the Tiverton Mission Community
Deanery of Moreton
1part of the Bovey Valley Mission Community
Deanery of Newton Abbot and Ipplepen
1part of the Abbotskerswell Mission Community
Deanery of Okehampton
Deanery of Torba
1part of the Our Lady & All the Saints Mission Community
2part of the West Torquay Mission Community
3part of the All Saints & St Luke Mission Community
Deanery of Totnes
1part of the Three Rivers Mission Community
Deanery of Woodleigh
Deanery of Barnstaple
1part of the Coast and 'Combe Mission Community (which also includes the parishes of Berrynarbor and Combe Martin from Shirwell deanery)
2part of the Barnstaple Mission Community
Deanery of Hartland
Deanery of Holsworthy
1part of the Holsworthy Mission Community
Deanery of Shirwell
1part of the Coast and 'Combe Mission Community (which also includes seven churches from Barnstaple deanery)
2part of the Lyn Valley Mission Community
Deanery of South Molton
Deanery of Torrington
1part of the Winkleigh Mission Community
Deanery of Ivybridge
1part of the South Dartmoor Mission Community
2part of the Yealm & Erme Mission Community
3part of the Yealmside Mission Community
Deanery of Plymouth City
1part of the Holy Family Mission Community
2part of the Sacred Heart Mission Community
Deanery of Tavistock
1part of the Tamar Mission Community
2part of the Tavy Mission Community
See also
*
Bishop of Exeter, List of the bishops of Exeter
References
Further reading
*
Oliver, George (1846) ''Monasticon Dioecesis Exoniensis: being a collection of records and instruments illustrating the ancient conventual, collegiate, and eleemosynary foundations, in the Counties of Cornwall and Devon, with historical notices, and a supplement, comprising a list of the dedications of churches in the Diocese, an amended edition of the taxation of Pope Nicholas, and an abstract of the Chantry Rolls'';
ith supplement and index Exeter: P. A. Hannaford, 1846, 1854, 1889
External links
Diocese of Exeter– from the Catholic Encyclopedia
Diocesan prayer diaries giving lists of Mission Communities within the diocese
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diocese Of Exeter
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
Exeter
Christianity in Devon
Christianity in Cornwall