- Source: Anglican Diocese of Birmingham
The Diocese of Birmingham is a diocese founded in 1905 in the Church of England's Province of Canterbury, covering the north-west of the traditional county of Warwickshire, the south-east of the traditional county of Staffordshire and the north-east of the traditional county of Worcestershire (now the central section of the West Midlands and small parts of south Staffordshire, north Warwickshire and north Worcestershire) in England.
Cathedral
The see is in the centre of the City of Birmingham, where the seat of the diocese is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Philip.
The 18th-century parish church of Saint Philip in Birmingham was elevated to cathedral status in 1905 when the see was founded, on 13 January 1905. Previously the area had been part of the Diocese of Worcester.
Bishops
Besides the diocesan Bishop of Birmingham (Michael Volland) and the Bishop suffragan of Aston (vacant; which see was created in 1954), there are two retired bishops resident in (or near) the diocese who are licensed to serve as honorary assistant bishops:
2002–present: Maurice Sinclair is a retired Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone living in Selly Park.
2005–present: Iraj Mottahedeh is a retired diocesan Bishop of Iran who lives in Church Aston, Shropshire, in the neighbouring Lichfield diocese.
From 2023, alternative episcopal oversight (for parishes in the diocese who reject the ministry of women priests) was provided by the provincial episcopal visitor, the Bishop suffragan of Oswestry (since 2023 Paul Thomas), who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there.
Archdeaconries and deaneries
The former deaneries of Yardley and Bordesley were merged in 2000. Central Birmingham was known as Birmingham City until 1996 and then Birmingham City Centre until 2004.
*including Cathedral
Churches
APC = ancient parish church.
= Not in a deanery
=
= Deanery of Aston
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= Deanery of Coleshill
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= Deanery of Polesworth
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= Deanery of Solihull
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= Deanery of Sutton Coldfield
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= Deanery of Yardley and Bordesley
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= Deanery of Central Birmingham
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= Deanery of Edgbaston
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= Deanery of Handsworth
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= Deanery of King's Norton
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= Deanery of Moseley
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= Deanery of Shirley
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= Deanery of Warley
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Safeguarding controversy
In December 2018 the diocese was criticised for its use of a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) in relation to an abuse case. The survivor described the ten-year process since her first complaint as "haphazard" and claimed she was warned by an unnamed bishop not to talk to the media as it wouldn't be "very godly". The diocese carried out an independent review which delivered damning findings about the handling of her case by the (then) Bishop of Birmingham, David Urquhart, and then forced the survivor to sign the NDA before she was permitted to see the review into her own case. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, had previously questioned the legitimacy of these agreements in March 2018 at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse A non-disclosure agreement seems to me to be dangerous because it creates suspicion, 'Why are you doing an NDA? Surely you're trying to cover something up'. The Bishop of Buckingham, Alan Wilson, commenting on the scandal said it was the fourth "corrupt and destructive" non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that had come to his attention since September.
They seem inherently abusive, mainly used to provide a carpet under which to sweep abuse. If people really want them they should be time-limited with reasons.
He said he was unable to share details of the other cases but that some were "complete shockers". The Diocese of Birmingham said the NDA had been used to ensure that those who read the report did not share information provided by other contributors who wanted to remain anonymous. A Church of England spokesperson stated that guidance would be sent to all dioceses to discourage use of these agreements. The bishop and the diocese apologised to the survivor and her husband.
See also
Religion in Birmingham
References
Church of England statistics 2002 Archived 3 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
Terry Slater, 2005, A Centenary History of the Diocese of Birmingham, Phillimore, Chichester
External links
Diocesan website
Churches in the Diocese of Birmingham ("A Church Near You")
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