About Us

The diocese of Oxford has an estimated population of 2,123,000. It is the fourth most populous diocese in the Church of England. More or less covering the counties of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, it is the fifth largest in land area (covering 2,221 square miles) and it has by far the largest number of parishes and churches – 300 benefices, 623 parishes, and 814 churches served by almost 900 licensed ministers. Most recent figures show that there are 51,165 people on the electoral rolls of the diocese.

There are 320 male and 90 female stipendiary clergy, 220 licensed nonstipendiary and ordained local ministers, 250 licensed lay ministers (readers) and approximately 40 youth ministers employed by the parishes across the diocese.

The diocese has the largest number of both female stipendiary and nonstipendiary (both male and female) clergy of any diocese in the Church of England. It has a large number of chaplains in hospital and educational institutions. The diocese has nine honorary assistant bishops, and a very large number of retired clergy, many of whom have permission to officiate in the diocese.

At a time when the Church has difficulties in attracting young people to its services, the diocese has 47,000 children attending its schools.

The diocese of Oxford was created in 1542 by Henry VIII, who carved it out of the then vast diocese of Lincoln. The county of Berkshire (as it then was) was transferred from the diocese of Salisbury in 1836 and Buckinghamshire from the diocese of Lincoln in 1845.

The diocese’s unique combination of buildings, volunteers, voluntary giving and involvement in the lives of the community make it the largest self-funded voluntary organisation in the Thames Valley.

Vision

Our purpose is to create a caring, sustainable and growing Christian presence in every part of the diocese of Oxford.

As a diocese, we are committed to continuing to work together under the banner of ‘Sharing Life’. We long to be:

• Centred on God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• Orientated towards the world and its needs
• Connecting to people, both their communities and their culture in new
ways
• Serious about Christian discipleship.

See Also
Sharing Life
Description of the Diocese - PDF