Bishop ofSouthwark
Bishopric
anglican
Incumbent: Christopher Chessun
Location
Ecclesiastical province	Canterbury
Residence	Bishop's House,Streatham
Information
Established	1905
Diocese	Southwark
Cathedral	St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark

TheBishop of Southwark (/ˈsʌðərk/ ^ⓘSUDH-ərk)^[1] is theordinary of theChurch of EnglandDiocese of Southwark in theProvince of Canterbury.^[2][3]

Until 1877, Southwark had been part of theDiocese of Winchester when it was transferred to theDiocese of Rochester. In 1891, theBishop of Rochester appointedHuyshe Yeatman-Biggs the onlysuffragan bishop of Southwark and an ancient parish church in Southwark was restored to become apro-cathedral in 1897, which later becameSouthwark Cathedral.^[2] The bishop's residence is Bishop's House,Streatham.^[4]

On 1 May 1905,^[5] theDiocese of Southwark was created and coversGreater London south of theRiver Thames and eastSurrey, broadly defined.^[2] The Bishop of Southwark is assisted by the suffragan bishopsof Croydon,of Kingston andof Woolwich who each oversee anepiscopal area of the diocese.^[6]

The current and previous bishops have been cited incanonical 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.^[7][8]

The current bishop isChristopher Chessun, the 10th Bishop of Southwark, who signs+Christopher Southwark. He had previously been the areaBishop 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 theHouse of Lords, joining the other five who qualifyex officio, including the two archbishops.

Diocesan Bishops of Southwark
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1905	1911	Edward Talbot	Translated fromRochester, translated toWinchester
1911	1919	Hubert Burge	Translated toOxford
1919	1932	Cyril Garbett	Translated toWinchester, and later toYork
1932	1941	Richard Parsons	Translated fromMiddleton, translated toHereford
1942	1959	Bertram Simpson	Translated fromKensington
1959	1980	Mervyn Stockwood
1980	1991	Ronald Bowlby	Translated fromNewcastle
1991	1998	Roy Williamson	Translated fromBradford
1998	2010	Tom Butler	Translated fromLeicester
2011	incumbent	Christopher Chessun	Translated fromWoolwich
Source(s):[9][10]

Among those who have served asassistant bishops in the diocese have been:

• 1964–1968:Gething Caulton, formerBishop of Melanesia andAssistant Bishop of Auckland^[11]
• 1968–1972 (d.):John Boys, formerBishop of Kimberley and Kuruman^[12]
• 1967 – 1971 (ret.): Lawrence Barham, Minister ofEmmanuel Church, Wimbledon and formerBishop of Rwanda and Burundi. Edward Lawrence Barham (25 June 1901 – 5 June 1973) was amissionary inUganda andRuanda-Urundi. He was educated atMerchant Taylors' andGonville and Caius College, Cambridge; and trained for the ministry atRidley Hall, Cambridge.^[13] He was made deacon onTrinity Sunday 1925 (7 June)^[14] and ordained priest the following Trinity Sunday (30 May 1926) — both times byCyril Garbett, Bishop of Southwark, atSouthwark Cathedral.^[15] After his curacy inHatcham,County of London (1925–28), he went as a missionary of theChurch Mission Society, first to Uganda until 1938, then to Ruanda-Urundi, 1938–57. He was additionally made a Canon of theDiocese of Uganda, 1939; and appointedArchdeacon of Nkore-Kigezi (in the same diocese), 1957–59. Returning to England, he served as General Secretary of the CMS Ruanda Mission until his appointment asBishop of Rwanda and Burundi in 1964.^[13] He was consecrated a bishop on 8 March 1964, byLeslie Brown,Archbishop of Uganda andBishop of Namirembe, atNamirembe Cathedral;^[16] and served until 1966, when he resigned and returned to London in 1966.^[13]
• 1974 – 1975:Br John-Charles SSF, formerAssistant Bishop of Adelaide andBishop of Polynesia^[17]
• 1975 – 1987 (ret.):Edward Knapp-Fisher,Canon andArchdeacon of Westminster, Sub-Dean of Westminster (from 1982) and formerBishop of Pretoria^[18]

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