The Bishop of Lincoln, the Right Reverend Stephen Conway, has been suspended following a safeguarding complaint.
Newly installed Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally temporarily removed him from his position after a complaint was made to the Church of England’s national safeguarding team.
The Church of England said on Friday that Conway, who is also a member of the House of Lords, had been suspended while a ‘safeguarding complaint’ was investigated.
It also said the complaint had been passed onto the ‘relevant authorities’.
Allegations were first made against Conway at the end of January.
The Bishop of Grantham, Dr Nicholas Chamberlain, has been drafted in to fill the bishop’s role while Conway is suspended, according to a statement posted to the Diocese of Lincoln’s website.
The Bishop of Lincoln, the Right Reverend Stephen Conway, has been suspended by the newly installed Archbishop of Canterbury
Newly installed Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Conway (pictured) has vowed to take safeguarding more seriously
It read: ‘The 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.’
Conway was formally installed as the Bishop of Lincoln in November 2023, having previously been the Bishop of Ely.
He was named in the 2024 Makin Report, the independent review into the systemic cover-up of child sexual abuse within the Church of England, which resulted in the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury.
The review suggested that Conway failed to rigorously follow up on information he was given in 2013 by a victim about abuses committed by the prolific abuser John Smyth.
Dame Sarah, meanwhile, committed days ago to taking safeguarding more seriously than the Church had done in the past, where she said it had ‘fallen tragically short’.
She told the General Synod last week: ‘Safeguarding is a fundamental, non-negotiable responsibility, sharpened by our past failings and shaped by the work we still have to do.
‘I am committed to bringing an approach of seriousness and focussed direction to all matters relating to safeguarding in all contexts in the church.’
The Daily Mail has contacted the Bishop of Lincoln for comment.
