An Introduction
The Diocese of Toronto, founded in 1839, is the most populous of the 30 dioceses in the Anglican Church of Canada. Our geographical area extends over 26,000 square kilometres, stretching from Mississauga to Brighton and north to Haliburton. Some 237 congregations in 202 parishes are located in the Diocese.
The Diocese includes the City of Toronto, the fifth most populous municipality in North America, with a population of more than 2.5 million. It is considered by many to be the most multicultural city in the world. The City of Toronto has the largest population of aboriginal people in the country.
The Diocese includes the fastest-growing suburban region in Canada and also covers a large rural area. Nearly five million people live within the diocesan boundaries, 376,000 of whom identify themselves as Anglicans. There are about 80,000 people on our parish rolls.
The Diocese is home to many culturally diverse and language-based congregations, including Chinese, Filipino, French, Hispanic, Japanese, and Tamil. There are many congregations with parishioners from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, India, Middle East, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and many other parts of the world. The most recent addition to the Diocese is the Sudanese Community Church.
Finally, the Diocese of Toronto is home to several “fresh expressions of church,” such as the Jeremiah Community.
Please see the left-hand side of the page for the profile’s four main sections – Mission Statement, Governance and Synod, Visual Identity and Map.
To learn more about us, have a look at the video What is God doing in the Diocese of Toronto?
Diocesan Resources and Ministries
The Diocesan Centre is adjacent to the cathedral and houses 35 full and part-time administrative, program and support staff whose work provides support to the Archbishop, the College of Bishops, Diocesan Council and its Committees, for the leadership of the Diocese. The organization and ministries within the Centre reflect the mandate of Diocesan Council and committees of both Synod and Council. They are: Administration and Property Support; Archives; Bishops’ Offices; Chaplaincy; Communications; Congregational Development; Finance; Human Resources; Social Justice and Advocacy; Stewardship Development.
Theological Education
Two of Canada’s finest Anglican theological institutions lie within the diocese. Wycliffe and Trinity colleges are members of the ecumenical consortium, the Toronto School of Theology in the University of Toronto.
Religious Communities
Within the diocese are two independent religious communities. The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine and the Order of the Holy Cross for men provide the Diocese with many spiritual resources and link to the international Anglican community of the religious.
Related Institutions
Anglican Church Women, Boys’ and Girls’ Choir camps, Camp Couchiching, Loft Community Services (Anglican Houses), Moorelands (Downtown Church Workers) and Missions to Seafarers.
