About Us

Communities and people

The Diocese of Bristol is the Church of England for over one million people living across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Wiltshire and Swindon. It covers a diverse and contrasting range of contexts and brings together over 200 churches, 70 church schools, a range of chaplaincies and networks of faith seeking to be a church for and serving all people in all places. Around 18,000 people worship regularly in our churches and 18,000 children and young people are educated in a church school.

As a diocese, we seek to support all those with positions of responsibility in these contexts, lay or ordained, voluntary or paid. We have a particular responsibility for over 200 clergy who hold an “ecclesiastical office” (most clergy are not employees). The Bristol Diocesan Board of Finance, the organisation which supports the whole work of the Diocese, has about 50 employed staff, primarily part of the Diocesan Support Services which works with parishes, schools and other organisations.

Rt Revd Vivienne Faull is the Bishop of Bristol who leads and oversees the Diocese supported by Rt Revd Neil Warwick, the Suffragan Bishop of Swindon. Other senior roles include the CEO/Diocesan Secretary, who is the chief officer of the Bristol Diocesan Board of Finance and leads the Diocesan Support Services and the Senior Leadership Team, the Dean of Bristol who leads Bristol Cathedral, the Archdeacons of Malmesbury and of Bristol, whose duties include the management of, and pastoral support to, clergy and parishes.

The Senior Leadership Team is comprised of the Director of Mission and Ministry, who oversee both parish and ministerial development ,the Director of Transformation, who oversees the diocesan change programme, the Director of Education, leading our work in church schools and young people, the Director of Property, who sustains all our properties and our work to reach carbon net zero by 2030, the Director of External Relations, who leads on communications, partnerships & fundraising, the Director of Finance and IT, and the Director of People and Safeguarding.

Strategic context

The Church of England, both locally and nationally, is at a crossroads. In an increasingly secular society, our congregations are declining and aging, posing a medium-term existential challenge. At the same time, the national Church is struggling with the tension between current societal norms (with regard to inclusion, gender and sexuality) and traditional theological positions which can appear anachronistic and out of place in today’s society, especially to young people.

Bristol’s response to these challenges is bold, and in some areas radical. We are led by a Bishop who has clearly expressed her views on the need to modernise our approach to gender, sexuality and inclusion, and out new strategy ‘Transforming Church. Together’, aims to robustly address the spectrum of challenges we face. The 12 projects which make up the programme include the Inclusion and Racial Justice workstream, and seek to help our clergy and parishes to thrive, encourage our parishes to be more outward-looking and inclusive, attract more young people to Christ, deliver more social action, and reach environmental and financial sustainability by 2030. Such is the confidence of the National Church; Bristol has been awarded a £7m grant to help deliver this huge change programme.

With this funding we are able to continue, accelerate and expand our focus on Racial Justice, recognising the issue and impact of intersectionality within the church and diocese. As a result, a new Racial Justice Strategy has been developed, encompassing the following five strategic priorities:

  • Acknowledge and repent of the Church’s past involvement in and benefit from the slave trade.
  • Challenge and address institutional racism, listening to and learning from the experiences of UKME / GMH people.
  • Recruit and support more Global Majority Heritage clergy, staff and volunteers.
  • Make our churches truly welcoming to everyone, taking responsibility for the need for profound cultural change in our Church.
  • Engagement with the Diocesan Board of Education about signposting schools to curriculum resources for considering racial justice.

This role will lead on the implementation of the activities required to progress these strategic priorities, and will be supported by the Racial Justice Team, the Bishop’s Staff Team and the wider Diocesan Support Services Staff when appropriate.