The diocese's area is that of the county of Cornwall, including the Isles of Scilly, as well as two parishes in neighbouring Devon (St Giles on the Heath and Virginstow).

The Diocese of Truro is involved directly and indirectly through its Board of Social Responsibility and in the life of its parishes in tackling some of the economic problems that Cornwall is wrestling with and works closely with statutory and voluntary agencies.

[3][4] In December 2024, Downing Street announced that the suffragan bishop of Basingstoke in the Diocese of Winchester, David Williams, had been approved for nomination.

The provincial episcopal visitor for parishes in the diocese which do not accept the ministry of women priests, is the suffragan Bishop of Ebbsfleet.

"[13]In 2003 a campaign group was formed called Fry an Spyrys ("Free the Spirit" in Cornish) which is dedicated to disestablishing the Church of England in Cornwall and to reconstituting the Diocese of Truro as an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion.

Diocesan reorganisation and the People of God campaign rallied human resources and led (by 2007) to a tight but stable financial situation.

[15] A 2018 case review commissioned by the diocese reported that four bishops, Maurice Key, Peter Mumford, Michael Ball[16] and Richard Llewellin, had failed to respond to disclosures of abuse by a leading diocesan figure.

[17] The diocese had failed to investigate the accusations against Jeremy Dowling, a lay preacher and synod member, who rose to influential positions including communications officer to the bishop.

Kim Stevenson, a criminal justice expert, said the report made "sadly familiar reading" and she contrasted the situation in Britain with that in Australia where those who concealed or did not act on evidence of a sexual offence faced prosecution.