Four New Deaneries officially recognised

Four new deaneries of the Bradford Episcopal Area, within the Anglican Diocese of Leeds, were officially recognised and celebrated in a service at Bradford Cathedral on Sunday.

The map of Bradford Episcopal Area has been redrawn with four new deaneries (or administrative areas) coming into being on January 1st. (see map)

At a service of celebration in Bradford Cathedral on Sunday Bishop Nick Baines, the Bishop of Leeds, licensed four Bradford parish clergy to senior roles as the four new Area Deans with responsibility for the oversight of each of the four new deanery areas.

Leading the service were the Bishop of Leeds will be the Area Bishop of Bradford, Rt Revd Toby Howarth and the Dean of Bradford, Very Revd Jerry Lepine. Music was led by Clayton Worship Band and the Cathedral Choir.

From the New Year, Bradford parishes are now grouped into the four new deaneries of Inner Bradford (in red on the map), Outer Bradford (in blue), Aire and Worth (in green) and South Craven and Wharfedale (in yellow). (See attached picture/map)

Leading each deanery and licensed at Bradford Cathedral on Sunday are the four new Area Deans: the Revd Canon Alistair Helm, Vicar of Manningham – who will be made |Area Dean of Inner Bradford; the Revd Vaughan Pollard, Vicar of Clayton – who will be also the Area Dean of Outer Bradford; the Revd Sandra Benham, Incumbent of Baildon – she will also be made Area Dean of Aire and Worth; and the Revd Canon Philip Gray, Vicar, Ilkley St Margaret – who will also be Area Dean of South Craven and Wharfedale.

The new deaneries replace the five former deaneries of Airedale, Bowling and Horton, Bradford North, Ilkley and Keighley.

The map of the Bradford episcopal area has been redrawn so that similar parishes can work together more effectively, according to the Bishop of Bradford, Rt. Revd Toby Howarth:  “We needed to create a new deanery structure, as two of our existing deaneries had been divided across different episcopal areas and were significantly smaller than the others.

“The new model addresses this issue, but also goes further. The new deaneries are not only geographically focussed, but also offer mutual support in mission to parishes and clergy in similar contexts.”

Deaneries play an important part in the organisation of the church. Defined as a group of neighbouring parishes forming an administrative area, each deanery is overseen by an Area Dean (ordained) and a Lay Chair (not ordained) and has clergy and elected lay representatives from the parishes on the Deanery Synod.  The Deanery Chapter of clergy provides pastoral support and the sharing of ideas while the Deanery Synod is an important forum for exchanging views, electing representatives to the Diocesan Synod and also to the General Synod, the legislative body of the Church of England.

The parishes were grouped into the new deaneries as follows:

Deanery of Inner Bradford

Bankfoot; St Stephen Bowling; Bowling St John; St Augustine Undercliffe, Bradford; St Clement, Bradford; St Peter, Bradford; Bradford St Wilfrid with St Columba; St Oswald Chapel Green; Frizinghall; St Philip Girlington; Great Horton; St Martin Heaton; St Barnabas Heaton; All Saints Horton; Manningham; St Margaret Thornbury; Toller Lane St Chad; and St James the Great, Woodhall.

Deanery of Outer Bradford

 St Peter Allerton; Bierley; St James with St Chrysostom, Bolton; St John the Baptist Clayton; St Luke Eccleshill; St Saviour, Fairweather Green; Holy Trinity Idle; St John the Evangelist Greengates; Low Moor; Oakenshaw; Holy Trinity Queensbury; Shelf St Michael with Buttershaw St Aidan; Thornton; St John the Divine Thorpe Edge; Tong and Laisterdyke; Wibsey, St Paul; St Cuthbert Wrose; and Wyke.

Deanery of Aire and Worth

Baildon; All Saints Bingley; Holy Trinity Bingley; St Michael and All Angels, Cottingley; St James, Cross Roads cum Lees; Cullingworth; Denholme; Harden; St Michael, Haworth; Ingrow with Hainworth; Keighley; Morton; Oakworth; Oxenhope; Riddlesden, St Mary; St Paul Shipley; St Peter Shipley; St Stephen Steeton; Christ Church Windhill; and Wilsden.

Deanery of South Craven and Wharfedale

Addingham; St John Ben Rhydding; Burley; St John the Evangelist, Cononley with Bradley; Cowling; Ilkley All Saints; St Margaret Ilkley; Kildwick; Christ Church Lothersdale; St John the Divine, Menston with Woodhead; St James Silsden; and St Thomas Sutton.