1. Home
  2. About Us
  3. Diocesan Directory
  4. Online Diocesan Directory
  5. Database FAQs

Database FAQs

  1. How do I search for someone and I know their name?
    • Using the Contact Search from the left hand menu
    • Type in the Contact field first name AND surname (the AND needs to be in capitals e.g. jonathan AND hewitt)
    • To focus the search you can click on the tick box underneath the Contact field which will mean that the database will only search name fields and not all fields on the database.
    • This search will only work if the name is spelt correctly and is exactly the same e.g. Elizabeth will not bring up Liz and vice versa
    • However you can search for parts of the name e.g. If searching for Jonathan Hewitt you could try Jona AND hewi if you don’t know the exact spelling!
  2. How do I search for someone in a particular role and I don't know their name?
    • Using the Post Search from the left hand menu
    • As there are many different roles for clergy you would be better to search by the church and then include all roles rather than trying to find the actual role
    • Type into the Place Field the name of the church/parish/benefice you are looking for e.g. York St Luke NB: You can start typing in this field and it will bring up options e.g. St Luke – the church names do not usually have ‘s in them
    • When you have selected the place you are looking for it is important to tick the box underneath the Place field which says ‘Include posts from parent places up to Benefice (where applicable)’ – as clergy are licenced to a benefice that means that if you select the church or parish it will still list the incumbent.
    • Finally click the Search Button and you should get a listing of all roles associated with that church up to Benefice level.

  3. How do I search for people with a particular role in a limited area?
    • Using the Post Search from the left hand menu
    • Type into the Post Field the type of role that you are looking for e.g. Priest in Charge
    • Click the Search button and it will list all Priest in Charge roles in the Diocese
    • You can limit the search to an area by putting in the Place field the Deanery or Archdeaconry that you are searching within e.g. if you type Archdeaconry in the place field it will list the 4 Archdeaconries and you select whichever one you wish.
  4. How is the data on the database stored centrally i.e. is it held on a cloud-based system or a server?

    The system sits behind a dedicated hardware firewall that is locked down and specifically set up for the CofE Portal and CMS application. It also runs various types of advanced checking for threats and intrusions. On top of that the servers run additional firewall and intrusion protection software so it is very well protected. It runs in a private network dedicated for this use within a state of the art UK data centre in Nottingham. This has 24 hour manned security, CCTV and intrusion alarms. The infrastructure has been designed to ensure security and minimise any risk of hacking. Passwords are all of high strength and encrypted. The whole system runs on SSL connections so all traffic to and from users browsers is encrypted.

    We also have several backups running on the database to ensure data integrity.