| Bishopric: | Southwark |
| Border: | anglican |
| Incumbent: | Christopher Chessun |
| Province: | Canterbury |
| Residence: | Bishop's House, Streatham |
| Established: | 1905 |
| Cathedral: | St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark |
| Diocese: | Southwark |
The Bishop of Southwark [1] is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark in the Province of Canterbury.[2] [3]
Until 1877, Southwark had been part of the Diocese of Winchester when it was transferred to the Diocese of Rochester. In 1891, the Bishop of Rochester appointed Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs the only suffragan bishop of Southwark and an ancient parish church in Southwark was restored to become a pro-cathedral in 1897, which later became Southwark Cathedral.[2] The bishop's residence is Bishop's House, Streatham.
On 1 May 1905,[4] the Diocese of Southwark was created and covers Greater London south of the River Thames and east Surrey, broadly defined.[2] The Bishop of Southwark is assisted by the suffragan bishops of Croydon, of Kingston and of Woolwich who each oversee an episcopal area of the diocese.[5]
The current and previous bishops have been cited in canonical practice in its interpretation as "valid but irregular" of three ordinations of candidates ordained abroad, associated with a conservative evangelical church-forming group, the Anglican Mission in England, having expressed, in the church's view, extreme views on a complex subject.[6] [7]
The current bishop is Christopher Chessun, the 10th Bishop of Southwark, who signs +Christopher Southwark. He had previously been the area Bishop of Woolwich (2005–2011). When the post-holder ranks among the longest-serving 21 bishops heading a diocese, he or she will qualify for a place in the House of Lords, joining the other five who qualify ex officio, including the two archbishops.
| Diocesan Bishops of Southwark | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes | |
| 1905 | 1911 | Edward Talbot | Translated from Rochester, translated to Winchester | |
| 1911 | 1919 | Hubert Burge | Translated to Oxford | |
| 1919 | 1932 | Cyril Garbett | Translated to Winchester, and later to York | |
| 1932 | 1941 | Richard Parsons | Translated from Middleton, translated to Hereford | |
| 1942 | 1959 | Bertram Simpson | Translated from Kensington | |
| 1959 | 1980 | Mervyn Stockwood | ||
| 1980 | 1991 | Ronald Bowlby | Translated from Newcastle | |
| 1991 | 1998 | Roy Williamson | Translated from Bradford | |
| 1998 | 2010 | Tom Butler | Translated from Leicester | |
| 2011 | incumbent | Christopher Chessun | Translated from Woolwich | |
| Source(s):[8] [9] | ||||
Among those who have served as assistant bishops in the diocese have been: