The Bishop to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York is a position within the hierarchy of the Church of England. It is a non-diocesan appointment in which a bishop acts as head of staff or general assistant to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to the Archbishop of York. It was created in 2021 to replace the former role Bishop at Lambeth, who assisted only the Archbishops of Canterbury.
On 19 April 2021, it was announced that Emma Ineson, then Bishop suffragan of Penrith, was to move to Lambeth Palace, to become "Bishop to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York". She took up the appointment on 1 June 2021, and her new role replaces that of Bishop at Lambeth as episcopal assistant to Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. The new role also includes assisting Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, coordinating between Lambeth and Bishopthorpe, and overseeing the Lambeth Conference 2022 programme.[1] [2] On 15 December 2022, it was announced that Ineson was to become the next Bishop of Kensington (an area bishop in the Diocese of London) in "spring 2023".[3] On 2 February 2023, it was announced that David Urquhart (retired Bishop of Birmingham) would succeed Ineson for a one-year interim period starting during the week beginning 6 February 2023.[4]
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1984 | Ross Hook | Hook was the first bishop (recently) to serve as Chief of Staff to the Archbishop of Canterbury. | |
| Bishops at Lambeth | ||||
| 1984 | 1992 | Ronald Gordon | Previously Bishop of Portsmouth (1975–1984). Also became Bishop to the Forces (1985–1990). | |
| 1992 | 1994 | John Yates | Previously Bishop of Gloucester (1975 –1992). | |
| 1994 | 1999 | Frank Sargeant | Previously Bishop of Stockport (1984–1994). | |
| 1999 | 2004 | Richard Llewellin | Previously Bishop of Dover (1992–1999). Appointed in 1999.[5] Became Chairman of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals (ASWA).[6] | |
| 2004 | 2013 | vacant | [7] | |
| October 2013[8] | 2017 | Nigel Stock | Previously Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich; retired during August 2017.[9] | |
| 6 September 2017 | 30 September 2021 | Tim Thornton | previously Bishop of Truro;[10] commissioned 6 September 2017;[11] retired on 30 September 2021.[12] | |
| Bishops to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York | ||||
| 1 June 2021 | February 2023 | Emma Ineson | Previously Bishop suffragan of Penrith; translated to Kensington. | |
| February 2023 | present | David Urquhart | ad interim and part-time; retired Bishop of Birmingham. | |