Suffragan bishop

A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. They may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.

Anglican Communion

In the Anglican churches, the term applies to a bishop who is an assistant to a diocesan bishop. For example, the Bishop of Jarrow is a suffragan to the diocesan Bishop of Durham.

Some Anglican suffragans are legally delegated responsibility for a geographical area within the diocese. For example, the Bishop of Colchester is an area bishop in the Diocese of Chelmsford. Such area schemes are presently found in the dioceses of:

Area schemes have previously existed in Worcester diocese (1993–2002),Salisbury diocese (1981–2009),Lincoln diocese (2010–31 January 2013) and Chichester diocese (1984-2013). Other suffragans have or have had informal responsibility for geographical areas (e.g. in Winchester and in Peterborough), but these are not referred to as area bishops.