Web Analytics

About Us

The Diocese of Bath and Wells

Through our network of people, parishes, schools and churches, the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells is supporting and resourcing confident Christian communities across Somerset. The diocese stretches from Portishead in the north to Crewkerne in the south, Minehead in the west to Frome in the east. Together we serve nearly 1,000,000 people.

While two thirds of the diocese is rural, more than half our population lives in urban areas. Our diocese encompasses areas of both great wealth and of considerable material poverty. We have a rich history, beautiful landscapes and amazing people blessed with an extraordinary diversity of backgrounds, experiences, skills and abilities.

Our diocesan vision is: ‘In response to God’s immense love for us, we seek to be God’s people, living and telling the story of Jesus’. It is a vision that is being lived out in our churches, our homes, our schools and our workplaces every day. Our shared aspiration as a diocese is to be growing church and transforming communities and our desire for the church is to be a significant presence in the local community we serve, understanding its needs and helping the church to grow by showing the relevance of the Gospel.

We support and encourage parishes and deaneries to work and develop in varied and diverse ways, supporting the emergence of new and creative patterns of ministry. You can read more about how we are living out our vision across our diocese in the ‘Living and telling’ document.

During 2024 our church communities have engaged with an extensive consultation exercise to review proposed changes on our method of calculating contributions into our Common Fund. The new system has been agreed and will come into effect in 2025. We continue to address our financial challenges and will soon be consulting our three-year budget.

The Diocese

The Diocese of Bath & Wells is one of 41 Church of England dioceses.  Created in 909, it covers the historic county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. It spans over 1,600 square miles stretching from Exmoor in the west to the boundary of Bristol in the north, with Chard and Yeovil to the south.  It includes Bath, Taunton and Wells, where the Cathedral Church and the administrative headquarters are situated. There are 561 churches and 182 church schools within 466 parishes and 171 benefices served by parochial stipendiary clergy, as well as curates in training, house for duty and non-stipendiary clergy, readers and lay ministers.

Everything the diocese does is underpinned by prayer and worship and we are driven by our vision that: ‘In response to God’s immense love for us, we seek to be God’s people, living and telling the story of Jesus.’ We seek to live this story as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world and to tell it, both in sharing the good news and by the way in which our lives speak about Him.

During 2023, everyone was asked to reflect on our vision, and there were many opportunities to come together and ask ourselves, ‘What will help us live out our vision, and what difference will that make?’. More information can be found on our website Here.

The Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF)

The financial affairs and assets of the diocese are managed by the Bath and Wells Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF). It was incorporated in 1915 as a company limited by guarantee (No. 139557) and its governing documents are its Memorandum and Articles of Association. The DBF is also registered with the Charity Commission (No. 249398).

The DBF’s principal object is to promote, assist and advance the work of the Church of England in the Diocese of Bath & Wells by acting as the financial executive of the Diocesan Synod.

The DBF has the following statutory responsibilities:

  • the management of glebe property and investments to generate income to support stipends;
  • the repair of benefice houses (clergy housing);
  • the management of investments and the custodian of assets relating to church schools;
  • the custodian of permanent endowment and real property assets relating to trusts held by incumbents and Archdeacons and by Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) as Diocesan Authority.

The DBF also pays clergy stipends, employs salaried staff and collects parish share and parochial fees.

The DBF had 67 average full time equivalent (FTE) salaried employees and 160 stipendiary clergy (office holders), 42 self-supporting licensed clergy and 210 licensed Readers. Our latest annual accounts can be found on the website Annual Review and Accounts – Bath and Wells Diocese

Governance

Diocesan leadership and decision-making rests with the following bodies:

  • Diocesan Synod
  • Bishop’s Council
  • Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF)
    • Finance Group
      • Common Fund Committee
      • Houses Committee
      • Investments Committee
    • Archdeaconry Mission and Pastoral Committees (3)
    • Diocesan Board of Education (DBE)

Members of Diocesan Synod are members of the DBF.  Members of Bishop’s Council act as the DBF’s directors and trustees.  The Bishop’s Council appoints the Finance Group with delegated powers to manage the operational affairs of the DBF.  The Chair of the DBF chairs the Finance Group and that part of the Bishop’s Council agenda concerned with finance.  A separate independent Audit and Risk Management Group exists reporting to Bishop’s Council.

Staff organisation

Diocesan Support Services (each overseen by a Head of Function)

  • Support Services, Education, Ministry for Mission

Archdeaconries (each overseen by an Archdeacon)

  • Bath Wells, Taunton