An ecclesiastical or church parish may have similar geographical boundaries to a civil parish, but there are distinctive differences between the two.
Church parishes are governed by a Parochial Church Council (PCC), whereas a Parish Council is a secular elected body handling local planning and amenity issues, operating at the political level.
Find out more about PCCs and their responsibilities.
There are almost 170 parishes within the Diocese of Sheffield, encompassing a great breadth of tradition and style. You can use A Church Near You to find your local Parish and the churches it contains.
Parish life can vary enormously. The style of worship on offer in different parishes will vary significantly, as will provision for different age groups. Parish life has a primary focus on worship and the care of people, and this takes on many forms.
Mission Areas
This model will see a change in culture across the diocese. 59 Mission Areas have been created across the Diocese of Sheffield. These are geographical territories made up of a group of parishes. They will each contain one or more Oversight Ministers: ordained leaders who oversee mission and ministry for these Mission Areas. They provide vision, direction and leadership for the area. They are tasked with:
- growing a healthy church
- ensuring that mission and ministry reflects the Christian faith as understood in the Church of England
- promoting the implementation of the Diocesan strategy
- supporting local leaders and Focal Ministers.