Monday, September 21, 2026

Church of England bishop resigns after suspension over safeguarding complaint

The Bishop of Lincoln, Stephen Conway, has resigned after being suspended from ​ministry following his arrest earlier this ‌year on suspicion of sexual assault, the Church of England said on Monday.

British police said in ​February that a 68-year-old man had been ​arrested as part of an investigation ⁠into an allegation that a man was ​sexually assaulted between 2018 and 2025. Conway was ​released on conditional bail.

The Church of England said that a safeguarding complaint concerning Conway had been referred ​to the relevant authorities.

A member of ​parliament's upper house, the House of Lords, Conway became ‌Bishop ⁠of Lincoln in 2023. He was among a number of clergy criticised in an independent review into the Church of England's handling ​of prolific ​abuser John ⁠Smyth, though he said at the time that he had done ​all he could within his authority.

His ​resignation ⁠comes as the Church continues to face scrutiny over safeguarding failures following the fallout from the ⁠Smyth ​review, which in 2024 led ​to the resignation of Justin Welby, the then-Archbishop of ​Canterbury.