The Rt Rev Nigel Stock has announced that he will be retiring in August.

The Bishop at Lambeth, the Rt Rev Nigel Stock, has announced that he will be retiring in August.

Among his last public engagements will be General Synod in York and the licensing of a new Archdeacon to the Army.

Bishop Nigel took up the post in October 2013, having previously been bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.

As Bishop at Lambeth, Bishop Nigel supported the Archbishop’s work in the House of Bishops, the Synod and the Archbishops’ Council.

The role means being a point of contact for bishops both in the Province of Canterbury and further afield. The Bishop at Lambeth is also part of the group that supports the Archbishop in his strategic priorities and how those interact with the priorities of the Church of England. He has also supported the advisers in ecumenical affairs and the safeguarding advisers in the national team.

He took up the additional responsibility of Bishop to the Forces and Bishop to the Falkland Islands in June 2014.

Bishop Nigel said: “It has been a privilege to work with this Archbishop of Canterbury in all that he has brought to the Church of England in his first four years. Among many highlights it was wonderful to accompany the Archbishop in ground-breaking visits to His Holiness Pope Francis. As Bishop to the Armed Forces I’ve hugely enjoyed seeing the extraordinarily varied work of the Armed Forces in places as diverse as Germany, Cyprus and the Falklands.”

Speaking about his prayers for Lambeth and the Archbishop, he said:

“There are crucial events in the not too distant future, not least the Lambeth Conference 2020. I know the Archbishop will continue to bring his boundless energy and vision to both the Church of England and the Anglican Communion and I remain hugely grateful that he has been called to be Archbishop for this time.

“I am particularly grateful for the Archbishop’s very clear message about the transformation to life that occurs when a person encounters Jesus Christ. I believe that that gift of Christ will always bring hope to any person in any nation. I am confident that all the initiatives in evangelism will evoke a response from many people.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said:

“I am enormously grateful to Bishop Nigel for his years of service here at Lambeth. His love for and service to the Church of England and the Anglican Communion have been a blessing and an inspiration, not just to me but to all of us at Lambeth Palace.

“He has been a gracious and wise friend, and he and Carolyne have contributed enormously to the community of communities at Lambeth.

“His wisdom is hugely valued and he has an unshakable calm and clarity of thought which he brings to often very complex situations. His profound spirituality has led us all closer to Christ.

“We will miss all that he has brought to the role and we pray for him and his family as he enters the next phase of his life.”

Bishop Nigel’s successor will be announced in April.