The Church of England, as far as this country is concerned, constitutes the Province of Canterbury, consisting of thirty dioceses, and the Province of York, a further fourteen. A Province is a group of dioceses headed by an archbishop.

A diocese is a sub division of the church consisting of a number of parishes under the pastoral and administrative care of a bishop. The Diocese of London was established in Roman times and now consists of five areas. After reverting to paganism after the Saxon invasions, it was reconstituted in 604 with the first St. Paul's as its Cathedral. Today, the Diocese covers 277 square miles of Greater London north of the Thames. The Bishop of London is the third most senior bishop, after the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.

An archdeaconry may extend to the whole of a diocese, but is usually part of a diocese. At its head is the archdeacon who is usually appointed by the bishop.

A parish is the smallest unit in the Church of England's structure. Every parish is supposed to have a church in it for the people of that area. A deanery is a collection of parishes for administrative purposes within an archdeaconry. Each deanery is presided over by an area dean who is the bishop's officer.