An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Catholic Church. An archdeacon is often responsible for administration within an archdeaconry, which is the principal subdivision of the diocese. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church has defined an archdeacon as "A cleric having a defined administrative authority delegated to him by the bishop in the whole or part of the diocese." The office has often been described metaphorically as that of oculus episcopi, the "bishop's eye".
In English ecclesiastical law, the term incumbent refers to the holder of a Church of England parochial charge or benefice. The term "benefice" originally denoted a grant of land for life in return for services. In church law, the duties were spiritual ("spiritualities") and some form of assets to generate revenue were permanently linked to the duties to ensure the support of the office holder. Historically, once in possession of the benefice, the holder had lifelong tenure unless he failed to provide the required minimum of spiritual services or committed a moral offence. With the passing of the "Pastoral Measure 1968" and subsequent legislation, this no longer applies, and many ancient benefices have been joined into a single new one.
The Anglican ministry is both the leadership and agency of Christian service in the Anglican Communion. "Ministry" commonly refers to the office of ordained clergy: the threefold order of bishops, priests and deacons. More accurately, Anglican ministry includes many laypeople who devote themselves to the ministry of the church, either individually or in lower/assisting offices such as lector, acolyte, sub-deacon, Eucharistic minister, cantor, musicians, parish secretary or assistant, warden, vestry member, etc. Ultimately, all baptized members of the church are considered to partake in the ministry of the Body of Christ.
Michael John Colclough is a retired British Anglican bishop. He served as area Bishop of Kensington in the Diocese of London (1996–2008) then Canon Pastor of St Paul's Cathedral, London (2008–2013).
Peter Wheatley is a retired bishop in the Church of England, currently serving as Priest-in-Charge of Christ Church, St Leonards-on-Sea. From 1995 to 1999, he was the Archdeacon of Hampstead. From 1999 to 2014, he was the Bishop of Edmonton, an area bishop in the Diocese of London.
John Robert Geoffrey Neale was a British Anglican bishop. From 1974 to 1988, he was the first suffragan Bishop of Ramsbury in the Church of England and the first area bishop under that diocese's 1981–2009 area scheme.
The ordination of women in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney is restricted to the diaconate. The diocese rejects the ordination of women as priests and bishops.
Christopher "Chris" Lowson is a retired British Anglican bishop. He served as Bishop of Lincoln, 2011–2021.
Charles Theophilus Hahn, was an Anglican priest in South London, Yorkshire and Southern Africa. He was an amateur artist and botanical illustrator.
Stephen Ronald Taylor, is a senior priest in the Church of England and a former Archdeacon of Maidstone in the Diocese of Canterbury.
Peter Sydney Godfrey Bridges, ARIBA was an Anglican priest who served in three senior posts during the last third of the twentieth century.
Michael Edson is a British Church of England priest; he was Archdeacon of Leicester from 1994 to 2002.
Mark Andrew Butchers is a British Anglican priest who served as Archdeacon of Barnstaple, 2015– 2020.
Samantha Jayne Rushton is a British Anglican priest.
Alastair Murray Cutting is a British Church of England priest. Since 2013, he has served as the Archdeacon of Lewisham & Greenwich in the Diocese of Southwark.
Claire Wood is a Church of England priest and the Archdeacon of Loughborough.
Peter Philip Leonard is a British Anglican priest who served as Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight, 2019–2022.
Peter Wilfred Woodman is a retired Anglican priest.
Andrew Stuart Grimwood is an Anglican priest in the Church in Wales.
Dianne Dialecti "Di" Nicolios is a retired Australian Anglican priest. She was the first woman appointed Archdeacon for Women's Ministries in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. She held that position from January 1994 to May 2002. She was also one of the first group of 14 women to be ordained a deacon in 1989 in the Sydney diocese.
