On 17 June 2026, the Church in Wales issued the Press Release The Very Revd Dr Manon Ceridwen James Elected as the 82nd Bishop of Bangor which is reproduced in full below.
Following a period of prayer, reflection, and discernment, the Church in Wales is pleased to announce that the Very Revd Dr Manon Ceridwen James has been elected as the 82nd Bishop of Bangor.
The election took place at Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno, during a meeting of the Electoral College, which convened on 16 June. Comprising 45 clergy and lay representatives from across the Church in Wales, as well as the diocesan bishops, the College met to select the successor to the Right Reverend Andrew John, who retired in August 2025.
About Manon Ceridwen James
Manon Ceridwen James is the Dean of Bangor Cathedral where she has been addressing numerous challenging governance and finance issues for the past year. Manon was brought up in Nefyn, on the Llŷn peninsula, and was ordained deacon in 1994 in Bangor Cathedral before being amongst the first women to be ordained priest in the diocese in 1997. She has served as a parish priest in both Bangor and St Asaph dioceses as well as holding a variety of diocesan roles in training, education and vocations, the last of which was as Director of Ministry.
From 2018 to 2025 Manon was the Dean for Initial Ministerial Training at the St Padarn’s Institute in Cardiff. In her free time, Manon enjoys writing poetry and going to Wrexham and Wales football matches as well as comedy events with her husband, Dylan who is Group Financial Controller of Bangor University. Manon has a degree in Theology from Cambridge University and a PhD in Practical Theology from the University of Birmingham. Amongst her publications are a book based on her PhD research, Women, Identity and Religion in Wales and a poetry collection – Notes from a Eucharistic Life. Several of her school assemblies have also been published by SPCK.
Upon reaching the required two-thirds majority vote, the announcement was made at the doors of Holy Trinity Church, confirming Manon Ceridwen James as the bishop-elect to lead the Diocese of Bangor—a region steeped in history, stretching from Ynys Môn to the Llŷn Peninsula, and deeply rooted in traditions of pilgrimage and prayer.
The Archbishop of Wales, Cherry Vann said, “Manon is well-known to the people of the diocese and she will be a huge asset to the diocese and the Province and the Bench of Bishops. We are delighted at her election and wish her every blessing as she steps into this ministry.”
Following this election, the bishop-elect has a period of up to 28 days to formally accept the position. Should they accept, the election will then be formally ratified at a meeting of the bishops in sacred synod, followed by the consecration and enthronement in due course.