Connor Diocese

What Connor Diocese does

The Church of Ireland Diocese of Connor is a non-profit ecclesiastical jurisdiction covering County Antrim and part of County Londonderry in Northern Ireland, headquartered at the Diocesan Office on Old Channel Road in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. Established as a separate diocese in 1945 (previously united with Down and Dromore since 1842), it is one of 12 Church of Ireland dioceses on the island of Ireland and part of the worldwide Anglican Communion (70 million members across 164 countries). The diocese serves its members through a network of 74-77 parishes organized into three archdeaconries (Belfast, Connor, Dalriada), with Christ Church Cathedral in Lisburn serving as the diocesan cathedral.

Core programs include Connor Youth (youth council running Summer Madness, Streetreach, and Connor Takes the Castle), All Aboard (a three-year children's Bible teaching programme for ages 4-11), the North Belfast Centre of Mission (a Church Army partnership operating Connect Base with Baby Basics Belfast and TLG mentoring), the Connor Mothers' Union (45 branches supporting marriage and family life), and chaplaincy services across 17+ hospitals and three universities (Queen's University Belfast, University of Ulster, Stranmillis College). Governance is led by the Rt Rev George Davison (Bishop since September 2020) and supported by approximately 15 named diocesan staff. The Down, Dromore and Connor Organ Scholarship Scheme, funded by a 1990 anonymous endowment, trains church organists.

The diocese is entirely donation-funded, receiving voluntary contributions from its parishes, mission support donations, and endowment income. There are no commercial products, pricing models, or revenue-generating services. Recent strategic activity centers on the SAMS Ireland partnership supporting Northern Argentina (Lent 2026), continued development of the North Belfast Centre of Mission, and pastoral program rollout. Technology infrastructure is limited to a WordPress website, social media channels, and the Connor Connections newsletter.

Name

Connor Diocese

Legal name

The Church of Ireland Diocese of Connor

Website

https://connor.anglican.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Church of Ireland Diocese of Connor is a non-profit Anglican diocese serving 74-77 parishes across County Antrim and part of County Londonderry in Northern Ireland through worship, chaplaincy, youth and children's ministry, and international mission partnerships, funded entirely by parish donations and endowments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH)

Keywords

• Anglican diocese services
• Christian parish ministry
• Youth faith programs
• Children religious education
• Chaplaincy pastoral care

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Parish Contributions and Tithes: The Diocese operates through voluntary contributions from its 74 parishes. Each parish contributes to the diocesan fund to support the Bishop's office, diocesan staff, mission activities, and administrative functions.
2. Mission Support Fund Donations: Connor Council for Mission receives donations to support mission projects both domestically and internationally, including partnerships with SAMS for Northern Argentina and past work with Diocese of Yei in South Sudan.
3. Organ Scholarship Endowment: The Down, Dromore and Connor Organ Scholarship Scheme is funded by an anonymous benefactor endowment established in 1990 to train organists. Each scholarship is valued at £1,800 over three years.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Connor Diocese is one of 12 Church of Ireland dioceses on the island of Ireland, providing Christian spiritual leadership, worship, and pastoral care across 74 parishes in County Antrim and part of County Londonderry. The diocese coordinates a network of parishes, youth and children's ministries, hospital and university chaplaincy services, Mothers' Union programmes, and community outreach initiatives. It also supports international mission partnerships and provides training, safeguarding, and resources to clergy and lay leaders.

Product overview

The Diocese of Connor operates a unified parish website platform serving as the central digital hub for the Church of Ireland Diocese of Connor. The website provides parish information for 74+ parishes across County Antrim and part of County Londonderry. Supporting programs include Connor Youth (youth council with events like Summer Madness and Streetreach), All Aboard Children's Ministry (three-year Bible teaching programme for ages 4-11), North Belfast Centre of Mission (Church Army partnership with Baby Basics and TLG mentoring), Connor Mothers' Union (45 branches with family support programs), and the Organ Scholarship Scheme (music training). Connor Connections newsletter disseminates diocesan news. The diocese also manages safeguarding resources, prayer diaries, and parish governance tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Connor Youth: Youth council and ministry programme for young people across the Diocese of Connor, organizing events including Summer Madness, Streetreach, Connor Takes the Castle, and training programmes
• All Aboard
• Connect Base / North Belfast Centre of Mission
• Connor Mothers' Union
• Connor Connections
• Connor Youth Gather
• Connor Takes the Castle

Products and services

• Connor Youth

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,500 Wichí children supported through education programme
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SAMS (South American Mission Society) - Northern ArgentinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Connor Diocese is partnering with SAMS Ireland to support the Church in Northern Argentina during Lent 2026. The partnership supports remote communities in the Chaco region and St Paul's Church in Salta through projects including education for 4,500 Wichí children, theological training at CeFA, Wichí discipleship initiatives, and the San Pablo urban church plant.
• TLG - Transforming Lives for GoodminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019TLG is a mentoring programme for children in upper primary school, currently operating in two local schools through the North Belfast Centre of Mission partnership with Church Army.
• Baby Basics UK (Northern Ireland Regional Hub)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Connect Base at the North Belfast Centre of Mission became the Northern Ireland regional hub for Baby Basics UK in 2017. The programme provides baby supplies to families in need and has been adopted by Ballynure and Ballyeaston Parish and six other centres across Northern Ireland.
• Church Army (North Belfast Centre of Mission)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2015The North Belfast Centre of Mission is a partnership between Church Army and the Diocese of Connor, launched in September 2015. Connect Base opened in September 2016 at the Spectrum Centre on Belfast's Shankill Road, relaunching in January 2022 to St Columba's Parish Church, Whiterock. The partnership models evangelism and community outreach practices replicable across the diocese.
• Diocese of Yei (South Sudan)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Connor Diocese had a partnership with the Diocese of Yei in South Sudan from 2007-2023, funding a school in Mongo village and conducting mutual visits. The partnership is currently suspended due to civil unrest in South Sudan.
• Methodist Church in Ireland (Queen's University Belfast Chaplaincy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002The Church of Ireland and Methodist Student Centre at Queen's University Belfast represents a covenant partnership between Anglican and Methodist churches since 2002, combining chaplaincy services at the university.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor: The Roman Catholic diocese covering essentially the same geographic territory (County Antrim and County Down) as the Church of Ireland Diocese of Connor. It is the most direct ecclesiastical peer, serving an overlapping congregational base with parallel parish, school, hospital chaplaincy, and youth ministry structures.
• Church of Ireland Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough: Another Church of Ireland diocese operating under the same denominational constitution, with comparable structures (Bishop, Archdeaconries, Cathedral Chapter, parish network). It serves a larger urban population and is comparable in governance model, programme mix (youth, missions, chaplaincy), and funding mechanism.
• Church of Ireland Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh: Smaller cross-border Church of Ireland diocese where Bishop George Davison previously served as Archdeacon of Kilmore. Comparable in scale to Connor with rural-heavy geography, providing a peer benchmark for central-office efficiency and small-staff diocese operations.
• Methodist Church in Ireland: A smaller Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland that already partners with Connor Diocese via the QUB chaplaincy covenant (since 2002). It operates a parallel circuit/congregational structure with comparable community outreach, youth work, and chaplaincy services.
• Church of Ireland Diocese of Down and Dromore: Historically united with Connor as a single diocese until 1945, the Diocese of Down and Dromore remains the closest historical peer. It operates the joint Down, Dromore and Connor Organ Scholarship Scheme with Connor, evidencing ongoing structural and programme collaboration.
• Church of Ireland Diocese of Armagh: The primate's diocese within the same Province of Armagh as Connor. It shares the same canonical structure, parish-network model, and provincial governance, making it a structurally identical peer for benchmarking central-office scale, programme design, and stewardship practices.

Regional players

• Church of England Diocese of Liverpool: A Church of England diocese in northern England with comparable urban-deprivation, mixed urban-rural geography, and community outreach emphasis. As a fellow Anglican diocese facing similar post-industrial secularization headwinds, it serves as a useful regional peer for benchmarking mission-centre and chaplaincy models.

Broad incumbents

• Presbyterian Church in Ireland: The largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland, operating an overlapping geographic territory with parallel parish, youth (e.g., Scripture Union), and community programmes. It is a broader incumbent peer competing for the same donor and congregant pool within the same regional market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DioceseofConnor
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DioceseOfConnor
• Facebookfacebook.com/142006632541682
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connor-diocese

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Connor Diocese