Framed by the Rivers Tyne and Tweed the Diocese of Newcastle is the Church of England’s most northerly diocese. This Diocese in the ‘land of the Northern Saints’ was formed in 1882 and comprises 169 parishes across 2,110 square miles. The Diocese covers the local authorities of Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside and also small parts of County Durham and Cumbria. The 12 deaneries within 2 archdeaconries serve a population of about 800,000 people across a variety of communities ranging from sparse rural to large inner-city areas of deprivation.
The diocese is led by the Bishop of Newcastle, the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley. A cohort of stipendiary and self-supporting clergy are resourced by a team of lay and ordained supporting ministers, active local ministry development groups and readers. A small administration team is based at Church House, North Shields, which also houses the Joint Education Team (this team also serves the Diocese of Durham), the Lindisfarne College of Theology and a Religious Resources Centre.