Diocese of Exeter

The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. 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. It is part of the Province of Canterbury. The diocesan bishop (vacant since 30 September 2023) 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 and Cornwall. Crediton was chosen as the site for its cathedral, possibly due it having been the birthplace of Saint Boniface and also the existence of a monastery there.

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. In 1050, King Edward the Confessor 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 diocese remained unchanged until 1876, when the former Archdeaconry of Cornwall became the independent Diocese of Truro.

Organisation

Bishops

There is currently no Bishop of Exeter (since Robert Atwell's retirement); the bishop diocesan is assisted by Jackie Searle, Bishop suffragan of Crediton and James Grier, Bishop suffragan of Plymouth. The provincial episcopal visitor (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 Oswestry (for traditional Anglo-Catholics), and Rod Thomas, 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 itself. 2018–present: Mark Rylands, 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.

List of churches

Last fully updated 5 October 2018.

Outside deanery structures

Deanery of Aylesbeare

Deanery of Cadbury

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 Honiton

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 Torbay

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)