On 20 February 2026, the Diocese of Lincoln issued the following statement.
Diocesan Statement Regarding the Status of The Bishop of Lincoln
20th February 2026
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. 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.
Comment
Bishop Conway has been Bishop of Lincoln since 2023, before which he was Acting Bishop of the diocese, in addition to being Bishop of Ely. His suspension by the Archbishop of Canterbury follows the House of Bishops’ Code of Practice. The Suffragan Bishop of Grantham, Dr Nicholas Chamberlain, will be performing the function of the diocesan Bishop in Bishop Conway’s absence.
The Guardians of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham have accepted the resignation of the Bishop of Lincoln, the Right Reverend Stephen Conway, as Visitor to the Shrine. Bishop Conway offered his resignation following news of his suspension as Bishop of Lincoln, pending ongoing investigations. Master of the Guardians, Fr Philip Barnes, acknowledged with gratitude the work Bishop Conway had done and said that the Guardians would work on choosing a successor in the near future.
Updates
On 20 February 2026, the BBC reported that Bishop Conway had been arrested and released on conditional bail.
On 22 February 2026, the Diocese of Lincoln issued a Pastoral Letter to the Diocese from The Bishop of Grantham (The Acting Bishop of Lincoln) and The Bishop of Grimsby; a copy of the letter is here.