The Bishop of Reading is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford, which is within the Province of Canterbury, England. The See of Reading is vacant since Olivia Graham's retirement. On Wednesday 27 November it was announced that the next Bishop of Reading will be the Revd Canon Mary Gregory, following her consecration in early 2025.
The title takes its name after the town of Reading in Berkshire. The bishops suffragan of Reading have been area bishops since the Oxford area scheme was founded in 1984.[1] The Bishop of Reading is responsible for the archdeaconry of Berkshire.
| Bishops of Reading | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes | |
| 1889 | 1909 | Leslie Randall | ||
| 1909 | 1942 | in abeyance | ||
| 1942 | 1954 | Arthur Parham | ||
| 1954 | 1972 | Eric Knell | ||
| 1972 | 1982 | Eric Wild | ||
| 1982 | 1989 | Graham Foley | First area bishop from 1984. | |
| 1989 | 1997 | John Bone | ||
| 1997 | 2003 | Dominic Walker | Also known as Edward William Murray Walker.[2] [3] Translated to Monmouth.[4] | |
| 2003 | Jeffrey John | Nominated in May 2003, but withdrew in July 2003 after controversy about his homosexuality.[5] | ||
| 2004 | 2010 | Stephen Cottrell | Translated to Chelmsford.[6] [7] | |
| 2011 | 2019 | Andrew Proud | Retired 1 May 2019.[8] [9] | |
| 2019 | 2024 | Olivia Graham | Consecrated 19 November 2019;[10] retired 30 September 2024.[11] | |
| 2025 | onwards | Mary Gregory, bishop-designate | Announced 27 November 2024; consecration plans to be announced.[12] | |
| Source(s):[13] | ||||