Bishop of Lincoln to retire at the end of the year

The Rt Revd Christopher Lowson will retire from his role as the Bishop of Lincoln at the end of 2021, after 10 years of service.

The Bishop started his role in April 2011 after being ordained as a deacon in 1977 and a priest a year later.

Christopher was born in Consett, County Durham in 1953 and studied at various academic institutions, including King’s College London and Cardiff Law School.

In 2005, after seven years as the Archdeacon of Portsmouth, he was appointed director of the ministry division of the Archbishops’ Council.

It was here where he was given the Bishop of Lincoln role, after being ordained in Westminster Abbey on September 21, 2011.

Christopher Lowson is the 72nd Bishop of Lincoln.

He has been an active member of the House of Lords since 2017, a membership that will cease once he retires as Bishop of Lincoln.

Christopher was suspended from his role in May 2019 after an investigation into the handling of safeguarding issues at the Lincoln Diocese, with Bishop Lowton facing allegations that he did not adequately safeguard children and vulnerable people.

He accepted a misconduct penalty in February 2021 amid the conclusion of the police investigations, before returning to work to host his first sermon back on Easter Sunday.

The Rt Revd will be officially retiring on December 31, 2021, just a month short of his 69th birthday.

Christopher’s family relationship with Lincolnshire spanned way beyond his own life, as his grandfather played football for both Lincoln City and Boston United in the 1920s.

The Bishop described his role as a “privilege” and said he will always hold Lincoln close to his heart.

He said: “It has been a joy to accompany so many people on their journey of faith through baptism, confirmation and ordination.

“There is never a convenient moment to retire but I hope by giving this amount of notice I am providing the Diocese with an opportunity to prepare for the next stage in its life and the time to make important decisions with a clear understanding of my intentions.

Bishop of Lincoln Christopher Lowson holding his first sermon since returning to post.

“I am grateful to all the lay and ordained colleagues who have worked with me over this period. Each of them in their own way has contributed significantly to God’s work in serving communities across Greater Lincolnshire, and I know they will go on doing so.”

Christopher’s ministry will be concluded with a period of study leave and retreat from October, with the intention of holding a farewell service at the cathedral in November.

In retirement from 2022 onwards, Christopher will live in his flat in Victoria, London with his wife Susan, in order to live closer to their daughter and son-in-law, who live in south east London.