Stephen Conway


Stephen David Conway SCP is a British Anglican bishop. Since December 2010, he has been the Bishop of Ely. From 2006 to 2010, he was the Bishop of Ramsbury, an area bishop 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 grammar school in Lambeth, London. He studied modern history at Keble College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree; as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts.
Conway remained at Keble College to undertake teacher training, and he completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in 1981. He then became a teacher, working as an assistant master at Glenalmond College, an independent school in Perth, Scotland, between 1981 and 1983.
In 1983, Conway started at Westcott House, Cambridge, an Anglican theological college in the Liberal Catholic tradition, to train for ordained ministry. During this time he also matriculated, studying theology, at Selwyn College, Cambridge, and he graduated with a further Bachelor of Arts degree in 1985. After a further year of training, he left theological college in 1986 to be ordained in the Church of England.

Ordained ministry

Conway was made a deacon at Petertide 1986 by Michael Ball, Bishop of Jarrow, and ordained a priest the following Petertide by David Jenkins, Bishop of Durham — both times at Durham Cathedral. From 1986 to 1989, he served his curacy at St Mary's Church, Heworth in the Diocese of Durham. He was an assistant curate at Church of St Michael and All Angels, Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, between 1989 and 1990, and then an honorary curate of St Margaret's Church, Durham, 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 from 1996 to 1998.
From here he became senior chaplain to Michael Turnbull, Bishop of Durham; and subsequently Archdeacon of Durham.

Episcopal ministry

On 2 May 2006, his nomination as Bishop of Ramsbury was announced, and he was consecrated on 22 June 2006. He was the last area bishop under that diocese's 1981–2009 area scheme. 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. His installation and enthronement was held in Ely Cathedral on 5 March 2011.
In accordance with constitutional practice, upon becoming the twenty-sixth most senior bishop in the Church of England, Conway became one of the Lords Spiritual of the House of Lords on 4 June 2014. He was introduced to the House on Monday, 7 July 2014.

Styles