In March 1970, the Diocese of Chester published the Report of the Bishops’ Commission on Crewe, reviewing the number of parishes and church buildings and changes in population in the town. Its terms of reference were: To assess the arrangements for the pastoral care of people in the central area of Crewe and to make recommendations. The working party shall not be inhibited from examining other parishes and related areas as they affect long term planning (p2).
St Paul with All Saints’ was by far the largest parish in Crewe with an estimated population in 1969 of 14200, similar in number to the 15757+ recorded in the 1931 census which had included the population of St Peter’s. Such a size of parish was considered to be quite as large as parishes run on traditional lines can conveniently be (p5). The next largest parish was St Michael Coppenhall with St Gabriel which had a population of about 13020 in 1969, up from 8089 in the 1931 census. While no recent parish population figures are available for All Saints’ with St Paul, our sister parish in our present combined benefice, St Andrew’s with St John’s reported in the latest parish profile as having a population of about 13000, up from the 1931 census figure of 9887 and the 1969 estimate of 11200, with more people moving from the centre of town to the suburbs.
The main recommendation in the 1970 report was for a central parish with a team ministry to be formed, covering Christ Church, St Paul with All Saints’, and St Peter’s, with a combined population of 20900. The report also suggested adding a portion of the parish of St Michael’s covering Sydney as that was more accessible from St Peter’s.
The team ministry suggestion of 1970 did not make it into practice. Thirty-six years after the report, the Church Commissioners’ Pastoral Scheme signed in December 2006 dissolved the benefice of Crewe All Saints and St Paul; and the benefice of Crewe Christ Church and St Peter; to create the new benefice of Crewe All Saints and Saint Paul with Saint Peter, with their parishes continuing to be distinct. A new benefice of Crewe Christ Church was also established, which subsequently joined St Andrew’s benefice. As a part of this change, the Christ Church vicarage was sold off and the vicarage at All Saints’ was kept. In December 2022, the Church Commissioners’ Pastoral Scheme created the new combined benefice of Crewe All Saints and Saint Paul with Saint Peter and Crewe Saint Andrew with Saint John the Baptist. The estimated population of the new combined parish is in the region of 21000, with expectations of further growth due to additional building in and around the southern part of Crewe. With changes in the way parish ministry operates, this super-parish is cared for by just one full-time and one part-time associate priest.
All Saints' Church 