There has been a Bishop of Croydon since 1904. There are two Archdeaconries; Croydon and Reigate. The Area Office is is located at 6 St Peter’s Road close to South Croydon Station. The office is staffed by the Bishop, two Archdeacons and two PAs.
The Croydon area covers the boroughs of Croydon, Sutton, and the district of Tandridge, the vast majority of Reigate and Banstead district, and parts of the borough of Bromley and Mole Valley District. It stretches from Upper Norwood in the north to Gatwick in the south, and from West Wickham in the east to Worcester Park in the west.
It is geographically the largest of the three Episcopal Areas – two-thirds of Southwark’s total area. It extends from areas of significant ethnic and social diversity in the north of Croydon and Sutton, through the rapidly evolving landscape of suburbia and into the countryside, country towns and urban overspill of Surrey.
Croydon includes some of the most prosperous places in the country and places of real poverty and hardship. Neither of these are always where one might expect to find them: the food bank in Redhill meets an urgent need, while parts of Upper Norwood are becoming rapidly more prosperous.
The Area has a strong link with the Diocese of Central Zimbabwe and many parishes commit to home and overseas mission projects over and above their financial commitment to the Diocese, which is strong. Mutual visits are regular, and there is a strong link committee with members in both Dioceses working together to ensure that this is a relationship of mutual flourishing in prayer and shared mission, and not a one-way street of financial contributions.
Other Area contacts
Area Officers
Area Ecumenical Adviser: Vacant
Area Environmental Adviser: Vacant
Area Interfaith Advisers: The Revd Alan Bayes & The Revd Tomos Reed
Area Parish Development Officer: The Revd Alison Way
Area Officer for Lay Mission and Ministry: Vacant
Area Directors of IME: The Revd Jon Ward & The Revd Samuel Dennis
Area Warden of Readers: Lindsay Ould, (M) 07592 993326
Archdeaconry CPLMs
Croydon: Jane Ward
Reigate: Paul Budgen, (M) 07904 460049
Mothers’ Union: Sally Steele, (M) 07749 714946
Pastoral Care Adviser: The Revd Michael Elfred
Women’s Ministry Adviser: The Revd Esther Foss
Area Children and Young People Adviser: The Revd Ruth Chapman
Croydon Racial Justice Group
When Diocese of Southwark’s Racial Justice Committee (formerly the Minority Ethnic Anglican Concern Committee) was established, it was determined that issues affecting race relations at Episcopal Area level were vitally important and that a local presence should be maintained. The Croydon Area responded to this challenge by launching the Croydon Racial Justice Group.
Contact
The Revd Cordella Dawson
Zimbabwe Link
The Croydon Episcopal Area is linked with the Diocese of Central Zimbabwe. The Croydon-Zimbabwe Link Working Group supports the Diocese in prayer, with visits and practically in financing and encouraging projects. Parish-to-parish links now exist and there is a new parallel Link Group in Gweru.
Contact
The Ven Greg Prior
Croydon – Central Zimbabwe Link website
