The Diocese of Portsmouth consists of 142 parishes in south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It is one of the smaller dioceses in the Church of England, and was founded relatively recently, in 1927.

Each diocese comes under the authority of a bishop. Our current bishop, the Rt Rev Dr Kenneth Stevenson is the eighth.

There are four distinct communities in one in the diocese:

The city of Portsmouth and island of Portsea
The so-called A3(M)/M27 corridor (Gosport, Fareham and Havant)
The rural areas around Petersfield, East Meon, and Bishop's Waltham
The Isle of Wight

This distinctiveness has been reinforced by local government reorganisation into unitary authorities (one for Portsmouth, another for the Isle of Wight, and a single county authority for the rest).

The diocese covers a varied and rapidly changing community which some regard as a microcosm of England since it includes areas of affluence and deprivation, of economic growth (especially in service industries) and decline (especially industries affected by the "peace dividend"), and a wide range of social problems, urban and rural.

Our parishes are well aware of the role that churches can play in reinvigorating the local community. They are also well aware of the challenges that face the established Church in the 21st century. It was in view of those challenges that the diocee embraced the Kairos process in 2004, which provided a way for parishes to re-engage with the communities around them. Click here for more information about this important process.

Diocesan Bishop:  Rt Revd Dr Kenneth Stevenson

There are no suffragan bishops.

• The Archdeacon of Portsdown: - The Ven Trevor Reader 
• The Archdeacon of the Meon: - The Ven Peter Hancock
• The Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight: - The Ven Caroline Baston

Stipendiary Clergy: 131

Parishes: 142 (Benefices 126)

Churches: 171