Reflecting on his time in ministry, Bishop Christopher thanked the people of Southwark Diocese, saying, “I am mindful of all that you have given generously and sacrificially, as clergy and lay people, to strengthen partnerships in the Gospel in the parishes and ministries to which you have been called. I thank God for you daily, and ask for your prayers in these concluding months.”
Following Bishop Christopher’s retirement, The Bishop of Croydon, The Rt Revd Dr Bishop Rosemarie Mallett, will serve as Acting Bishop of Southwark, working alongside her fellow suffragan Bishops. She said: “This Diocese has been enormously blessed by Bishop’s Christopher’s reflective leadership style and pastoral care. Under his guidance, we have developed our vision and strategy to ensure that we prioritise our parishes and the people we serve. Most of all, he has helped us, though all the changes and challenges, to always remember to speak well of and to each other, and to walk together even if we don’t always see eye to eye – and it is these values that we will continue to honour as we move into the next phase of our diocesan life.”
“It is an immense privilege to work closely with Bishop Christopher and to see at first hand how he inhabits his episcopal role,” said Diocesan Secretary Nicola Thomas. “He brings great wisdom and insight and, as a result of his leadership, the Diocese of Southwark remains strong and united as a Christian presence in every community in south London and east Surrey.”
“In the relatively short time that I have been in Southwark as Bishop of Kingston, I have come to see what a special Diocese it is – vibrant, characterful and diverse,” added the Bishop of Kingston, The Rt Revd Dr Martin Gainsborough.” Bishop Christopher has been exemplary in upholding the best of Southwark and it has been a pleasure to serve alongside him.”
The Bishop of Woolwich, the Rt Revd Alastair Cutting said, “It has been an honour and a joy to serve alongside Bishop Christopher. His personal and institutional hospitality are legendary and his prayer and care for people has been inspirational for me in my own seeking to be a better disciple of Jesus and shepherd of His people.”
Bishop Christopher’s last day in office will be 4 August 2026 and his last service will take place at Southwark Cathedral at 12pm on Saturday 18 July.
About Bishop Christopher
Christopher Chessun was born in 1956 in Hampton, Middlesex, the elder of identical twins. He trained for the priesthood at Westcott House, Cambridge, and was ordained as deacon in 1983, he served his title at St Michael & All Angels, Sandhurst, before moving on in 1987 to the post of senior curate at St Mary, Portsea in Portsmouth Diocese.
In 1989 he became Chaplain and Minor Canon at St Paul’s Cathedral and Vocations Adviser in the Diocese of London in 1990, staying in both these roles until 1993 when he was appointed Rector of St Dunstan & All Saints’, Stepney. Between 1997 and 2001 he was Area Dean of Tower Hamlets. In Stepney he held a number of ex-officio posts on the governing bodies of various trusts and church schools.
In April 2001 he was installed as Archdeacon of Northolt and during this time he was a trustee of the North Thames Ministerial Training Course, Chairman of the Trustees of St George’s Chapel at Heathrow Airport and chaired the London Diocesan Schools’ Committee.
In April 2005 he was consecrated Bishop in Southwark Cathedral, taking up his appointment as Area Bishop of Woolwich and Urban Bishop for the Diocese of Southwark. The Woolwich Area is linked with the Diocese of Manicaland in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. Bishop Christopher made an initial visit in June 2006, the first of a number of visits to strengthen the inter-diocesan links.
In March 2011 he began public ministry as the tenth Bishop of Southwark. He is a strong advocate for the parish system as the most effective means of church presence and engagement in the life of local communities including the need to proclaim the Gospel afresh amid the rapid changes in church and community life. He is also the Church of England’s Lead Bishop for the Middle East and in this role has coordinated a number of diocesan pilgrimages to the Holy Land, participated as an Anglican ecumenical delegate in the annual Vatican-mandated Holy Land Coordination and worked for peace with justice for the Christian, Muslim and Jewish peoples of Israel and Palestine.