The East Bingham Deanery

The East Bingham Deanery is an organisational unit of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, itself part of the Church of England. There are 9 deaneries in Southwell and Nottingham Diocese – ours covers the south east of the diocese from Willoughby-on-the-Wolds on the Leicestershire border to Flintham near Newark, and just about everything in between.

The fundamental unit of the Church of England is the diocese – we are all under one bishop. The structure that most people are familiar with is the parish – we all live in a Church of England parish, and have a parish church. Parishes are usually grouped together into benefices nowadays – that is, they share a vicar, and perhaps a broader ministry team consisting of assistant clergy, and licenced lay minsters (readers, pastoral care assistants, youth workers etc.).

The deanery relates both to the benefices, through the ministry teams which support them, and also directly to the parishes – for example, each parish elects representatives to the Deanery Synod, the body which governs the deanery.

East Bingham deanery consists of two towns of Bingham and Cotgrave; the larger villages of Radcliffe and Keyworth; and a host of smaller villages, ranging from Flintham in the north, and Willoughby-on-the-Wolds in the south. In all, there 10 benefices and 33 parishes.

Sociologically and demographically the make-up of the deanery is largely commuter territory, with some farming, and with a higher than average proportion of retired and professional people, and is predominantly white. It does, however, include an area of deprivation in the former mining community of Cotgrave.

As one of the wealthier areas of the diocese, East Bingham is expected to pay a proportionately higher deanery share than some other deaneries. This is proving to be a serious challenge to our parishes but we are resolved as a deanery to find an equitable and sustainable method of apportionment which will enable us to meet our financial obligations to the wider diocese.

The clergy and laity of the deanery are committed to supporting and empowering mission and outreach among its member parishes and has produced a strategy document which focuses on five areas of particular concern: children and young people, communication, buildings and resources, worship and service provision, and pastoral care.