The Anglican Diocese of LeedsDiocese of Leeds — Diocese to be known only as Diocese of Leeds
(Accessed 15 July 2016). (previously also known as the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales) is a

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 associa ...

(administrative division) of the

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 Britai ...

, in the

Province of York The Province of York, or less formally the Northern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England and consists of 12 dioceses which cover the northern third of England and the Isle of Man. York was elevated to ...

. It is the largest diocese in England by area, comprising much of western

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

: almost the whole of

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

, the western part of

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

, the town of Barnsley in

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and metropolitan county, metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of City of Doncaster, Doncaster and City of Sh ...

, and most of the parts of County Durham,

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. C ...

and

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

which lie within the historic boundaries of

. It includes the cities of

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

, Bradford,

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...

and

Ripon Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city ...

. It was created on 20 April 2014 following a review of the dioceses in Yorkshire and the dissolution of the dioceses of Bradford, Ripon and Leeds, and

. The diocese is led by the

Anglican Bishop of Leeds The Anglican Bishop of Leeds is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Leeds in the Province of York The Province of York, or less formally the Northern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of En ...

and has three cathedrals of equal status:

, and Bradford. There are five episcopal areas within the diocese, each led by an area bishop: Leeds, Ripon, Wakefield, Bradford and Huddersfield.

Formation

Review and 2010 report

The Dioceses Commission (as established in a new form in 2008), began its review of the dioceses of Yorkshire (

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

, Ripon & Leeds,

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...

and Bradford) on the 2009 recommendation of the House of Bishops. The review group considered the best ways for the Church of England in Yorkshire to serve the Church's mission to those communities. The group quickly decided that the dioceses of York and of Sheffield would need little adjustment, so focused on the dioceses in

and The Dales. In its first report, published December 2010, the Commission suggested one large diocese covering the area currently covered by the dioceses of Ripon & Leeds, of Wakefield and of Bradford, but divided into five ''episcopal areas'', each with an area bishop (using the "area model" used elsewhere, e.g. the Diocese of London). Additionally, one of those five area bishops would also be the diocesan bishop over the new diocese. The five areas (and bishops) suggested were based on considerations including civic communities and established foci of local church activity. Those areas are:

, Bradford,

and

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

. Creating this diocese and area system would involve completely dissolving the existing diocesan sees, renaming the two existing suffragan sees and creating a new diocesan see and two more suffragan sees. The Archdeaconry of Richmond would expand into the current Archdeaconry of Craven ( Diocese of Bradford) and be renamed the Archdeaconry of Richmond and Craven, and would form the episcopal area of Ripon, while the Archdeaconry of Halifax would form the episcopal area of Huddersfield. The Leeds episcopal area would consist the Archdeaconry of Leeds, the Bradford area the Archdeaconry of Bradford and the Wakefield area the Archdeaconry of Pontefract. In the 2010 report, a newly created bishop of Wakefield would have been the diocesan bishop, and the diocese called the Diocese of Wakefield.

Wakefield Cathedral Wakefield Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, is a co-equal Anglican cathedral with Bradford and Ripon Cathedrals, in the Diocese of Leeds and a seat of the Bishop of Leeds. Originally the pa ...

would have been the "principal cathedral", while Bradford and

Cathedrals would have remained as cathedrals of the diocese, with "seat of honour" for their respective area bishops. The current colleges of the cathedrals would merge into one diocesan college, with the dean of Wakefield as dean and the deans of Bradford and of Ripon would become vice-deans of that college.

Draft scheme

Following extensive consultation with the three dioceses and other interested parties, the Commission issued a second report and ''Draft Reorganisation Scheme'' in October 2011. The draft scheme featured a few alterations from the initial report: *As the largest and most populous city in the area, it was generally felt that Leeds should be the diocesan see. Thus, the new diocese would be the Diocese of Leeds and its diocesan bishop the bishop of Leeds. *Accordingly, none of the three cathedrals would be a "principal cathedral". Rather, they would have equal status, with a merged college led by a ''presiding dean'' (initially the senior one by tenure – i.e.

Jonathan Greener Jonathan Desmond Francis Greener (born 9 March 1961) is a British Anglican priest. He was Dean of Wakefield and presiding dean of the Diocese of Leeds. He became Dean of Exeter on 26 November 2017. Early life and education Greener was educated ...

, Dean of Wakefield – but later the one appointed by the diocesan bishop), while each cathedral's dean would remain in charge of his or her own cathedral. *Additionally, the

Leeds Minster Leeds Minster, or the Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds (formerly Leeds Parish Church) is the minster church of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the site of the oldest church in the city and is of architectural and l ...

would become the

pro-cathedral A pro-cathedral or procathedral is a parish church that temporarily serves as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese, or a church that has the same function in a Catholic missionary jurisdiction (such as an apostolic prefecture or apostoli ...

for the new diocese if and when the diocesan bishop decides. The governance of that church would not change, but the rector would become a canon of the diocesan college. It was announced on 28 September 2012 that the commission had resolved, having considered all responses to its public consultation, to go ahead with the draft scheme, which will be discussed and voted upon at the three diocesan synods.

2013 diocesan votes and creation

The existing diocesan synods of the dioceses of Bradford, of Ripon and Leeds and of Wakefield voted on the proposed scheme on 2 March 2013. The Bradford and Ripon & Leeds diocesan synods voted in favour of the proposals, while Wakefield's did not; however, the scheme could go before the

General Synod of the Church of England The General Synod is the tricameral deliberative and legislative organ of the Church of England. The synod was instituted in 1970, replacing the Church Assembly, and is the culmination of a process of rediscovering self-government for the Church ...

without all three dioceses' approval according to the discretion of the

archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...

. On 9 May 2013, the archbishop announced that he had instructed the chair of the Dioceses Commission to set the Draft Scheme before

General Synod The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations. Anglican Communion The General Synod of the Church of England, which was established in 1970 replacing the Church Assembly, is the legislative body of the Church of ...

for consideration (i.e. debate and voting.) The proposal was approved on 8 July 2013 by the General Synod. The new diocese was created on Easter Day, 20 April 2014, becoming the first new diocese in the Church of England since 1929 and the largest diocese in England by area, covering and 2.3million people, served by 656 churches.

2017 deanery reorganisations

Effective 1 January 2017, several of the diocese's deaneries were reorganised. Among these were all the deaneries of the Bradford archdeaconry, which were entirely redrawn from five into four, and the deaneries of Bowland and of Ewecross (in Richmond and Craven archdeaconry), both of which had lost parishes in the diocese's formation, merged into one deanery (Bowland and Ewecross).

Organisation

The diocese (which was usually referred to, from 2014 until 14 July 2016 as the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales to reflect the geographical area it covers) is led by the bishop of Leeds. There are five episcopal areas within the diocese, each led by an area bishop: Leeds, Ripon, Wakefield, Bradford and Huddersfield.

Bishop of Leeds

Once the three dioceses were dissolved by the scheme on 20 April 2014, the diocesan see of Leeds was newly constituted a diocesan see, whose incumbent, the Bishop of Leeds is bishop over the whole diocese generally and the Leeds episcopal area specifically. He has cathedrals at

Ripon Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, commonly known as Ripon Cathedral, and until 1836 known as Ripon Minster, is a cathedral in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. Founded as a monastery by monks of the Irish tradition in the 660s, i ...

, at

Bradford Cathedral Bradford Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter, is an Anglican cathedral in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, one of three co-equal cathedrals in the Diocese of Leeds alongside Ripon and Wakefield. Its site has been used for Chr ...

, and (if and only if he designates the minster as a

) at

. It was announced on 8 November 2013 that retired Bishop of Southwark Tom Butler would serve as "mentor bishop" for the diocese prior to the first diocesan bishop taking post.The Transformation Programme – Former Bishop of Southwark to be 'mentor bishop'
(Accessed 10 January 2014). During that period, Butler was also the interim area bishop in the Bradford area while the bishop of Knaresborough was also interim area bishop in the Leeds area. It was further announced on 4 February 2014 that Nick Baines would be the first diocesan and area Bishop of Leeds;Number 10 – Diocese of Leeds: the Right Reverend Nicholas Baines approved
(Accessed 4 February 2014). it was further announced on 15 April that Baines would be acting diocesan bishop and acting area bishop for Leeds from 22 April.

Bishop of Ripon

After the dissolution of the diocesan see of Ripon and Leeds, the suffragan see of Knaresborough was transferred by

Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...

to Ripon on 19 March 2015.Orders in Council, 19 March 2015
(Accessed 25 March 2015). The incumbent is the area bishop over the Ripon episcopal area; James Bell, then suffragan Bishop of Knaresborough, continued in post as the area bishop in the Ripon area and, until the diocesan bishop started acting as area bishop on 22 April, was additionally interim area bishop in the Leeds area. The second and current area bishop is Helen-Ann Hartley.

Bishop of Wakefield

Following the dissolution of Wakefield diocese, the suffragan see of Pontefract was transferred by Order in Council to Wakefield on 19 March 2015. The incumbent is the area bishop over the Wakefield episcopal area;

Tony Robinson Sir Anthony Robinson (born 15 August 1946) is an English actor, author, broadcaster, comedian, presenter, and political activist. He played Baldrick in the BBC television series ''Blackadder'' and has presented several historical documentarie ...

, then suffragan Bishop of Pontefract, continued in post as the area bishop in the Wakefield area and, until a Bishop of Huddersfield was appointed, was also acting as interim area bishop in the Huddersfield area.

Bishop of Bradford

Once the diocesan see of the same name was dissolved, a new suffragan see of Bradford was created by the Scheme. The incumbent is the area bishop over the Bradford episcopal area; since the appointment of a new area bishop had to wait until the diocesan bishop was in post, the diocesan 'mentor bishop', Tom Butler, initially served as interim area bishop in the Bradford area. On 26 August 2014, it was announced that

Toby Howarth Toby Matthew Howarth (born 12 July 1962) is a Church of England bishop. He is the current and first area of Bishop of Bradford in the Diocese of Leeds. Howarth was educated at Yale University and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford; and ordained in 1990. He ...

was to become the first area bishop of Bradford; his consecration was held on 17 October.

Bishop of Huddersfield

The Scheme also created a new suffragan see of Huddersfield, whose incumbent is the area bishop over the Huddersfield episcopal area. Significant churches in the area include

Huddersfield Parish Church St Peter's Church, also known as Huddersfield Parish Church, is a Church of England parish church in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. There has been a church on the site since the 11th century, but the current building dates from 1836. It is ...

Halifax Minster Halifax Minster is the minster church of Halifax, Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. The church is dedicated to St John the Baptist. Formerly the parish church of the town, it was granted minster status in 2009. Halifax Minster is one of t ...

and Dewsbury Minster. Since no new area bishop could be appointed until the diocesan bishop was in post, the bishop of Pontefract also served as interim area bishop in the Huddersfield area. On 26 August 2014, it was announced that Jonathan Gibbs was to become the first area bishop of Huddersfield; his consecration was held on 17 October. He translated to

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

on 24 May 2022.

Bishop of Kirkstall

On 29 April 2015, the diocese announced that the See of Richmond would be revived for a suffragan bishop to assist the bishop of Leeds in his area bishop duties. On 19 July 2015,

Paul Slater Paul John Slater (born 22 March 1958) is a retired Anglican bishop. From 2018 until January 2022, he was the Bishop of Kirkstall, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Leeds. He was Archdeacon of Craven from 2005 to April 2014, Archdeacon of ...

was consecrated to that see.Diocese of Leeds — Archdeacon Paul Slater to be new Bishop of Richmond
(Accessed 13 July 2016). On 14 March 2018, the see was translated from Richmond to Kirkstall (in Leeds) by

Other bishops

Alternative episcopal oversight 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 petitioning parishes in the diocese who reject the ministry of priests or bishops who are women) in the diocese is provided by Tony Robinson, Bishop of Wakefield. At the first diocesan synod, three retired

honorary assistant bishop An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop. Church of England In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually retired (diocesan or suffragan) bishops – in which case they ...

s were welcomed: *

Clive Handford George Clive Handford (born 17 April 1937) is an English Anglican bishop. He was the fourth Anglican Bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf.‘HANDFORD, Rt Rev. (George) Clive’, Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edition, Oxford University Pre ...

, former Presiding Bishop in Jerusalem and the Middle East and diocesan Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf, was licensed in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds from 2007. He lives in Kirby Hill, Harrogate. * David Hawkins, area

Bishop of Barking The Bishop of Barking is an episcopal title used by an area bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Chelmsford, in the Province of Canterbury. The Barking area comprises the east London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, R ...

, retired to

Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Ai ...

. * Chris Edmondson, retired suffragan Bishop of Bolton At the second diocesan synod, John Pritchard, retired

Bishop of Oxford The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The current bishop is Steven Croft, following the confirmation of his elect ...

, was licensed as an honorary assistant bishop. Immediately prior to the formation of the new diocese, there were four other retired honorary assistant bishops licensed in the three predecessor dioceses: *the late David Jenkins, former

Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...

lived in

Barnard Castle Barnard Castle (, ) is a market town on the north bank of the River Tees, in County Durham, Northern England. The town is named after and built around a medieval castle ruin. The town's Bowes Museum's has an 18th-century Silver Swan automato ...

, County Durham and was licensed in Ripon & Leeds diocese from 1993. * Colin Buchanan, former area

Bishop of Woolwich The Bishop of Woolwich is an episcopal title used by an area bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Woolwich, a suburb of the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Tw ...

and suffragan Bishop of Aston lives in Alwoodley,

and was licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in Bradford diocese from 2004 and in Ripon & Leeds from 2005. *A former

Archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...

, David Hope, lives in

Hellifield Hellifield is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England (). Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the village was once an important railway junction on the Settle-Carlisle Railway between th ...

, Craven. He was licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in Bradford diocese in 2005 and in the

Diocese of Blackburn The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created on 12 November 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool and Burnley, the cities of Lancas ...

in 2008; it was reported on 31 October 2014 that Hope had resigned his licence in Leeds diocese. * Tom Butler, retired Bishop of Southwark and former interim area bishop in Bradford was licensed in Wakefield from 2010 and in Bradford from 2013. He lives in

Walton, Wakefield Walton is a village and civil parish in the City of Wakefield in the county of West Yorkshire, England, 3.5 miles south-east of Wakefield. At the time of the 2011 Census, the parish had a population of 3,231. At the time of the 2011 Census the ...

. File:Ripon Cathedral Exterior, Nth Yorkshire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

File:Wakefield Cathedral from east.JPG,

File:Bradford Cathedral 01.jpg,

File:Leeds Parish Church (10th May 2010) 012.jpg,

Archdeaconries and deaneries

*including a cathedral

Archdeacon of Mission Resources

Between his resignation as

Archdeacon of Bradford The Archdeacon of Bradford is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Leeds. The archdeaconry was originally created within the now-defunct Diocese of Bradford by Order in Council on 25 February 1921. As Archdeacon she or he is resp ...

(31 July 2015) and his retirement (31 January 2016), David Lee was given the unique role of "Archdeacon of Mission Resources". He was given an archidiaconal title and status, but no territorial archdeaconry. The role has not been re-filled since.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Christianity in North Yorkshire Christianity in West Yorkshire