The 1863 Constitution of the Free Church of England made provision for separate dioceses, each under the pastoral oversight of a bishop. This was very much a continuation of the ancient pattern, common to the historic Churches of both East and West. In the case of the Free Church of England there was also a sense of continuity with the structures of the Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion, out of which the Free Church of England initially grew. In the early decades the situation was very much one of mission and church planting, and it naturally took some time for fully developed dioceses to be organised.
By the 1880's a Diocesan structure with a regular succession of bishops had been established.
The boundaries of the Northern Diocese were fixed as England north of the river Trent – in other words, coterminous with the Church of England’s Province of York. There have been parishes in many parts of the North, but historically there has always been a concentration in Lancashire, and that is still true today.
A number of churches also existed in Scotland, particularly in the Glasgow area. Some of these suffered bombing in the Second World War and were never re-opened. The last Scottish congregation closed in the 1970's, but we would be happy to re-establish a presence in Scotland!
By the 1880's a Diocesan structure with a regular succession of bishops had been established.
The boundaries of the Northern Diocese were fixed as England north of the river Trent – in other words, coterminous with the Church of England’s Province of York. There have been parishes in many parts of the North, but historically there has always been a concentration in Lancashire, and that is still true today.
A number of churches also existed in Scotland, particularly in the Glasgow area. Some of these suffered bombing in the Second World War and were never re-opened. The last Scottish congregation closed in the 1970's, but we would be happy to re-establish a presence in Scotland!