The Bishop of Lincoln, Stephen Conway, has resigned from his position after being suspended from ministry earlier this year following a safeguarding complaint that was referred to police,
the Church of England confirmed on Monday.
The Church said Conway’s resignation will take effect on October 1, when the Diocese of Lincoln will formally become vacant. Bishop Nick Chamberlain will continue to serve as acting bishop while the process of appointing Conway’s successor gets under way.
Conway, who has also served as a member of the House of Lords, was suspended from ministry in February 2026 after a complaint was submitted to the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team. According to the Church, the complaint was handled under the House of Bishops’ safeguarding procedures and was referred to the police. The Church said the investigation remains ongoing.
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 had been sexually assaulted sometime between 2018 and 2025. Conway was subsequently released on conditional bail. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The Church of England has stressed that Conway’s resignation does not bring its own disciplinary procedures to an end. Clergy can remain subject to church disciplinary processes after leaving office or retiring, the institution said.
Conway became Bishop of Lincoln in 2023. His departure also comes against the backdrop of wider scrutiny of safeguarding practices within the Church of England.
He was previously among clergy criticised in an independent review examining the Church’s handling of abuse committed by John Smyth, a prolific abuser. Conway said at the time that he had taken all the action available to him within the authority he held.
The Smyth case has had broader consequences for the Church’s leadership and safeguarding structures. The controversy surrounding the Church’s handling of historic abuse contributed to the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury in 2024.
The latest case therefore adds to continuing pressure on the Church of England to strengthen its safeguarding procedures and its response to allegations involving senior clergy. The Church’s National Safeguarding Team says safeguarding is a central responsibility across its dioceses, parishes and other institutions.
The Church has also announced further safeguarding measures this month, including a new Survivor Support Fund, scheduled to begin operating on October 1. Photo by Rafa Esteve, Wikimedia commons.
