The Diocese of Lincoln published the statement below today.
Diocesan Statement Regarding the Status of The Bishop of Lincoln
20th February, 2026The Bishop of Lincoln, The Rt Revd Stephen Conway, has been suspended from ministry while a complaint made to the National Safeguarding Team is responded to according to House of Bishops Code of Practice. This includes referral to the appropriate statutory authorities.
The Bishop of Grantham, The Rt Revd Dr Nicholas Chamberlain, will be performing the function of the Diocesan Bishop during this period.
Support is in place for those affected and there will be no further comment while the process is ongoing.
We understand that this will be a deeply unsettling time. The Diocesan Safeguarding Team is available for anyone who wishes to contact them. They can be contacted via email: safeguarding@lincoln.anglican.org or by phone: 01522 504070.
Alternatively, Safe Spaces is an independent and confidential support advocacy service. Contact their free helpline: 0300 303 1056.
And there is also support from ThirtyOneEight, a safeguarding support line. Their number is 0303 003 1111.
The BBC has subsequently reported that the bishop has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.
Is this a safeguarding issue, or a CDM issue? It looks like it is going through safeguarding processes. Fully independent?
Does this reflect the realisation (as prompted by the charity commission) that safeguarding is for all?
I am not trying to pry into the case, just wondering about the process, and the transparency and independence of such.
The BBC reports it as suspicion of sexual assault. They may have got this completely wrong, or it may have nothing to do with Smyth.
It’s all a mess.
Bishop of Lincoln arrested in sexual assault inquiry https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y5e32vwdwo