RURAL DEANERIES

This series contains records for Newington and Southwark Rural Deanery (1869 - 1984) and Dulwich Rural Deanery (1930 - 1993).

The records for Newington Rural Deanery, Southwark Rural Deanery, and Newington and Southwark Rural Deanery include minutes of the Ruri-decanal Chapter and Conference (1869 - 1967), and records of the Deanery Synod (1972 - 1984) including minutes, related papers and a map of the Deanery.

At the first meeting of the clergy in Newington Rural Deanery held on 16 December 1869, the Rural Dean observed that the 'unity and fellowship [of clergy] were especially needed in this neighbourhood on account of both the great amount of ungodliness, and of the wide prevalence of Dissent'. In 1869 discussion included the unification of Sunday Schools, relief of the poor, the need for a new sanatorium, and the proposed opening of a Music Hall at Saint Thomas's Hospital 'of a similar nature to those now carried on at Cremorne Gardens...the Reverend F F Statham bore testimony to the demoralising nature of the place...the whole neighbourhood then being one sink of iniquity' (DS/DRD/S1/001).

In 1877 discussion included Temperance Society work in the deanery. At one parish it was reported that 'many T-Totallers had joined...they worked in shops and elsewhere and prevented many falling into the vice of intemperance. The members numbered about 150. Many who had been drunkards were now regular attendants at church...The Rural Dean stated that though not prepared to pledge himself to total abstinence, he would gladly do all in his power to forward the object of the society in his own parish' (DS/DRD/S1/002).

Later Ruri-decanal Chapter minutes include schools, shortage of clergy, relationships with other diocesan organisations such as Mothers' Union, legislation reforms relating to marriage, Clergy Discipline Measures, local choirs and youth clubs, provision of religious services in air-raid shelters and Anglican relations with West Indian communities in 1941 (DS/DRD/S1/008). The minutes also include elections of representative members, printed agenda and newspaper cuttings of Conference discussions relating to local unemployment in 1890 (DS/DRD/S1/003).

The Ruri-decanal Conference Standing Committee minutes include appointments of members, and arrangements for conference dates, speakers and subjects.

The records for Dulwich Rural Deanery include minutes of the Ruri-decanal Conference (1930 - 1970) and minutes, attendance register, correspondence and reports of the Deanery Synod up to 1993.

The conference minutes contain speeches on various subjects including the relationship of the Church and Government 'The Menace to the Christian Church of the Totalitarian State' including ideas on Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party (1937), moral welfare officers and Methodism (DS/DRD/S2/001).

DS/DRD/S2/002 includes a 'Preliminary report to the Diocesan Pastoral Committee' (1971) on Dulwich Deanery's social patterns, shopping, entertainment, transport, and aspects of church work and organisations including the church's 'response to the neighbourhood'. DS/DRD/S2/003 includes 'Deanery Youth Liaison Officer report on community work.

The Synod minutes (DC/DRD/S2/006-008) include discussion of General Synod business, Board of Education, Working parties and Southwark Wel-care (social work); deanery matters including elections and the appointment of new clergy; and discussion with outside speakers including Gerald F Bowden MP on the role of a Christian in Parliament, the abolition of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), Church - State relations and the Poll Tax (1988), the Carers National Association on the need for carers in the community, and discussion of 'Women in the Church' and the ordination of women (1990). The minutes also include Treasurer's statements of accounts, Secretary's correspondence, election papers, electoral roll certificates, agenda and circulars relating to meetings.

Newington and Southwark Rural Deanery DS/DRD/S1

Dulwich Rural Deanery DS/DRD/S2

AC/79/54, ACC/2519 and ACC/3226.

A rural deanery is a collection of parishes administered by the rural dean, who is the leader of the local clergy in a deanery and joint chairman of the Deanery Synod with an elected lay chairman. His main role is to act as a means of communication between the bishop and the clergy. Typically between 16 and 24 parishes make up a deanery. A group of deaneries forms an Archdeaconry.

The term 'Ruri-decanal' pertains to the rural dean and his jurisdiction. A Chapter is a meeting of the clergy of an area of a diocese under the chairmanship of their rural dean, held for discussion of current affairs including changing economic and social conditions affecting their local area and Church of England as a whole. In the Rural Deanery of Newington, the Ruri-decanal Chapter met four times a year. The Conferences typically numbered over fifty members and included the hearing of reports from various committees and boards, the Rural Dean's notice and parish reports, and speakers on various subjects relating to the Church of England.

After 1970 Ruri-decanal chapters and conferences was replaced by the Deanery Synod meetings and conferences. A Deanery Synod follows the same principles and consists of both clergy and laity. The lay members consist of:

a) parochial elected representatives b) General or Diocesan Synod members entered on the roll of any church in the Deanery c) lay persons such as Deaconesses, and licensed lay workers in the Deanery. The Standing Committee settles the agenda for each of the Synod's meetings.

The functions of a Synod in 1971 were:

1) to consider all matters relating to the Church of England

2) to bring together the parishes of a deanery to work together

3) to carry out provisions made at the Diocesan Synod

4) to consider business of the Diocesan Synod

5) to raise matters with the Diocesan Synod.

In 1940, there were the following Deaneries in the Diocese of Southwark:

In the Archdeaconry of Kingston upon Thames: Beddington, Caterham, Godstone, Kingston, Reigate, Richmond and Barnes, and Wimbledon.

In the Archdeaconry of Lewisham: Camberwell, Dulwich, Greenwich and Woolwich. The Rural Deanery of Dulwich had a population of 70,000 in 1971 and consisted of 8 parishes.

In the Archdeaconry of Southwark: Battersea, Bermondsey, Brixton, Clapham, Dulwich, Lambeth, Newington, Southwark, Streatham, and Wandsworth. The Rural Deanery of Newington and Southwark was formed in October 1947, replacing separate Rural Deaneries of Newington and Southwark.