The Diocese of Manchester serves a vibrant, dynamic and diverse community. With an area of 416 square miles and a population of 2.2 million people, the diocese covers most of Greater Manchester, as well as parts of Rossendale and other small areas of Lancashire. It includes the whole of the cities of Manchester and Salford and a number of large post-industrial towns such as Rochdale, Bolton, Oldham, Bury and Leigh. It is divided into four archdeaconries and seven deaneries. There are more than 300 churches which are organised into 255 parishes. 48% of our parishes are in the 10% most deprived nationally. Our recently established mission communities ensure that at the local level, parishes work together to support each other with our mission goals of growing, nurturing and serving.
Over 320 licensed clergy serve in the diocese along with 100 licensed Readers who help with worship and pastoral work. Our 250 Authorised Lay Ministers also play a key part in the life of the Church. All-age average weekly attendance in the diocese is around 20,000 people, which includes 5,000 children and young people.
Parishes and chaplaincies across the diocese are supported by our dedicated staff team based at St John’s House, Bury who support churches across the diocese with mission and ministry along with clergy housing and stipends, safeguarding and governance.
In our diocese there are nearly 200 Church of England primary and secondary schools educating 57,000 pupils every day. These schools are mostly funded by the local authorities with the diocese providing support with religious education and Christian ethos, as well as governance, the recruitment of headteachers, admissions and building projects. The team which supports these schools is also based at St John’s House, under the authority of the Diocesan Board of Education which is chaired by the Bishop of Middleton.
Manchester Diocesan Board of Finance
Manchester Diocesan Board of Finance (the DBF) is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity, accountable under the Diocesan Boards of Finance Measure 1925. Members of Bishop’s Council are directors of the company and trustees of the charity. The Bishop’s Council is the locus for establishing the strategic direction of the diocese and the policies regarding its implementation, recognising the specific role of the Bishop in leading and directing this process.
Under agreements reached at the Synod, the DBF receives income from parishes in the diocese, the Archbishops’ Council and other sources. The DBF’s responsibilities include managing the assets of the diocese, providing administrative and other support to the parishes in the diocese, and holding property on behalf of Diocesan Synod. It acts in accordance with the policy and decisions of the Diocesan Synod and the Bishop’s Council. The parishes in the diocese are governed by Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) which are legal entities in their own right.
With annual expenditure of £14m and net assets of £124m – including parsonages valued at £87m, investment property at £5m and an equity portfolio of £15m – the DBF is responsible for paying clergy stipends and pensions, clergy housing, national church costs. The DBF acts as the employer of staff providing administrative and other support in the diocese.