Bishop Richard Announces His Retirement

Bishop Richard [Credit The Diocese of St Edmunsbury and Ipswich DBF]

The Rt Revd Richard Lewis, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich for the last nine years has announced his retirement. Addressing the Bishops Council at its meeting in Ipswich last night (Tues 10th October) Bishop Richard said he would be stepping down at the end of June 2007.

"Next year will mark my fortieth year since my ordination and my tenth as Bishop in Suffolk," he said. "A quarter of my working life has been spent in the county, though it feels more like ten minutes."

Bishop Richard told his audience that the timing of the 2008 Lambeth Conference was key to his decision. "I have always resisted the idea of someone going to such an important gathering as a swansong," he said. "I need to give my successor sufficient time to prepare for the conference and for that person to come back to Suffolk and work through all that is discussed and decided about the future of our Church. Lambeth also offers the opportunity to meet colleagues from partner dioceses across the world and to gain some idea of the size and complexity of the Anglican Communion."

Bishop Richard was installed as the ninth Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich at a ceremony at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on 15th March 1997. He came to the county after serving five years as the Bishop of Taunton in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.

The process to appoint Bishop Richard's successor will begin immediately and will involve consultation with representatives from the Diocese and the County. The Prime Minister's Office is expected to announce the name of the new leader of Suffolk's regular 20,000 church goers and the county's clergy well into the New Year.