“A parish is a defined geographical area within which there is a worshipping community that recognises its responsibility to provide mission and ministry within that area.
Each parish will have a name and physical boundary, as Diocesan Council may approve from time to time after consultation with that parish.”
– Parish Statute 2024, clauses 7 – 8
Parish boundaries have been an enduring part of Anglican structures throughout our history. They exist to define areas of pastoral responsibility and assist parishes in identifying and responding to the community around them. Boundaries formally exist as written descriptions and are updated and maintained by the Diocesan Council.
What boundaries are for
One of the characteristics of Anglicanism is to be a church based in and for a local community. Boundaries define, to an extent, what we see as being our local context and community – the people to whom, and the places to which, congregations offer ministry. They capture that ‘primary pastoral focus’ and provide the area in which we direct our ministry efforts. In a practical sense, they identify areas of pastoral outreach and ministry. A common example would be that, if a rest home, school, or other organisation reaches out for pastoral care, boundaries identify which parish might best be called to respond.
What boundaries are not for
Whilst it may have been the case in a time gone by, boundaries are not an attempt to define where people are to go to church. Particularly in urban settings, people increasingly travel to participate in church, and that continues to be an individual choice.
The current parish boundaries can be seen on the map below. For detailed descriptions of each parish boundary, click here.