Bishop of Oxford announces retirement after 10 years
He will retire in July 2026.
The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, has announced he will retire in July 2026 after a decade serving the Diocese of Oxford.
Bishop Steven will officially lay down his crozier during a farewell service at Christ Church Cathedral on 31 May. His retirement will also mark the conclusion of 17 years as a Diocesan Bishop, including seven years as Bishop of Sheffield and 13 years as a member of the House of Lords.
Reflecting on his ministry, Bishop Steven said: “It has been and remains an immense joy and privilege to serve as Bishop of Oxford and I am deeply thankful for God’s grace in so many different people and communities across the diocese.”
Bishop Steven was consecrated as Bishop of Sheffield in 2009 and became Bishop of Oxford in 2016.
Throughout his ministry, Bishop Steven has taken a particular interest in ethical and societal issues. In the House of Lords, he contributed to the 2017 Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence and was a founding board member of the UK Government’s Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation.
An advocate for social and environmental justice, Bishop Steven has spoken on online safety, the gig economy, and the urgent need for action on climate change. In 2021, he joined the Lords Select Committee on the environment and climate change, calling for "an ecological conversion of every person and every part of society."
In 2022, Bishop Steven published “Together in Love and Faith,” becoming one of the most senior Church of England figures to publicly support same-sex marriage.
Residents of the Diocese of Oxford will be invited to share their views on what they hope for in a new Bishop.