Ian Bishop

Ian Gregory Bishop (born 13 November 1962) is a British Anglican bishop. Since September 2023, he has been Bishop of Thetford, a suffragan bishop in the Church of England's Diocese of Norwich. He was Archdeacon of Macclesfield in the Diocese of Chester from 2011 to 2023.

Early life and education Bishop was born on 13 November 1962 in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. He was educated at Devizes School, a comprehensive school in the town. He worked as a chartered surveyor, and became a Professional Associate of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (ARICS) in 1986 He then trained for ordination at Oak Hill College, a conservative evangelical theological college, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1991. and as a priest the next Petertide (5 July 1992, by Roy Williamson, Bishop of Southwark, at Croydon Parish Church). From 1991 to 1995, he served his curacy at Christ Church, Purley, in the Diocese of Southwark. He left parish ministry and became the Archdeacon of Macclesfield in January 2011.

He is a director of the Simeon Trustees, a trust established in the nineteenth century by Charles Simeon to purchase advowsons for Anglican ministers aligned with the Evangelical Anglicanism.

Episcopal ministry On 14 June 2023, it was announced that he would be the next Bishop of Thetford, a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Norwich. On 29 September 2023, he was consecrated as a bishop by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service at Westminster Abbey. He was later welcomed into the Diocese of Norwich as Bishop of Thetford on 30 September 2023 during a service at Norwich Cathedral.

In November 2023, he was one of 44 Church of England bishops who signed an open letter supporting the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith (i.e. blessings for same-sex couples) and called for "Guidance being issued without delay that includes the removal of all restrictions on clergy entering same-sex civil marriages, and on bishops ordaining and licensing such clergy".

Personal life In 1986, Bishop married Sue. Together they have three sons.