The Bishop of Stepney is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London, in the Province of Canterbury, England.1 The title takes its name after Stepney, an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The See was vacant since Joanne Grenfell's translation to St Edmundsbury and Ipswich on 5 September 2025.2 On 20 March 2026, the Venerable Rod Green, Archdeacon of Llandaff in the Church in Wales, was announced as the next bishop.3 He will be consecrated on 1 May 2026 at St Paul’s Cathedral.4
History
The first bishop was appointed to take responsibility for North and East London, which had been under the care of the Bishop of Bedford; the new See was erected because the retiring bishop Robert Billing retained the See of Bedford, and Stepney was a more obvious See for the suffragan for the East End.5 In 1898, the new Bishop of Islington received responsibility for North London.6 In the experimental area scheme of 1970, the bishop was given oversight of the deaneries of Tower Hamlets, Hackney, and Islington.7 The Bishops suffragan of Stepney have been area bishops since the London area scheme was founded in 1979.8
List of bishops
| Bishops of Stepney | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes | |
| 1895 | 1897 |  |
George Forrest Browne | (1833–1930). Translated to Bristol |
| 1897 | 19019 |  |
Arthur Winnington-Ingram | (1858–1946). Translated to London |
| 19019 | 1909 |  |
Cosmo Gordon Lang | (1864–1945). Translated to York, and later to Canterbury |
| 1909 | 1919 |  |
Luke Paget | (1853–1937). Formerly Bishop of Ipswich. Translated to Chester |
| 1919 | 1928 |  |
Henry Mosley | (1868–1948). Translated to Southwell |
| 1928 | 1936 |  |
Charles Curzon | (1878–1954). Translated to Exeter |
| 1936 | 1952 |  |
Robert Moberly | (1884–1978) |
| 1952 | 1957 | Joost de Blank | (1908–1968) | |
| 1957 | 1968 | Evered Lunt | (1900–1982) | |
| 1968 | 1978 |  |
Trevor Huddleston | (1913–1998). Translated to Mauritius |
| 1978 | 1991 | Jim Thompson | (1936–2003). First area bishop from 1979; translated to Bath and Wells | |
| 1992 | 1995 |  |
Richard Chartres | (b. 1947). Consecrated on 22 May 1992. Translated to London in 1995 |
| 1996 | 2002 |  |
John Sentamu | (b. 1949). Translated to Birmingham, and later to York |
| 2003 | 2010 | Stephen Oliver | (b. 1948) Retired 6 July 2010 | |
| 2010 | 2011 |  |
Pete Broadbent Bishop of Willesden |
Acted as Bishop of Stepney from 7 July 2010,1011 effectively suspended from 23 November 2010 to 10 January 2011,11 resumed as Acting Bishop until 22 July 2011. |
| 2011 | 2018 | Adrian Newman1213 | (b. 1958) Resigned on 31 October 2018 on health grounds.14 | |
| 2018 | 2019 | |
Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden | Acting as Bishop of Stepney from 31 October 2018 until Grenfell's consecration.14 |
| 2019 | 2025 | Joanne Grenfell | From 3 July 2019 consecration151617 until 5 September 2025 translation to St Edmundsbury and Ipswich182
| |
| 2025 | incumbent | Rod Green | Consecrated 1st May 2026 in St Paul's Cathedral.19 Previously Archdeacon of Llandaff in the Church in Wales.2021
| |
| Source(s):1 | ||||
References
References
- Crockford's Clerical Directory (100th ed.). London: Church House Publishing. 2007. p. 948. ISBN 978-0-7151-1030-0.
- "Suffolk's incoming Bishop was legally confirmed during a service in London". Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. 15 September 2025. Archived from the original on 5 October 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- "Suffragan Bishop of Stepney: 20th March 2026". gov.uk. gov.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- "The Ven Rod Green named as the next Bishop of Stepney". www.churchofengland.org. Church of England. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- "Church news". Church Times. No. 1681. 11 April 1895. p. 418. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 19 September 2020 – via UK Press Online archives.
- "London diocesan conference". Church Times. No. 1840. 29 April 1898. p. 468. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 19 September 2020 – via UK Press Online archives.
- "Virtual autonomy for London's 'area bishops'?". Church Times. No. 5584. 20 February 1970. p. 1. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 29 September 2020 – via UK Press Online archives.
- "4: The Dioceses Commission, 1978–2002" (PDF). Church of England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- "No. 27308". The London Gazette. 26 April 1901. p. 2855.
- Diocese of London — Ad clerum: Acting Bishop of Stepney Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- Diocese of London — Ad clerum: The Bishop of Willesden Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- "Suffragan Bishop of Stepney". GOV.UK.
- "Latest news".
- Bishop of Stepney to step down (Accessed 24 July 2018)
- "New Bishop of Stepney announced". 7 May 2019.
- "New Bishop of Stepney announced | Diocese of London". London.anglican.org. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- "New Bishop of Stepney consecrated at St Paul's | Diocese of London". London.anglican.org. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- "New Bishop announced today". Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. 27 June 2025. Archived from the original on 27 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- "New Bishop of Stepney consecrated at St Paul's Cathedral". Diocese of London. 1 May 2026. Archived from the original on 13 May 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- https://www.churchofengland.org/media/news-and-press-releases/ven-rod-green-named-next-bishop-stepney
- https://www.london.anglican.org/articles/new-bishop-for-east-london-announced/
External links
External links
- Crockford's Clerical Directory - Listings
- * "The Bishop of Stepney". St George in the East Church. St George in the East PCC. Retrieved 23 October 2019.