Diocese of Exeter

Diocese of Exeter
Location
Ecclesiastical province	Canterbury
Archdeaconries	Barnstaple, Exeter, Plymouth, Totnes
Statistics
Parishes	506
Churches	625
Information
Cathedral	Exeter Cathedral
Current leadership
Bishop	Robert Atwell, Bishop of Exeter
Suffragans	Nick McKinnel, Bishop of Plymouth Sarah Mullally, Bishop of Crediton
Archdeacons	Ian Chandler, Archdeacon of Plymouth Christopher Futcher, Archdeacon of Exeter Mark Butchers, Archdeacon of Barnstaple Douglas Dettmer, Archdeacon of Totnes
Website
exeter.anglican.org

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 (Robert Atwell since 30 April 2014)^[1] 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.^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[3]

The diocese remained unchanged until 1876, when the former Archdeaconry of Cornwall became the independent Diocese of Truro.

Organisation

Bishops

The current diocesan Bishop of Exeter is Robert Atwell, who is assisted by Nick McKinnel, Bishop suffragan of Plymouth (which see was created in 1923) and Sarah Mullally, Bishop suffragan of Crediton (which see was erected in 1897.) 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 Jonathan Goodall, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet, who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop 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.^[4]
• 2010–present: Martin Shaw, a retired former Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, lives in Exeter itself.^[5]
• 2011–present: Godfrey Ashby was a diocesan bishop then a divinity professor (and assistant bishop) in South Africa before returning to Britain as full-time Assistant Bishop of Leicester. He retired back to South Africa, where he was an assistant bishop then returned to live in Broadclyst; he is also licensed in Portsmouth diocese.^[6][7]

Archdeaconries

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.

Archdeaconry of Exeter (est. bef. 1083; Archdeacon: Christopher Futcher)

• Deanery of Aylesbeare
• Deanery of Cadbury
• Deanery of Christianity
• Deanery of Honiton
• Deanery of Kenn
• Deanery of Ottery
• Deanery of Tiverton and Cullompton

Archdeaconry of Totnes (est. bef. 1140; Archdeacon: Douglas Dettmer)

• Deanery of Moreton
• Deanery of Newton Abbot and Ipplepen
• Deanery of Okehampton
• Deanery of Torbay
• Deanery of Totnes
• Deanery of Woodleigh

Archdeaconry of Barnstaple (est. bef. 1143; Archdeacon: Mark Butchers)

• Deanery of Barnstaple
• Deanery of Hartland
• Deanery of Holsworthy
• Deanery of Shirwell
• Deanery of South Molton
• Deanery of Torrington

Archdeaconry of Plymouth (est. 1918; Archdeacon: Ian Chandler)

• Deanery of Ivybridge
• Deanery of Plymouth City
• Deanery of Tavistock

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.^[8]

References

1. Diocese of Exeter – Election of new Bishop of Exeter formally confirmed (Accessed 9 May 2014)
2. Crediton Festival 2009. Retrieved on 5 June 2008.
3. Exeter: Ecclesiastical History. Retrieved on 5 June 2008.
4. Hawkins, Richard Stephen. Who's Who. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
5. ,. Who's Who. A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc.
6. Ashby, Godfrey William Ernest Candler. Who's Who. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
7. "Godfrey William Ernest Candler Ashby". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 18 June 2016. (subscription required)
8. Exeter Diocese: Resources in "CCEd, the Clergy of the Church of England database" (Accessed online, 5 February 2014)

Further reading

• Oliver, George (1846) Monasticon Dioecesis Exoniensis: being a collection of records and instruments illustrating the ancient conventual, collegiate, and eleemosynary foundations, in the Counties of Cornwall and Devon, with historical notices, and a supplement, comprising a list of the dedications of churches in the Diocese, an amended edition of the taxation of Pope Nicholas, and an abstract of the Chantry Rolls; [with supplement and index]. Exeter: P. A. Hannaford, 1846, 1854, 1889

External links

• Diocese of Exeter
• Ancient Diocese of Exeter — from the Catholic Encyclopedia

Coordinates: 50°43′21″N 3°31′46″W / 50.72250°N 3.52944°W