The Diocese of London is the group of Church of England organisations located in London north of the River Thames - 18 London Boroughs.

It is made up of parishes, schools, chaplaincies, missional communities and other organisations, which are united by their common Christian faith. The Diocese is overseen by the Bishop of London, assisted by Area Bishops, Archdeacons and senior staff, and administrated by the staff of the London Diocesan Fund (LDF). The Cathedral is St Paul’s.

View a map of the diocese showing our senior clergy.

Read about the support offered to parishes:

Within the Diocese of London, there are:

  • 500+ worshipping communities
  • 1,259 clergy and ministers
  • Almost 200 men and women in training for ministry
  • 63,400 adults on electoral rolls
  • 46,400 regular worshippers
  • 161 church schools
  • 95 chaplains in schools, colleges, hospitals, the Met Police, Heathrow, railways, prisons, theatres, the forces, football clubs, Canary Wharf, livery companies, shops and City institutions

Our place within the Anglican Communion

The Diocese of London is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and is in the See of Canterbury. It is surrounded by St Albans Diocese to the north, the dioceses of Oxford and Guildford to the west, Southwark and Rochester to the South, and Chelmsford to the East. It works closely with those of other faiths and of no faith, with Christians of all denominations, and with charities and organizations who share common values. The Diocese has particular overseas links with Africa – with the Dioceses of Niassa and Lembombo in Mozambique, and with the Diocese of Angola. It has a partnership with Berlin-Brandenburg, and a link with New York.

Policies & Governance

To hold together such a diverse organization requires mutual cooperation and consensus. The Diocese is governed by many people at parish, deanery, area and diocesan level, as well as nationally. More information about governance is available in the Synods and Committees pages.

In 2014 the Church of England passed legislation enabling all orders of ministry to be open to women. Provision is made for those parishes unable to receive the ministry of women as priests and bishops. In the Diocese of London this provision is defined by The London Plan, details of which can be found here.

Geography and statistics

The Diocese of London covers 277 square miles of Greater London north of the Thames from Staines in the west to the Isle of Dogs in the east and as far north as Enfield. It comprises the Cities of London and Westminster and the London boroughs of Brent, Harrow, Ealing, Hillingdon, Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, Hackney, Islington, Tower Hamlets, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, Spelthorne and part of Richmond-upon-Thames.