Archdeacon of Dudley
Church of England ecclesiastical office
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The Archdeacon of Dudley is one of two archdeacons in the Anglican Diocese of Worcester, England (the other being the Archdeacon of Worcester).[1]
History
The archdeaconry of Dudley was created by Order in Council on 11 February 1921 from the Worcester archdeaconry and named after the town of Dudley.[2] It consists of the deaneries of Bromsgrove, Droitwich, Dudley, Kidderminster, Kingswinford, Stourbridge and Stourport.[3]
The present Archdeacon of Dudley is the Venerable Nikki Groarke, formerly vicar of St Stephen's Church, Canonbury, Islington, in the Diocese of London; she is the first woman to hold the post and was installed on 5 January 2014.
List of archdeacons
- 1921–1934 (d.): Sydney James[4]
- 1934–1951 (ret.): Arthur Shepherd (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)[5]
- 1951–1968 (ret.): Alfred Hurley (afterwards archdeacon emeritus)[6]
- 1968–1975 (res.): John Williams (afterwards Archdeacon of Worcester)[7]
- 1976–1984 (res.): Christopher Campling (afterwards Dean of Ripon)[8][9]
- 1985–1986 (res.): Robin Bennett[10]
- 1987–2001 (ret.): John Gathercole[11]
- 2001–September 2013 (ret.): Fred Trethewey[12]
- 2014-present: Nikki Groarke[13]
Deaneries, area deans and lay chairs as of 2024
| Deanery | Rural dean | Lay chair |
|---|---|---|
| Redditch & Bromsgrove | The Revd Canon Paul Lawlor | Kashmir Garton |
| Greater Dudley | The Revd Andrew Sillis | John Nicholson |