Hole i' ones
Last Updated: 15th August 2025Prizes for Lichfield DIocese' golf team as the annual inter-diocesan heads for the nineteenth.
News
Road to Gold Eco Award through closed churchyard
Last Updated: 4th August 2025On the way to gaining an Arocha Gold Eco Church award a Shropshire church may have struck more than one ‘pot of gold’. Oxon Parish Church, Shrewsbury, has been awarded ARocha’s 99th and Lichfield Diocese’s second Gold Eco Church Award.
30th Anniversary of the Ordination of Female Priests
Last Updated: 31st July 2025Lichfield Cathedral hosted Lichfield Diocese's celebration of the 30th anniversary of the ordination of women as priests. Here is the Bishop of Shrewsbury's sermon.
Blue Coat Primary, Walsall, opens its SEN Ark
Last Updated: 22nd July 2025The Blue Coat Infant and Junior schools, Walsall opened its own Special Educational Needs (SEN) unit, The Ark. Bishop Tim and Dorothy Buchanan MBE, a distinguished former Blue Coat Governor cut the (blue!) ribbon together to open The Ark.
Bishop Sarah's sabbatical
Last Updated: 21st July 2025Bishop Sarah has been offered a sabbatical by Bishop Michael and has accepted. She will be away from 1 October 2025 to 12 January 2026. Here is more information and whom to contact during that time.
New deacons: how they were called
Last Updated: 9th July 2025Our eight new deacons for 2025, ordained on 28 June, look back at how they were called and offer pointers to those who think ordination (or another calling) might be for them.
Next Steps: Living in Love and Faith
Last Updated: 8th June 2025Following a discussion at May’s Bishop’s Council, this statement provides an update about the informal discussions in July’s Diocesan Synod requested by the National LLF team and the appointment of a new LLF Champion to offer support to parishes. The discussions will not go ahead in July and their form or whether they are scheduled for November’s Synod will be considered with input from the new LLF Champion.
The Revd Phillip Johnson to be new DAC Chair
Last Updated: 30th June 2025The vicar of Eccleshall brings a broad palette of skills and experience to the 'planning permission' part of caring for church buildings.
Clergy pensions: proposals for enhancement
Last Updated: 22nd May 2025Church of England Pensions Board Investments has made known proposals for significant improvements to the Church of England Funded Pensions Scheme (CEPFS). If implemented, they will represent a significant step forward.
House of Bishops statement on Gaza
Last Updated: 2nd June 2025This morning, the House of Bishops agreed and published the following statement about the situation in Gaza:
The Revd Preb John Baines RIP
Last Updated: 12th May 2025Bishop Michael was sorry to learn of the sudden and unexpected death in service of the Revd Preb John Baines and has written a brief tribute.
Key appointment moves Church’s Stoke Revitalisation into next phase
Last Updated: 28th April 2025An experienced youth worker, now trained and ordained, is to take up the second of two key roles in Lichfield Diocese’s £5.9m project to start a new chapter in the church’s story in Stoke on Trent. The Revd Alan Gault, currently Planting Curate at St Luke’s, Blackburn will become Stoke’s Resource Church Leader based at All Saints Joiners Square.
Pope Francis RIP
Last Updated: 21st April 2025On learning of the death of Pope Francis, the Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield, has made a statement.
Assistant Archdeacons of Lichfield Appointed
Last Updated: 31st March 2025Bishop Michael has appointed two Assistant Archdeacons of Lichfield. They will take up these temporary roles from Wednesday 26th March.
Seeking the Kingdom - on foot
Last Updated: 28th April 2025From 3 - 12 April, as part of his Lenten Observance, Bishop Michael will be walking though all four archdeaconries of Lichfield Diocese. On each of these ten days he will stop in the evening to join a parish for prayer and Bible study. He will take as his subject one of the ten goals in the Diocesan Strategy, ‘Seeking the Kingdom’ on each day.
1700+ Church: One Holy Catholic and Apostolic
Last Updated: 26th March 2025Lichfield Cathedral's Lent Course is available online, week, starting on Ash Wednesday with Bishop Michael.
Silver Eco Award for Lichfield Diocese’s Offices
Last Updated: 5th March 2025Following an exhaustive process, including an assessment of direct and indirect emissions, St Mary’s House, Lichfield Diocese's offices in The Close, Lichfield has been awarded environmental charity ARocha’s Silver Eco Award.
Spirit of St of Chad lives on in medal recipients
Last Updated: 5th March 2025The significant contributions that seven people have made to their communities and the diocese were recognised on Sunday at a special service of Evensong in the cathedral where Bishop Michael presented them with the St Chad Medal.
Conclusion of the Makin Review Four-Step Process
Last Updated: 25th February 2025The Church of England's National Safeguarding Team has today announced the conclusion of the work to review all clergy under the authority or oversight of the Church of England who are criticised in the Makin review, published in November
Interim Directors appointed
Last Updated: 24th February 2025The West Midlands Racial Justice initiative has announced the appointment of The Revd. Canon Douglas Machiridza and The Revd. Dr. Sarah Hayes as its new interim Co-Directors, following the departure of The Revd. Dr. Evie Vernon at the end of last year.
Diocese’s new CEO is ‘inspired appointment’, bringing banking and church wisdom
Last Updated: 11th February 2025The next Chief Executive Officer of Lichfield Diocese is to be Mrs Sam Rushton, the Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield, has announced. After a career in retail banking and most recently, in the leadership team of the Diocese of York, she brings to Lichfield the skills that will help maintain and develop the culture of teamworking and collaboration among diocesan staff and structures.
Appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury: Public Consultation
Last Updated: 10th February 2025The process for the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury is underway and, a key part of this is the extensive consultation exercise that will close on 31 March. Wherever you are based, your views matter.
Safeguarding reminder
Last Updated: 5th February 2025We take all reports and allegations seriously. If you or anyone you are in contact with, want to talk to someone independently, you can call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or email safespaces@victimsupport.org.uk. There are other support services available.
Celebrating 200 Places of Welcome in Shropshire
Last Updated: 28th January 2025Christ Church, Wellington welcomed Strengthening Communities to its early morning Place of Welcome to join in celebrating, with tea, toast and yes, a celebration cake, the 200 Places of Welcome supported by Lichfield Diocese.
An afternoon of appointments honouring service and dedication
Last Updated: 28th January 2025Bishop Michael recognised ten people for their contribution to the life of Lichfield Diocese during Evensong at Lichfield Cathedral on Sunday, 26 January. Bishop Matthew gave the award of the Lambeth Cross for Ecumenism, awarded by the Archbishop of Canterbury to Robert Mountford, Ecumenical Officer for Birmingham, the Black Country and Staffordshire.
New Archdeacons for Walsall and Salop appointed from Oxford and Manchester
Last Updated: 17th January 2025The Revd Canon Elizabeth Jackson is to be the next Archdeacon of Walsall and that the Revd Nick Watson is to be the next Archdeacon of Salop
Wednesbury welcomes Canon Ben
Last Updated: 14th January 2025Cathedral appointment supports Wednesbury parishes.
Have a calm, bright and joyful Christmas
Last Updated: 1st January 2025Christmas Message 2024 from the Rt Revd Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield
Caring Community Carols
Last Updated: 19th December 2024St Mary’s Church in Uttoxeter was one of just fifteen locations around the country chosen to host a royal carol service earlier this month. The services, supported by The Royal Foundation, complement The Princess of Wales’s ‘Together at Christmas’ service at Westminster Abbey, celebrating love, empathy and community spirt.
£2million church repairs on knife edge
Last Updated: 9th December 2024Uncertainty over a government grant scheme that has run for over twenty years and could end in weeks is threatening completion of more than £2m of repairs to a Hanley church.
