Glossary

Archdeacons

Next to the Bishop in seniority, and with him form the senior management team

Area Dean

Local co-ordinator with some administrational responsibilities for groups of parishes; also takes responsibility for parishes when they do not have their own clergy

Benefice

Smallest sub-division of the Diocese, often a town, or group of village or valley communities. Benefices can be parishes or parish groupings

Bishop / Archbishop

The person with the oversight of the Diocese

Cathedral

Mother church of the Diocese, in which the Bishop has his Throne.

Dean

In effect the 'Vicar' of the Cathedral.

Diocese

Geographical area overseen by the Bishop

Parish

The most common form of the Benefice. May have several churches.

structure of the Diocese

A Diocese is an organization of a large collection of separate parishes and churches in a defined geographical area.

In terms of its personnel, at its head is our Bishop (who is currently also the Archbishop of Wales), whose correct and full title is 'the Most Reverend Doctor Barry Morgan'. He has the care and oversight of all Anglicans in the Diocese.

The Diocese covers an area from the Neath Valley in the west, to Merthyr Tydfil in the north, and to most of Cardiff in the east. It encompasses many separate parishes or parish groups, and so is divided into three smaller areas, known as Archdeaconries. Each Archdeaconry has its own Archdeacon, the Archdeacons being next in order of seniority to the Archbishop.

The Archdeaconries are themselves divided into Deaneries, with each Deanery typically having 6 - 12 constituent Benefices (parishes or parish groups).

Thus the whole of this part of South Wales is divided up in such a way that every city, town, village, hamlet, or isolated dwelling is in a particular Benefice, Deanery and Archdeaconry within the Diocese.

Every Benefice has its own member of the clergy, who can carry (for historical reasons) a variety of titles - Vicar, Rector, or Priest in Charge. Benefices will also have one or more churches.