About the church in Wales -
A brief history for tourists

The Church in Wales (Welsh: Yr Eglwys yng Nghumru)

The Church in Wales is a member church of the Anglican Communion, consisting of six dioceses in Wales. Like all Anglican churches, it recognizes the primacy of the Archbishop of Cantebury, who does not however have any formal authority in Wales. Once the state Church, disestablishment was effected in 1920. This means that, unlike England, Wales no longer has a state Church.

Official Name

The Church in Wales adopted its name rather by accident. The Welsh Church Act 1914 had referred throughout to 'The Church in Wales', the phrase apparently being used to indicate the part of the Church of England and Wales. A convention of the welsh church in 1920 considered what name to use, and tended to favour 'the Church in Wales', but there were fears that adopting a name different from that given by the Act might cause serious legal problems. Given the situation, it did not seem sensible to invite even more problems at that point, and so 'the Church in Wales' was allowed to stand.

Since 1920

Parishes overlapping the border were allocated either to the Church in Wales or to the Church of England, with the result that the line of disestablishment is not exactally the same as the England-Wales border. A few districts in Monmouthshire and Radnorshire remain attached to parishes in the diocese of Hereford and consequently established. The Oswestry deanery was detatched from the St Asaph diocese. Today, the Church in Wales is fully independent both of the state and the Church of England, and is an independent member of the Anglican Communion; like the Church of Ireland or the Scottish Episcopal Church.

The Diocese of Swansea and Brecon

The diocese was established as a diocese of the Church in Wales in 1923 with Brecon Priory as the Cathedral. The diocese has a border with five other welsh diocese, as well as with the English diocese of Hereford.