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Welcome and About

Welcome to the Diocese of Guildford

“After all the challenges of the past few years, the Diocese of Guildford is an exciting place to be! Our vision of a Transforming Church Transforming Lives is increasingly well-rooted in our parish communities, with churches, schools and community projects becoming clearer and more focused in what they believe God is calling them to do. ‘Growing disciples’, ‘growing diversity’ and ‘growing community’ have emerged as our major priorities in the post-pandemic era.”            

 

Since 1927, the Church of England presence covering most of Surrey and North East Hants has been known as the Diocese of Guildford. 

More than a million people live within the Diocese of Guildford, a defined area located to the southwest of London. 

The area covers two-thirds of Surrey (including Egham, Banstead, Dorking and Farnham), parts of North East Hampshire (including Farnborough and Aldershot), one parish each in Sussex, and one in Greater London.  

See how the Diocese of Guildford fits into the national geography of the Church of England.

Facts and figures

• The diocese has 156 parishes, with 83 church schools and several hundred social and community projects.

• There are over 200 stipendiary (paid) clergy working across the diocese.

• There are 117 authorised lay ministers serving across the diocese along with hundreds more volunteers who lead and support the running of projects and parish life in a huge variety of different ways.

• Our 212 church buildings welcome more than 25,000 people worshipping on an average Sunday, in addition to many thousands more of all ages who use those buildings or neighbouring church halls on weekdays for church activities and community clubs and meetings.

• The Diocese of Guildford was formed in 1927 from part of the ancient Diocese of Winchester. Guildford Cathedral, dedicated to The Holy Spirit and built between 1936 and 1961, is one of only two British Anglican cathedrals to be built on a new site since the C16th Reformation - Liverpool is the other.

Structure

The diocesan area is subdivided into two smaller areas called Archdeaconries, which are each then subdivided further into Area Deaneries (you can find a list of parishes within each deanery via the Find a Church page and clicking on the deanery). Find out more below:

Surrey Archdeaconry and its Area Deaneries

The Archdeaconry of Surrey covers the western side of the Diocese of Guildford which includes the western side of the County of Surrey and part of North-East Hampshire. It includes the boroughs of Guildford, Waverley and Surrey Heath (in Surrey), and Rushmoor and Hart (in Hampshire). Towns such as Aldershot, Farnborough, Fleet, Camberley, Godalming, Farnham, Haslemere and Guildford sit alongside some of Surrey and Hampshire’s most picturesque ancient villages, stretching from the Crown Estate in the north to Loxwood - our only parish in Sussex - in the south.

Did you know? The Archdeaconry of Surrey is an ancient role, which dates back to the early part of the second millennium, when the Diocese of Guildford was part of a larger Diocese of Winchester.

The archdeaconry consists of the following Area Deaneries:

Aldershot

Area Dean: RevdGeorge Newton

Deanery Lay Chair: Vacancy

Deanery Synod Secretary: Carolyn Ford

Chapter Clerk: Vacancy

Deanery Treasurer: Julie Adams
 

Cranleigh

Area Dean: Revd Canon Roy Woodhams

Deanery Lay Chair: Mr Martin Betts

Deanery Synod Secretary: Vacancy

Chapter Clerk: Vacancy

Deanery Treasurer: Mr Tony Robinson
 

Farnham

Area Dean: Revd Richard Bodle

Deanery Lay Chair: Vacancy

Deanery Synod Secretary: Revd Russ Gant

Chapter Clerk: Vacancy

Deanery Treasurer: Vacancy
 

Godalming

Area Dean: Revd Chris Bessant

Deanery Lay Chair: Jacky Tickner

Deanery Synod Secretary: Jenny Lansdowne

Chapter Clerk: Revd Ann Fraser

Deanery Treasurer: Mr Anthony Ramsden
 

Guildford

Area Dean: Revd Neil Roberts

Assistant Area Dean: Revd Beverly Watson

Deanery Lay Chair(s): Andrew Rustell and Stephan Hofmeyr

Deanery Synod Secretary: Sarah Bennett

Chapter Clerk: Vacancy

Deanery Treasurer: Philip Hooper
 

Surrey Heath

Area Dean: Revd Ellen Turtle

Assistant Area Dean: Revd Andreas Sistig

Deanery Lay Chair: Mr Howard Mason

Deanery Synod Secretary(temp): Mr Howard Mason

Chapter Clerk: Vacancy

Deanery Treasurer (temp): Mr Howard Mason

Dorking Archdeaconry and its Area Deaneries

The Archdeaconry of Dorking covers the boroughs of Epsom and Ewell, Runnymede, Woking, Elmbridge, part of Reigate and Banstead and most of the district of Mole Valley. One parish, Chessington, is in Greater London. Towns such as Woking, Epsom, Dorking, Leatherhead and Egham sit alongside village communities stretching from the banks of the Thames to the borders of Sussex.

The Archdeaconry of Dorking comprises the Area Deaneries of:

Dorking

Area Dean: Revd Peter Nevins

Deanery Lay Chair: Mr Graham Everness

Deanery Synod Secretary: Vacancy

Chapter Clerk: Vacancy

Deanery Treasurer: Mr Graham Everness
 

Emly

Area Dean: Revd Andrew Cowie

Deanery Lay Chair: Mr Brian Howells

Deanery Synod Secretary: Yvonne Scicluna

Chapter Clerk: Vacancy

Deanery Treasurer: Revd Jonathan Andrew
 

Epsom

Area Dean: Revd Rosemary Donovan

Deanery Lay Chair: Peter Harvey

Deanery Synod Secretary: Michelle Cahill

Chapter Clerk: Revd Martin Wainwright

Deanery Treasurer: John Simon

Leatherhead

Area Dean: Revd Renos Pittarides

Deanery Lay Chair: Prof Clare Bevan

Deanery Synod Secretary: Claire Costard

Chapter Clerk: Vacancy

Deanery Treasurer: Mr Mark Cheverton 07552 566953

 

Runnymede

Area Dean: Revd Ben Beecroft

Deanery Lay Chair: Mr Steve Baynes

Deanery Synod Secretary: Mrs Petra Hudson

Chapter Clerk: Vacancy

Deanery Treasurer: Mrs Sheila Murray
 

Woking

Area Dean: Revd Mark Wallace

Deanery Lay Chair: Geoff Pugh

Deanery Synod Secretary: Joanna Chamberlin

Chapter Clerk: Vacancy

Deanery Treasurer: Mr Richard Collinson

Every Area Deanery is subdivided even further into smaller areas called parishes

Parish Life

Our network of parishes covers the entire geographical area of the diocese, with churches located in all kinds of different contexts, from tiny rural communities to the busy commuter towns, areas of challenging social deprivation and others of great affluence.

Every church is encouraged, resourced and inspired through the diocesan leadership to be a transforming church, transforming lives

So churches are there for everyone, providing opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to pray, to explore their faith, to access support, to make a positive impact locally and globally, and to be supported at significant moments in their lives such as a wedding, a christening, a confirmation or a funeral.
 
Each parish is an independent charity, with its own leadership and governance structures and an ordained Minister responsible for pastoral care, as well as the running and legal responsibilities of the parish church for that area. They may be assisted by one or more Curates and there may be more than one church in each parish.

Through Deanery meetings, parishes help each other in prayer, finances and mutual support.

You can search for churches in any location across the diocese using our Find a church tool.

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Calm River Thames with boats moored on a cloudy day

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