The diocese of Blackburn is diocese of the Church of England in North West England. Its boundaries correspond to northern Lancashire with the exception of the eastern part of the Forest of Bowland, which is part of the diocese of Leeds. The diocese contains 211 parishes and 280 churches. Blackburn Cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Blackburn, currently Philip North, and the diocesan offices are also located in Blackburn.[1]

Diocese of Blackburn

Dioecesis Blackburnensis
Coat of arms of the Diocese of Blackburn
Coat of arms
Flag of the Diocese of Blackburn
Flag
Location
Ecclesiastical provinceYork
ArchdeaconriesBlackburn, Lancaster
Statistics
Parishes211
Churches280
Information
CathedralBlackburn Cathedral
LanguageEnglish
Current leadership
BishopPhilip North, Bishop of Blackburn
SuffragansJill Duff, Bishop of Lancaster
Joe Kennedy, Bishop of Burnley
ArchdeaconsMark Ireland, Archdeacon of Blackburn
David Picken, Archdeacon of Lancaster
Website
blackburn.anglican.org

What is now the diocese of Blackburn was historically part of the diocese of York. It became part of the newly created diocese of Chester in 1541,[2] and part of the diocese of Manchester when it was created in 1847.[3] The diocese of Blackburn was in turn established on 12 November 1926 from the northern part of Manchester.[4]

Bishops

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Alongside the diocesan Bishop of Blackburn (Philip North), the diocese has two suffragan bishops: Jill Duff, Bishop suffragan of Lancaster, consecrated in 2018; and Joe Kennedy, Bishop suffragan of Burnley, consecrated 2024.

There is no alternative episcopal oversight (for parishes in the diocese which reject the ministry of priests who are women) in the diocese because the ordinary (Philip North) does not ordain women as priests.

Archdeaconries and deaneries

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Diocese Archdeaconries Rural Deaneries
Diocese of Blackburn Archdeaconry of Blackburn Deanery of Accrington
Deanery of Blackburn and Darwen
Deanery of Burnley
Deanery of Chorley
Deanery of Leyland
Deanery of Pendle
Deanery of Whalley
Archdeaconry of Lancaster Deanery of Blackpool
Deanery of Garstang
Deanery of Kirkham
Deanery of Lancaster and Morecambe
Deanery of Poulton
Deanery of Preston
Deanery of Tunstall

Churches within the diocese

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Deanery of Accrington

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Area Dean: the Revd Canon David Arnold

  • Christ Church, Accrington
  • St Andrew, Accrington
  • St Mary Magdalen, Accrington
  • St Peter, Accrington
  • St James, Accrington
  • St Paul, Accrington
  • St John the Evangelist, Accrington
  • St James, Altham
  • St John the Baptist, Baxenden
  • All Saints, Clayton-le-Moors
  • St Clement, Green Haworth
  • St James, Haslingden
  • St Augustine, Huncoat
  • St Peter, Laneside, Haslingden
  • St Thomas, Musbury, Haslingden
  • All Saints, Oswaldtwistle
  • Immanuel, Oswaldtwistle
  • St Paul, Oswaldtwistle

Deanery of Blackburn and Darwen

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Area Dean: the Revd Canon Andrew Horsfall

  • Blackburn Cathedral
  • Christ Church, Blackburn
  • Holy Trinity, Blackburn
  • St Aidan, Mill Hill, Blackburn
  • St Andrew, Livesey, Blackburn
  • St Barnabas, Blackburn
  • St Bartholomew, Ewood, Blackburn
  • St Francis, Feniscliffe, Blackburn
  • St Gabriel, Brownhill Drive, Blackburn
  • St James, Blackburn
  • St Jude, Blackburn
  • St Luke, Blackburn
  • St Michael & All Angels, Blackburn
  • St Silas, Blackburn
  • St Stephen, Blackburn
  • Church of the Saviour, Blackburn
  • St Barnabas, Darwen
  • St Cuthbert, Darwen
  • St Mary, Grimehills, Darwen
  • St Peter, Darwen
  • Immanuel, Feniscowles
  • St Paul, Hoddlesden
  • St Oswald, Knuzden
  • St James, Lower Darwen
  • St James, Over Darwen
  • St Stephen, Tockholes

Deanery of Burnley

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Area Dean: the Revd Munawar Din

  • St James, Briercliffe
  • All Saints, Habergham, Burnley
  • St Andrew, Burnley
  • St Catherine, Burnley
  • St Cuthbert, Burnley
  • St Mark, Burnley
  • St Matthew the Apostle, Habergham Eaves, Burnley
  • St Peter, Burnley
  • St Stephen, Burnley
  • Wellfield Mission, Burnley
  • St Margaret, Hapton
  • St John the Divine, Holme-in-Cliviger
  • St Leonard, Padiham
  • St John the Evangelist, Worsthorne

Deanery of Chorley

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Area Dean: the Revd Neil Kelley

  • St Paul, Adlington
  • All Saints, Appley Bridge
  • St John the Baptist, Bretherton
  • St James, Brindle
  • Christ Church, Charnock Richard
  • All Saints, Chorley
  • St George, Chorley
  • St James, Chorley
  • St Laurence, Chorley
  • St Peter, Chorley
  • Clayton Brook Community Church
  • Coppull Parish Church
  • St John the Divine, Coppull
  • St Michael & All Angels, Croston
  • St Mary the Virgin, Eccleston
  • Euxton Parish Church
  • St Barnabas, Heapey
  • St Peter, Mawdesley
  • Christ Church, Parbold
  • St Anne, Shevington
  • St Wilfrid, Standish
  • St John the Evangelist, Whittle-le-Woods
  • St Paul, Withnell
  • St James the Great, Wrightington

Deanery of Leyland

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Area Dean: the Revd Marc Wolverson

  • St Aidan, Bamber Bridge
  • Buckshaw Village Church (ecumenical)
  • St Saviour, Cuerden
  • St Paul, Farington Moss
  • All Saints, Hesketh
  • All Saints, Higher Walton
  • Holy Trinity, Hoghton
  • St Michael & All Angels, Hoole
  • St Ambrose, Leyland
  • St Andrew, Leyland
  • St James, Leyland
  • St John, Leyland
  • St Andrew, Longton
  • All Saints, New Longton
  • St James, Lostock Hall
  • St Leonard, Penwortham
  • St Mary, Penwortham
  • St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
  • Holy Trinity, Tarleton
  • St Leonard, Walton-le-Dale

Deanery of Pendle

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Area Dean: the Revd Lesley Hinchcliffe

  • St Thomas, Barrowford
  • St Luke the Evangelist, Brierfield
  • St Bartholomew, Colne
  • Christ Church, Colne
  • Holy Trinity, Colne
  • St Anne, Fence-in-Pendle
  • St Michael & All Angels, Foulridge
  • St John the Evangelist, Higham
  • St Mary, Nelson
  • St John the Evangelist, Great Marsden, Nelson
  • St Paul, Little Marsden, Nelson
  • St Mary, Newchurch in Pendle
  • St Mary the Virgin, Trawden

Deanery of Whalley

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Area Dean: the Revd Jonathan Carmylie

Deanery of Blackpool

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Area Dean: the Revd Peter Lillicrap

  • All Saints, Anchorsholme
  • All Hallows, Bispham
  • Christ Church with All Saints (Beacon Church), Blackpool
  • Holy Cross, South Shore, Blackpool
  • Holy Trinity, South Shore, Blackpool
  • St Christopher, Hawes Side, Blackpool
  • St John, Blackpool
  • St Mark, Layton, Blackpool
  • St Mary, South Shore, Blackpool
  • St Paul, Marton, Blackpool
  • St Paul, North Shore, Blackpool
  • St Peter, South Shore, Blackpool
  • St Stephen-on-the-Cliffs, Blackpool
  • St Thomas, Blackpool
  • St Wilfrid (Freedom Church), Mereside, Blackpool
  • St Anne, Greenlands
  • St Luke's Mission Church, Staining

Deanery of Garstang

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Area Dean: the Revd Andrew Wilkinson

Deanery of Kirkham

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Area Dean: the Revd Anne Beverley

Deanery of Lancaster and Morecambe

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Area Dean: vacant

Deanery of Poulton

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Area Dean: the Revd Jane Atkinson

Deanery of Preston

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Area Dean: the Revd David Hanson

Deanery of Tunstall

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Area Dean: vacant

Disused churches

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This list is not exhaustive.

References

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  1. ^ "Diocesan Offices". The Diocese of Blackburn. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  2. ^ Joyce M., Horn; David M., Smith; Mussett, Patrick (2004), Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, vol. 11, pp. 33–34
  3. ^ "No. 20769". The London Gazette. 31 August 1847. pp. 3157–3160.
  4. ^ "No. 33220". The London Gazette. 12 November 1926. p. 7321.
  5. ^ "Michael Edwin Vickers". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Cyril Guy Ashton". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  7. ^ "David Michael Hope". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
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53°45′00″N 2°29′06″W / 53.750°N 2.485°W / 53.750; -2.485