Diocesan governance

 

The Right Revd Martin Seeley is the Diocesan Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.  As such, he is the senior clergyman in the diocese, spiritually responsible for the ‘cure of souls. Suffragan Bishops are appointed by the Diocesan Bishop to assist him in his duties and our Suffragan Bishop of Dunwich is the Right Revd Dr Mike Harrison.

Our Bishops | Weblink 

An Archdeacon supports the bishop in ecclesiastical matters and is responsible for a specified geographical area (an archdeaconry) within the diocese.

Our Archdeacons | Weblink 

The Revd Canon Joe Hawes is the Dean of St Edmundsbury.  St Edmundsbury Cathedral, in .Bury St Edmunds,  is a separate charity with approximately 30 members of staff, hundreds of volunteers and regular worshippers.  The Cathedral hosts a wide range of events and welcomes over 70,000 visitors a year.

St Edmundsbury Cathedral | Weblink

Every community is served by a parish. These vary in size depending on whether it is in a rural or urban area. We group our parishes into larger areas, called deaneries. Each deanery is overseen by a Rural Dean and Lay Chair.  Deaneries are grouped into three Archdeaconeries and the map shows where each deanery is found.

Diocesan Map | PDF

Rural Deans and Lay Chairs | Weblink

The Diocesan Board of Finance (the DBF) is the charity responsible for managing the assets and finances of the diocese to support and enable the mission and ministry of the parishes. It includes the work of the Diocesan Board of Education.  The charity’s trustees include the bishops and archdeacons, amongst others:

Role Contact details

Acting Director of Mission and Ministry

The Revd Canon Stuart Batten 01473 298511 | 07468 474065

Diocesan Registrar

James Hall

01473 406270 | Birketts, Providence House, 141-145 Princes Street, Ipswich IP1 1QJ

Diocesan Secretary

Gary Peverley | 01473 298575 | 07879 634525

Diocesan Director of Education

Jane Sheat | 01473 298570 | 07884 232231

 

Diocesan structure

Our diocesan structure might look complicated at first glance but the diagram below shows how everyone, including our parish churches, all feed in and interlink to Bishop’s Council, Diocesan Synod and ultimately General Synod. 

 

 

 

 

The main committees are shown above however further details are available here:

Committees | Weblink

Download or print our detailed staff structures:

Staff Structure | PDF

 

Diocesan meeting dates

2023 Synodical Meeting Dates | PDF

2024 Synodical Meeting Dates | PDF

A number of planned meeting have been cancelled and venues have been changed due to the Coronavirus.  

Making a complaint

The Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person that has made the complaint.  Please find below a copy of our complaints policy:

Complaints Policy | PDF

Whistleblowing Policy | PDF

If individuals need any help with this process, one of the diocesan lay trustees can be emailed: David Lamming.

 

Page last updated: Tuesday 2nd January 2024 9:39 AM
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