Updated Monday 23 February
The Diocese of Lincoln published the statement below today, 20 February”
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.
Update Monday 23 February
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.
As there is an ongoing legal process now, I’m just going to respond to your question about whether this indicates the national safeguarding team now recognises safeguarding is for all. It’s too early to say. Without any information about the alleged victim, there’s no way of knowing whether this person, though described in the BBC report as ‘a man’ (and so, I assume from this, not a minor), meets the legal threshold to be considered a vulnerable adult.
I think if you look again at the letter from the charity commission, they emphasised that safeguarding was for all, not just the vulnerable.
The relevant words from the Charity Commission’s letter is:
The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury wants to ensure that the Church is “a kind and safe place that cares for everyone”. From the Commission’s perspective — and we dare say that of most parishioners — that commitment to safety and care extends not just to minors or the vulnerable, but to all.
Bishop of Lincoln arrested in sexual assault inquiry https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y5e32vwdwo
Whatever else transpires, I know Bishop Stephen Conway to be a very good bishop and a delightful human being.
Rather as Bishop Chris Lowson previously Bishop of Lincoln was found to be innocent and is a very fine and delightful person.
Let nobody rush to judgement.
The announcement of Bishop Lowson’s suspension was accompanied by the statement from Lambeth Palace that he was ‘a danger’. A phrase that was both destructive and demeaning, especially as he was later found innocent .
The reporting of this latest unfortunate episode is in rather more measured tones, for which we have to be thankful.
The suspension of Bishop Lowson was of doubtful legality, as was discussed at length on TA at the time. The ‘danger’ was a misquotation from the CDM Section 37 provision authorising suspension by which (in this case) the Archbishop had to be: “satisfied, on the basis of information provided by a local authority or the police, that the bishop [or archbishop] presents a significant risk of harm”. But the power to suspend is qualified by the application of Section 12: “Provided that, in the case of a complaint made as aforesaid, the bishop [or archbishop] shall not be suspended under… Read more »
The suspension of Chris Lawson was plain cruel, as the facts bore out….eventually, after inordinate and unwarranted suffering.
‘How these Christians love one another’ ??
I should have added that for the suspension to have been lawful, the Archbishop should have additionally consulted and obtained the agreement of the two most senior (by total length of episcopal office) bishops of his Province. Possibly that was done but I have no recollection of it.
Rowland – Archbishop Welby did obtain the required consent of the bishops of Birmingham and Worcester, as recorded in his public statement of 16 May 2019, set out in full in paragraph 1 of the article I wrote at the time, discussing the legal issues arising from the suspension and the statement: see my earlier comment for the link.
Indeed. I’m afraid much damage was done, obviously to Bishop Lowson, but also to the morale of the Church communities and people of the Diocese. Thankfully we seem to live in more tactful and kinder times
Members of the C of E in the diocese of Lincoln may be reflecting on the Oscar Wilde quote (as adapted): “To lose one bishop may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose two looks like carelessness.” However, unlike the suspension of Bishop Christopher Lowson, which I wrote about in an article published on Thinking Anglicans (see Suspension-of-Bishop-of-Lincoln-article-24.5.2019-v.2.pdf), this suspension would appear lawful – but without further information I could not sensibly comment, save for saying (quoting the King re his brother, Andrew): “What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by… Read more »
Roland, that proviso only applies to a suspension “in the case of a complaint made as aforesaid“, which is a reference back to s,37(1)a): “Where— (a) a complaint in writing is made under section 10(1) above against a bishop or archbishop…” In the case of Bishop Lowson, his suspension was pursuant to section 37(1)(e): “[where] the archbishop of the province in which a bishop holds office or, in the case of an archbishop, the other archbishop, is satisfied, on the basis of information provided by a local authority or the police, that the bishop or archbishop presents a significant risk… Read more »
David, we have had this conversation before! It was I who first raised the subject on TA and drew the distinction between the Archbishop being satisfied (present tense) or supposition (future tense). At the time two regular TA lady contributors, one of them a cleric, firmly told us we were both wrong! If you re-read my reply to David James above you will see that (relying solely on my recollection of nearly seven years ago) with the qualifications I made, it was substantially correct. You will also see from my reply to Too old to genuflect that I readily admitted… Read more »
Rowland, with respect, I don’t think you were ‘substantially correct’ as you concluded your comment by stating, “If the preliminary requirements of section 12 were not followed, the suspension was, at best, “irregular”.” But, as I’ve pointed out, section 12 had no application in the Lowson case. However, let’s leave it there. If anyone wants to see the discussion on the (lengthy) thread back in 2019, to which we both contributed, this is the link: Bishop of Lincoln suspended from office for alleged safeguarding failure | Thinking Anglicans And this is the link to the ‘update’ post of 24 May… Read more »
If anyone, but maybe especially a Priest, is tried and found guilty of sexual assault then their previous good character is of little worth surely?
Not a good start for the New Bishop of Grimsby recently consecrated and about to begin her time as one of the Suffragan Bishops in the Diocese of Lincoln, she has yet to be commissioned and welcomed into the Diocese and may be in these circumstances the acting Bishop of Lincoln, the Bishop of Grantham will be authorised in these circumstances to commission the Bishop of Grimsby, so she can start work. The Bishop of Grantham will certainly need her assistance very soon as he will not be able to run that Diocese single handed in these circumstances. Jonathan
Many, many prayers for the Bishop of Grantham. He’s going to need them in the circumstances.
On a separate episcopal subject, please pray for the Bishop of Guildford, whose earthly life may be entering its final phase.
https://www.cofeguildford.org.uk/about-us/news/bishop-andrews-pastoral-update-to-the-diocese.php
I have seen the Letters written by Bishop Andrew on the Website of the Diocese of Guildford and they are very Sad and very moving, I hope and pray that it will be a peaceful and painless passing for Bishop Andrew and a Joyful meeting with his Lord. Very Sad for his wife and family as well as the whole Diocesan Family in Guildford. Jonathan
How terribly sad. Prayers for Bishop Andrew for a painless release and for his family, friends and those in the Diocese who know him in their grief.
Wow! What a wonderful word of witness!
What else is there to say but the words of the valedictory prayer: “Go forth on your journey from this world Christian soul in peace and enter in to your eternal rest….”
Please note the update to this article, a pastoral letter issued over the weekend.