Church of England bishop resigns after suspension over safeguarding complaint

The Bishop of ​Lincoln, Stephen Conway, has ​resigned after being suspended ‌from ​ministry following his arrest earlier this year on suspicion of sexual assault, the ‌Church of England said on Monday. British police said in February that a 68-year-old man had been arrested as part of ‌an investigation into an allegation that a man was sexually ‌assaulted between 2018 and 2025. Conway was released on conditional bail.

The Church of England said that a safeguarding complaint concerning Conway had ⁠been referred ​to the ⁠relevant authorities. A member of parliament's upper house, the House of ⁠Lords, Conway became Bishop of Lincoln in 2023. He was among ​a number of clergy criticised in an independent review into ⁠the Church of England's handling of prolific abuser John Smyth, though ⁠he ​said at the time that he had done all he could within his authority.

His resignation comes as ⁠the Church continues to face scrutiny over safeguarding failures following the ⁠fallout from the ⁠Smyth review, which in 2024 led to the resignation of Justin Welby, the then-Archbishop of ‌Canterbury.