Anglican Diocese of Perth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diocese of Perth
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Australia
Territory	Perth metropolitan area Goldfields-Esperance (Southern part) Wheatbelt
Ecclesiastical province	Western Australia
Metropolitan	Archbishop of Perth
Headquarters	Church House Level 5 3 Pier Street Perth WA 6000
Coordinates	31°57′21″S 115°51′41″E / 31.9558°S 115.8613°E / -31.9558; 115.8613
Information
Denomination	Anglicanism
Rite	Book of Common Prayer An Australian Prayer Book A Prayer Book for Australia
Established	11 January 1856 (1856-01-11)
Cathedral	St George's Cathedral, Perth
Language	English
Current leadership
Parent church	Anglican Church of Australia
Archbishop	Kay Goldsworthy (since February 2018)
Dean	Chris Chataway (since February 2020)

The Anglican Diocese of Perth is one of the 23 dioceses of the Anglican Church of Australia. The constitution of the Diocese of Perth was passed and adopted in 1872 at the first synod held in Western Australia. In 1914, the Province of Western Australia was created and the diocesan bishop of Perth became ex officio metropolitan bishop of the new province and therefore also an archbishop.

The diocese incorporates the southern part of the state of Western Australia and includes the Christmas and Cocos Islands. The other dioceses in the Anglican Province of Western Australia are the Diocese of Bunbury and the Diocese of North West Australia.

The cathedral church of the diocese is St George's Cathedral, Perth.

History

The diocese is one of the 23 dioceses of the Anglican Church of Australia. The constitution of the diocese adopted in 1872 at the first synod held in Western Australia. In 1914, the Province of Western Australia was created and the diocesan bishop of Perth became ex officio metropolitan bishop of the new province and therefore also an archbishop.

The diocese incorporates the southern part of the state of Western Australia and includes the Christmas and Cocos Islands. It absorbed the Diocese of Kalgoorlie in 1972. The other dioceses in the Anglican Province of Western Australia are the Diocese of Bunbury and the Diocese of North West Australia.

Wollaston College is authorised by the Archbishop of Perth as the principal provider for theological education in the Diocese. It offers degree-level programs through its partnership with the University of Divinity.

Churchmanship

The diocese has traditionally had a variety of churchmanship and in recent years has largely moved toward a more liberal and moderate Catholic style. There are, however, parishes and clergy representative of all the main Anglican traditions.

On 10 February 2018, Kay Goldsworthy became the first female archbishop in the Anglican Communion on her installation to the archdiocese.

Administrative history

The Perth diocese, like all Australian dioceses, has had administrative procedures dealt with by the diocesan trustees. A range of other sub-committees of the diocese handle broader issues. The trustees were known in earlier times as the Trustees of Church Property.

The relationship of the church and government is not just from the proximity of the cathedral to government house. The land ownership and provision of favourable conditions for the diocese has occurred since establishment of the colony. The Diocesan Trustees and Diocesan Council are regularly observed to deal with significant land and building projects in the history of Perth.

In 1866, there were two archdeaconries: James Brown was Archdeacon of Perth and H. B. Thornhill of Geraldton.

Issues

In the early 2000s the diocese had a large group of Anglo-Catholics from the parish of St Patricks Mt Lawley under the leadership of the then parish priest and high-ranking member of the diocesan clergy, Harry Entwistle, leave to join with another community of the Traditional Anglican Communion which later entered into the Catholic Church as a community of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, St Ninians and St Chads based in Mt Lawley. The Personal Ordinariates were created for Anglicans to enter into the Catholic Church and retain many elements of Anglican worship and spirituality, while accepting all doctrines of the Catholic Church. The group cited persecution and on going doctrinal issues for their leaving.

In 2013 the synod voted to recognise diversity within the diocese, note many Anglicans support registration of same-sex civil unions, and acknowledge legal recognition of committed same-sex unions could co-exist with legal recognition of heterosexual marriage. In April 2016, a priest in St Andrew's Church within the diocese blessed a same-sex couple's relationship. In 2022, Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy ordained as deacon a man in a same-sex civil partnership and appointed as precentor to the cathedral another man in a same-sex civil union.

List of Bishops and Archbishops of Perth