Anglican Diocese of Liverpool


The diocese of Liverpool is a diocese of the Church of England in North West England. The diocese covers Merseyside north of the River Mersey, south-west Lancashire, western Greater Manchester, and part of northern Cheshire. Liverpool Cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Liverpool, currently John Perumbalath, and the diocesan offices are also located in Liverpool. The bishop is assisted by one suffragan bishop, the bishop of Warrington.
What is now the diocese of Liverpool was historically part of the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, and became part of the newly created diocese of Chester in 1541. The diocese of Liverpool was established on 9 April 1880.

Bishops

The diocese's House of Bishops comprises the diocesan Bishop of Liverpool, the suffragan Bishop of Warrington, and the honorary assistant bishop and pro-vice chancellor emeritus at Liverpool Hope University, Ian Stuart Alternative episcopal oversight is provided by the provincial episcopal visitor the Bishop of Beverley, Stephen Race. He is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there.
On 28 February 2025, it was announced that Ruth Worsley was to become Interim Bishop of Liverpool for a period of two years starting later in 2025; to facilitate this role, she was translated from Taunton to the vacant suffragan See of Wigan on 4 April 2025.
There are two retired bishops living in the diocese:
In May 2016, it was announced that Susan Goff, Suffragan Bishop of Virginia, had been licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese, as part of the companion link with the American Episcopalian Diocese of Virginia. In response, the Diocese of Akure, Nigeria, has indicated that they wish to end their part of the companion link.

Pastoral reorganisation

The diocese is in the process of reorganising its parishes into larger units under the tagline 'Fit for Mission'. This occurred first in Wigan deanery, which now consists of one benefice and seven parishes where once there were twenty-nine. An independent report suggested that the impact on the spiritual life and financial health of the deanery has not been positive. Similar mergers have taken place in St Helens and West Derby and one is underway in Warrington. Other deaneries are at earlier stages of the process.

Archdeaconries and deaneries

1named Sefton until 2012
2named Bootle until 2017

List of churches

Extra-parochial places

  • Liverpool Cathedral Precinct : Liverpool Cathedral

    Archdeaconry of Knowsley and Sefton

Deanery of Huyton

  • Benefice and Parish of Earlsfield : St Mary's Church, Knowsley --- St George's Church, Huyton
  • Benefice and Parish of Huyton : St Michael's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Huyton Quarry : St Gabriel's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Kirkby : St Chad's Church --- St Martin's Church, Kirkby Southdene --- St Andrew's Church, Tower Hill, Kirkby --- St Mark's Church, Northwood, Kirkby
  • Benefice and Parish of Prescot : St Mary's Church --- St Paul's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Roby : St Bartholomew's Church --- Trinity Local Ecumenical Partnership, Page Moss
  • Benefice and Parish of West Derby St Luke and Stockbridge Village St Jude : St Luke's Church, West Derby --- St Jude's Church, Stockbridge Village
  • Benefice and Parish of Whiston : St Nicholas' Church

    Deanery of North Meols

  • Benefice and Parish of Ainsdale : St John's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Birkdale St James : St James's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Birkdale St John : St John's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Birkdale St Peter : St Peter's Church
  • Benefice of Kew : St Francis of Assisi's Church
  • Benefice of North Meols
  • * Parish of Crossens : St John's Church
  • * Parish of North Meols : St Cuthbert's Church, Churchtown
  • * Parish of St Stephen in the Banks : St Stephen's Church, Banks
  • Benefice and Parish of Southport All Saints : All Saints' Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Southport Christ Church : Christ Church --- St Andrew's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Southport Emmanuel : Emmanuel Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Southport Holy Trinity : Holy Trinity Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Southport St Luke : St Luke's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Southport St Philip and St Paul : St Philip Local Ecumenical Partnership --- St Paul's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Southport St Simon and St Jude with All Souls : SS Simon & Jude's Church --- ''All Souls' Church ''

    Deanery of Ormskirk

  • Benefice and Parish of Aughton Christ Church : Christ Church
  • Benefice of Aughton St Michael and Bickerstaffe
  • * Parish of Aughton St Michael : St Michael's Church --- Cottage Lane Mission Room
  • * Parish of Bickerstaffe : Holy Trinity Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Burscough Bridge : St John the Baptist's Church --- St Andrew's Church, New Lane --- St Cyprian's Mission Church, Hoscar
  • Benefice of Halsall, Lydiate and Downholland
  • * Parish of Halsall : St Cuthbert's Church
  • * Parish of Lydiate and Downholland : St Thomas' Church, Lydiate --- St Catherine's Chapel, Lydiate
  • Benefice and Parish of Newburgh : Christ Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Ormskirk : SS Peter & Paul's Church --- St John the Divine's Chapel, Lathom
  • Benefice and Parish of Rainford : All Saints' Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Scarisbrick : St Mark's Church --- Good Shepherd Mission Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Skelmersdale St Paul : St Paul's Church --- Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre Local Ecumenical Partnership
  • Benefice and Parish of Up Holland and Dalton : St Thomas the Martyr's Church, Up Holland --- Church of Christ the Servant, Digmoor --- Oaks Church, Tanhouse, Skelmersdale --- St Michael & All Angels' Church, Dalton
  • Benefice and Parish of Westhead : St James's Church

    Deanery of Sefton North

  • Benefice and Parish of Aintree St Giles with St Peter : St Giles' Church --- St Peter's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Blundellsands St Michael : St Michael's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Blundellsands St Nicholas : St Nicholas' Church
  • Benefice of Formby Holy Trinity and Altcar
  • * Parish of Altcar : St Michael & All Angels' Church
  • * Parish of Formby Holy Trinity : Holy Trinity Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Formby St Luke : St Luke's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Formby St Peter : St Peter's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Great Crosby St Luke : St Luke's Church --- St Michael's Chapel
  • Benefice and Parish of Hightown : St Stephen's Church
  • Benefice of Maghull and Melling
  • * Parish of Maghull St Andrew : St Andrew's Church --- Maghull Chapel
  • * Parish of Maghull St James : St James's Church, Green Park, Maghull
  • * Parish of Maghull St Peter : St Peter's Church
  • * Parish of Melling : St Thomas & Holy Rood Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Thornton and Crosby All Saints with St Frideswide : All Saints' Church, Great Crosby --- ''St Frideswide's Church, Thornton ''

    Deanery of Sefton South (formerly Bootle)

  • Benefice and Parish of Bootle Christ Church : Christ Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Bootle St Matthew and St Leonard : St Matthew's Church --- St Leonard's Church --- St Mary's Church --- St Andrew's Church, Litherland --- St Thomas's Church, Seaforth --- St John's Church
  • Benefice of Great Crosby St Faith and Waterloo Park St Mary
  • * Parish of Great Crosby St Faith : St Faith's Church
  • * Parish of Waterloo Park : St Mary's Church
  • Benefice of Litherland and Orrell Hey
  • * Parish of Litherland St Paul : St Paul's Church, Hatton Hill, Litherland
  • * Parish of Litherland St Philip : St Philip's Church
  • * Parish of Orrell Hey : SS John & James's Church --- Old SS John & James's Church
  • Benefice of Netherton and Sefton
  • * Parish of Netherton : St Oswald's Church
  • * Parish of Sefton : St Helen's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Waterloo : Christ Church -''-- Old Christ Church --- St John's Church ''

    Archdeaconry of Liverpool

Deanery of Liverpool North and Walton

  • Benefice and Parish of Anfield St Columba : St Columba's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Anfield St Margaret : St Margaret's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Everton St George : St George's Church --- Christ Church --- St Chad's Church --- St Benedict's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Everton St Peter with St John Chrysostom : St Peter's Church --- St John Chrysostom's Church --- Emmanuel Church --- St John the Evangelist's Church --- St Ambrose's Church --- St Timothy's Church --- St Polycarp's Church --- St Augustine's Church --- All Saints' New Church, Liverpool --- Holy Trinity Church, Liverpool --- All Saints' Old Church, Liverpool
  • Benefice and Parish of Fazakerley : Emmanuel Church --- St Paul's Church --- St George's Church, Sparrow Hall, Fazakerley
  • Benefice and Parish of Kirkdale St Athanasius with St Mary : St Athanasius' Church --- St Mary's Church --- All Souls' Church, Vauxhall --- St Alban's Church, Liverpool --- Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Vauxhall --- St Bartholomew's Church, Vauxhall --- St Matthew's New Church --- St Aidan's Church --- St James the Less's Church --- St Asaph's Welsh Church --- St Titus' Church, Vauxhall
  • Benefice and Parish of Kirkdale St Lawrence with St Paul : St Lawrence's Church --- St Paul's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Liverpool All Saints : St Mary's Church, Edge Hill --- St Philip's New Church --- St David's Welsh Church, Kensington --- Christ Church, Kensington --- St John the Divine's Church, Fairfield --- St Silas' Church --- St Jude's Church --- St Cyprian's Church, Edge Hill
  • Benefice and Parish of Liverpool Our Lady & St Nicholas : SS Mary & Nicholas' Church --- St Peter's Church --- St George's Church --- St Paul's Church --- ''St Anne's Church --- St Catherine's Church --- St Mary's Church --- St John the Baptist's Church --- St Stephen's Church --- St Matthew's Old Church --- Christ Church --- Mariners' Floating Church --- St Matthias' Church, Vauxhall --- St John the Evangelist's Church --- St Mary Magdalene's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Walton Breck : Holy Trinity Church --- Christ Church --- St Saviour's Church, Everton --- St Cuthbert's Church, Everton --- SS Simon & Jude's Church, Anfield
  • Benefice and Parish of Walton-on-the-Hill St John : St John the Evangelist's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Walton-on-the-Hill St Luke : St Luke the Evangelist's Church
  • Benefice and Parish of Walton-on-the-Hill St Mary St Aidan St Nathanael : St Mary's Church --- St Aidan's Church --- 'St Nathanael's Church'''