Stephen David Conway
SCP
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* Seattle Computer Produ ...
(born 22 December 1957) is a British
Anglican bishop. Since December 2010, he has been the
Bishop of Ely; and since 2022, the Acting
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.
The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...
. From 2006 to 2010, he was the
Bishop of Ramsbury
The Bishop of Ramsbury is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name from the village of Ramsbury in Wiltshire, and was first used ...
, an
area bishop
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...
(before 2009) and then
suffragan bishop of the
Diocese of Salisbury.
Early life and education
Conway was born on 22 December 1957.
He was educated at
Archbishop Tenison's Grammar School, a
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
grammar school in
Lambeth, London.
He studied modern history at
Keble College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree; as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
(MA Oxon).
Conway remained at Keble College to undertake
teacher training
Teacher education or teacher training refers to programs, policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, approaches, methodologies and skills they require to perform their t ...
, and he completed a
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE/PGCertEd) is a one- or two-year higher education course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which provides training in order to allow graduates to become teachers within maintained schools. In ...
(PGCE) in 1981.
He then became a teacher,
working as an
assistant master at
Glenalmond College
Glenalmond College is a co-educational independent boarding school in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, for children aged between 12 and 18 years. It is situated on the River Almond near the village of Methven, about west of the city of Perth. ...
, an
independent school in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
, Scotland, between 1981 and 1983.
In 1983, Conway started at
Westcott House, Cambridge
Westcott House is an Anglican theological college based on Jesus Lane in the centre of the university city of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.Westcott House website, Home pag Retrieved on August 27, 2006. Its main activity is training people for ...
, an
Anglican theological college
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
in the
Liberal Catholic tradition
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
, to train for
ordained ministry.
During this time he also
matriculated
Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination.
Australia
In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...
, studying theology, at
Selwyn College, Cambridge
Selwyn College, Cambridge (formally Selwyn College in the University of Cambridge) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1882 by the Selwyn Memorial Committee in memory of George Augustus Selwyn (18 ...
, and he graduated with a further Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1985.
[Diocese of Ely](_blank)
10 Downing Street website, 31 August 2010. After a further year of training, he left theological college in 1986 to be ordained in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
.
Ordained ministry
Conway was made a
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
at
Petertide 1986 (29 June) by
Michael Ball
Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of ''Les Misérables'', and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in ...
,
Bishop of Jarrow, and
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...
a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
the following Petertide (28 June 1987) by
David Jenkins,
Bishop of Durham
The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...
— both times at
Durham Cathedral. From 1986 to 1989, he served his
curacy
A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...
at St Mary's Church,
Heworth in the
Diocese of Durham
The Diocese of Durham is a Church of England diocese, based in Durham, and covering the historic county of Durham (and therefore including the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne, and excluding southern Teesdale). It was created in ...
.
He was an assistant curate at
Church of St Michael and All Angels,
Bishopwearmouth
Bishopwearmouth is a former village and parish which now constitutes the west side of Sunderland City Centre, merging with the settlement as it expanded outwards in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is home to the Sunderland Minster church, which ...
, Sunderland, between 1989 and 1990, and then an honorary curate of
St Margaret's Church,
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
* Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
, between 1990 and 1994.
From 1989 to 1994, he was also Director of Ordinands for the Diocese of Durham.
He then moved to St Mary's Church,
Cockerton, Darlington, where he was
Priest-in-Charge from 1994 to 1996 and
Vicar
A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...
from 1996 to 1998.
From here he became
senior chaplain to
Michael Turnbull,
Bishop of Durham
The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...
; and subsequently
Archdeacon of Durham
The Archdeacon of Durham is a senior ecclesiastical officer of the diocese of Durham (Church of England). They have, within the geographical area the ''archdeaconry of Durham'', pastoral oversight of clergy and care of church buildings (among other ...
.
Episcopal ministry
On 2 May 2006, his nomination as
Bishop of Ramsbury
The Bishop of Ramsbury is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name from the village of Ramsbury in Wiltshire, and was first used ...
was announced,
[Official Nomination of Suffragan See of Ramsbury](_blank)
, 10 Downing Street website, 2 May 2006. and he was consecrated on 22 June 2006.
/ref> He was the last area bishop
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...
under that diocese's 1981–2009 area scheme
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...
. Following the retirement of David Stancliffe as Bishop of Salisbury in July 2010, Conway was made responsible for the administration of that diocese. On 31 August 2010, it was announced that he would be the next Bishop of Ely. He was elected by the College of Canons at Ely on 18 October 2010, and the election was confirmed by the provincial court on 6 December 2010, at which point he legally became the Bishop of Ely.[Diocese of Ely – March 5th date set for Installation and Children's Event](_blank)
(Accessed 11 April 2014). His installation and enthronement was held in Ely Cathedral on 5 March 2011.
From 2011-15 Conway was the inaugural Chair of Development and Appointments Group of the House of Bishops. He oversaw the development of initially disputed leadership training for bishops and deans and the creation of the Senior Leadership Development Programme for identified and screened clergy who might grow into strategic ministries. This is now mainstream. He has also contributed to the initial leadership training of members of the judiciary from new district judges and coroners to justices of appeal. He has engaged in various leadership courses with the Windsor Leadership Trust and was a keynote speaker at a WLT leadership programme at Cumberland Lodge in 2020.
When Conway entered the House of Lords in 2014 he became the national lead bishop for education and Chair of the National Society for England and Wales, the Church's education arm since 1811. He brought forward the Church's new vision for education in partnership with the Chief Education Officer, the Rev'd Nigel Genders. He promoted partnership with Her Majesty's Government in primary, secondary and tertiary education and sought a closer relationship with diocesan directors of education and headteachers around the country. He travelled widely around the country to encourage church schools in their offer of high-quality holistic education. He promoted character and virtue education in the House of Lords and through other public networks.
This was honoured by his being made a Farmington Education Fellow in Oxford on sabbatical in 2017. Later that year he was elected an honorary fellow of Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford.
He is also the Visitor of Jesus, Peterhouse and St John's Colleges in the University of Cambridge and of the King's School Ely.
Conway is President of Cambridgeshire ACRE, the rural development trust for Cambridgeshire. For three years from 2017, he was President of the East of England Agricultural Society and is the Patron of Marshal Papworth Trust which supports students from the Global World studying development in agriculture and agribusiness.
He is an active patron of the Arthur Rank Hospice serving Cambridgeshire with both residential and home palliative care.
Since 2011, Conway had been the Anglican bishop accompanying the L'Arche Community of disabled adults with their carers in the UK. Since 2014 he has been a member of the church leaders' advisory group of L'Arche International worldwide. From 2001 - 2010 Conway was a trustee and chair of Mental Health Matters, a third sector national provider of mental health services which had begun in the North East of England as a schizophrenia charity.
From 2015-18 Conway was a member of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches.
From 2020-21 Conway was part of a small group appointed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to consult all serving bishops about culture change and diocesan structural development. Their report was submitted in April 2021, including a substantial essay on the theology of the episcopate written by Conway. He is now a member of the ongoing bishops' reference group.
In accordance with constitutional practice, upon becoming the twenty-sixth most senior bishop in the Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
(after the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York
The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...
, the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester, and the nineteen other longest serving Bishops), Conway became one of the Lords Spiritual of the House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
on 4 June 2014. He was introduced to the House on Monday, 7 July 2014.
It has been announced that Conway is to serve as both Bishop of Ely and Acting Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.
The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...
(each half-time) throughout 2022.Diocese of Lincoln — Acting Bishop of Lincoln - Public Statements
(Accessed 15 November 2021)
Styles
*''
The Reverend
The Reverend is an honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. ''The Reverend'' is correctly ...
'' Stephen Conway (1986–2002)
*''The
Venerable
The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism.
Christianity
Cat ...
'' Stephen Conway (2002–2006)
*''The
Right Reverend'' Stephen Conway (2006–present)
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conway, Stephen
1957 births
People educated at Archbishop Tenison's Church of England School, Lambeth
Alumni of Keble College, Oxford
Alumni of Selwyn College, Cambridge
Archdeacons of Durham
21st-century Church of England bishops
Living people
Bishops of Ramsbury
Bishops of Ely
Lords Spiritual
Alumni of Westcott House, Cambridge