The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 42 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was created on 1 May 1905 from part of the ancient Diocese of Rochester that was served by a suffragan bishop of Southwark (1891–1905). Before 1877 most of the area was part of the Diocese of Winchester, some being part of the Diocese of London. Geographical extent The diocese covers Greater London south of the River Thames (except for the London Borough of Bexley and London Borough of Bromley) and east Surrey. Since the creation of the diocese's episcopal area scheme in 1991 (which before then had been operating informally for the previous five years), the diocese is divided into three episcopal areas, each of which is overseen by an area bishop and contains two archdeaconries: Croydon Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Croydon) Archdeaconry of Croydon includes deaneries of Croydon Addington, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, and Sutton Archdeaconry of Reigate includes deaneries of Caterham, Godstone, and Reigate Kingston Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Kingston) Archdeaconry of Lambeth includes deaneries of Brixton, Clapham, Lambeth North, Lambeth South, Streatham, and Merton Archdeaconry of Wandsworth includes deaneries of Battersea, Kingston, Richmond and Barnes, Tooting, and Wandsworth Woolwich Episcopal Area (overseen by the area Bishop of Woolwich) Archdeaconry of Lewisham & Greenwich includes deaneries of Charlton, Deptford, East Lewisham, Eltham and Mottingham, Plumstead, and West Lewisham Archdeaconry of Southwark includes deaneries of Bermondsey, Camberwell, Dulwich, and Southwark and Newington In other ecclesiastical use, although having lost religious orders in the English Reformation, the diocese has the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury and records centre of the Church of England in the diocese, Lambeth Palace. Bishops Alongside the diocesan Bishop of Southwark (Christopher Chessun), the diocese has three area (suffragan) bishops: Karowei Dorgu, area Bishop of Woolwich; Rosemarie Mallett, area Bishop of Croydon; and Martin Gainsborough, area Bishop of Kingston. Since 1994 the Bishop of Fulham (currently Jonathan Baker, since 2013) has provided 'alternative episcopal oversight' in the diocese (along with those of London and Rochester) to those parishes which reject the ordination of women to the priesthood. Baker is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in Southwark diocese in order to facilitate his ministry there. Several other bishops are licensed as