An archdeacon is a position in Christian churches. An archdeacon is responsible for administration of an archdeaconry, which is the principal subdivision of the diocese.

In the Church of England, an archdeacon is styled "The Venerable" instead of the usual clerical style "The Reverend".

History

In 11th century England, a bishopric was about 3,000 square miles (8,000 km²). In theory, this meant that every part was reachable within a single days ride. In practice, some bishoprics were much larger, taking up to five days in some cases to go end to end. The response to the demands of such distances, and the increasing demands of church business, was territorial subdivision. The primary unit of subdivision of a bishopric was the archdeaconry. An ecclesiastical council held at Windsor in 1070 ordered "that bishops should appoint archdeacons in their churches".

The archdeacon acted as the bishop's representive with the duty of supervising parish churches, for example ensuring they had proper training in how to give mass and the proper equipment.