Key Towns/Cities
Wakefield, Pontefract and Barnsley
Civic boundaries and population
Covering Wakefield Metropolitan District (including Ossett) and most of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough. Population 460,000
Famous for...
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the Hepworth Gallery, Pontefract Castle, Cannon Hall, Nostell Priory
Benefices, parishes and clergy
48 benefices, 65 parishes, 74 clergy in post, 3,134 people attending, of which 644 are children.
Recent developments
Recent projects include the Rainbow Cafe in Wakefield, a joint venture between Sandal Methodists, the Baptist Church and St Helen's and St Paul's and the local community – to work together to challenge and transform the lives of some of the poorest and most socially and educationally deprived people living there. The Romero Project in Athersley, Barnsley, does a great work in supporting those who need welfare rights and advice in that area and such is their success that they now have outposts in Cudworth and Lundwood. As always, with worthwhile projects like these, guaranteed sources of funding continues to be a problem.
Why are we looking forward to our new Episcopal Area?
"Blessed with the Cathedral at the heart our City and this Area including the two great Yorkshire towns of Pontefract and Barnsley we look forward with excitement to all the new challenges and opportunities laid before us. With hard working clergy and dedicated lay leaders and congregations we look forward to continuing being alongside all kinds of people and proclaiming and modelling the good news of the Kingdom of God for everybody in all the places where we live and work. With focussed opportunities for church growth, education, training and witnessing to the structures of our society we go on in hope and love. God is giving us a new chance to be the Church here. Rooted in prayer we will continue to be faithful and expect great things to happen."