Diocese of Monmouth

The Diocese of Monmouth is a diocese of the Church in Wales. Despite the name, its cathedral is located not in Monmouth but in Newport — the Cathedral Church of St Woolos. Reasons for not choosing the title of Newport included the existence of a Catholic Bishop of Newport until 1916. This apparent anomaly arose in 1921 when the diocese was created (from the eastern part of the Diocese of Llandaff) with no location for the cathedral yet chosen. Various options were being considered, such as restoring Tintern Abbey, building from scratch on Ridgeway Hill in Newport, and (the eventual choice) upgrading St Woolos, then a parish church; in the meantime the new diocese, as it covers more or less the territory of the county of Monmouth, was named the "Diocese of Monmouth". Prior to 1921 the area had been the archdeaconry of Monmouth.

It is headed by Cherry Vann, Bishop of Monmouth. She was elected the eleventh bishop in September 2019 and enthroned in Newport Cathedral on 1 February 2020.

In its own words, the diocese "covers the south east corner of Wales, from Monmouth south to Chepstow, westwards along the 'M4 corridor' to Newport and the outskirts of Cardiff, northwards into the south eastern valleys and east into the rural areas around Usk, Raglan, Abergavenny and the Herefordshire border".

In local government terms, the territory of the diocese covers the unitary authority areas of:

• Monmouthshire
• Newport
• Torfaen
• Blaenau Gwent (part)
• Caerphilly (part)
• Cardiff (part)
• Herefordshire (part)

Archdeaconries and deaneries

At the Diocesan Conference, October 2017, the creation of a third archdeaconry — Gwent Valleys — from the two deaneries of Bedwellty and of Pontypool, was approved.

List of archdeacons

Archdeacons of Monmouth

The archdeaconry of Monmouth was erected, from the Llandaff archdeaconry, in the Diocese of Llandaff on 6 February 1844.

• 26 February 1844 – 1885 (ret.): William Crawley
• 1885–1914 (res.): Conybeare Bruce
• 1914–1921 (res.): Charles Green

From its creation in 1921, the archdeaconry has been in Monmouth diocese.

• 1922–1926 (d.): David Griffiths
• 1926–1930 (res.): David Roberts
• 1930–1940 (res.): Alfred Monahan
• 1940–1954: Samuel Davies
• 1955–1963: Joseph Ralph Jones
• 1963–1973: Ernest Evans
• 1973–1976: Cecil Percival Willis
• 1976–1977 (res.): Clifford Wright
• 1977–1986 (res.): Barrie Evans
• 1986–1993 (res.): Keith Tyte
• 1993–2001: Peter Woodman
• 2001–2008: Glyndwr Hackett
• 2008–2013 (res.): Richard Pain
• 24 November 2013 – 12 March 2021: Ambrose Mason
• 20 June 2021 – present: Ian Rees

Ian Kendall Rees (born 1966) was collated Archdeacon of Monmouth on 20 June 2021. He trained for the ministry at St Michael's College, Llandaff and served his title (curacy) at Barry; he was made deacon at Petertide 2000 (24 June) and ordained priest the following Petertide (30 June 2001) — both times by Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff, at Llandaff Cathedral. He served as an associate priest in Cardiff until 2005, then priest-in-charge near Bridgend, before moving to the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon in 2010. Rees served in several incumbencies there along with diocesan roles and both honorary and residentiary canonries of the cathedral before his move to Monmouth as archdeacon and Director of Ministry and Discipleship.

Archdeacons of Newport

The archdeaconry of Newport was created from the Monmouth archdeaconry in 1930.

• 1931–1935: the Dean of Monmouth provisionally
• 1935–1948 (ret.): Vaughan Rees
• 1948–1953 (d.): Thomas Parry Pryce
• 1953–1964 (ret.): Charles Lewis (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)
• 1964–1973: Ivor Philips
• 1973–1976: Ernest Evans
• 1976–1977: (d) Cecil Percival Willis
• 1977–1986 (res.): Clifford Wright
• 1986–1993 (ret.): Barrie Evans
• 1993–1997 (ret.): Keith Tyte
• 1997–2008: Kenneth Sharpe
• 2008–2012: Glyndwr Hackett
• 9 September 2012–present: Jonathan Williams

Newport archdeaconry was split in 2018 to create Gwent Valleys archdeaconry

Archdeacons of the Gwent Valleys

The archdeaconry was erected from Newport archdeaconry in 2018.

• 7 July 2018 – 24 July 2021 (d.): Sue Pinnington
• 19 June 2022 – present: Stella Bailey

Stella Bailey (born 1976) was collated Archdeacon of the Gwent Valleys on 19 June 2022. She first studied theology at Westhill College, Birmingham, then worked in factories before joining West Midlands Police. Bailey trained for the ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon and received orders in the Church of England: she was made deacon at Petertide 2009 (5 July) — by Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, at Coventry Cathedral — and ordained priest the following Petertide (3 July 2010) by John Stroyan, Bishop of Warwick, at Coventry Cathedral. Her title post (curacy) was at Walsgrave on Sowe, after which she served as Vicar of St Mary Magdalen, Coventry. Her last post before becoming archdeacon was at Kenilworth, where she also became Area Dean. In Monmouth diocese, Bailey serves as both Archdeacon and Director of Mission.

List of churches

Deanery of Abergavenny

Closed churches in the area

Deanery of Monmouth

Closed churches in this area

Deanery of Netherwent

Closed churches in the area

Deanery of Heart of Monmouthshire

Closed churches in this area

Deanery of Bassaleg

Closed churches in this area

Deanery of Newport

Closed churches in this area

Deanery of Bedwellty

Closed churches in this area

Deanery of Pontypool

Closed churches in the area

Dedications

This table is drawn from the above lists.

See also

• List of Church in Wales churches

References

External links

• Diocese of Monmouth Archived 2012-03-13 at the Wayback Machine