When Justin Welby steps down he will be succeeded by the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
There are more than 100 bishops in the Church of England, including 42 diocesan bishops.
Here, the PA news agency take a look at some of the names who could be in the running.
– Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London
The former nurse was the youngest person to be appointed chief nursing officer for England in 1999
She sits in the House of Lords and was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council in March 2018.
She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2005 for her contribution to nursing and midwifery.
She is married with two children and is a novice potter.
– Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
He spent a brief spell in the film industry and also at St Christopher’s Hospice in south London before being ordained a deacon at the age of 25.
He became the 98th Archbishop of York in 2020.
He is married with three sons.
– Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford
As we praise God, we also remember those who cannot be with us.
Join in with Bishop @Guli_FD, as she says a Grace for Easter.
Amen. 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/ihOVeXoxfd
— The Church of England (@churchofengland) April 4, 2021
Born in Iran, Bishop Guli’s family fled in the wake of the Iranian revolution in 1980, when she was just a teenager.
Her brother Bahram was murdered in the revolution, and she previously spoke about how it affected her family.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs: “We’ve spent a lifetime coming to terms with it. In a sense, it was his sacrifice that brought us here. I don’t think my mum and my sister and I would have left if we hadn’t had a very good reason to.
“So he gave us the gift of a chance of a new life in this country.”
She has been Bishop of Chelmsford since April 2021 and is the lead bishop for housing for the Church of England.
She is married with three children.
– Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich
The ecologist and keen beekeeper is the church’s lead bishop on the environment.
He became the 72nd Bishop of Norwich in June 2019 and is patron or president of more than 25 charities.
He is married with two children.
– Michael Beasley, Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells has assisted at the coronation of all our monarchs since 1189.
Rt Rev Michael Beasley, explains more about his role in the coronation of King Charles III.@BathWells #Coronation pic.twitter.com/X3yLpNmPjK
— The Church of England (@churchofengland) April 30, 2023
The former epidemiologist was a member of the Church of England’s Covid task force in the pandemic.
He was also part of efforts by Unicef and the NHS to launch vaccinaid.org which raised more than £10 million in support of vaccination for low-income countries.
He is married and became the 80th Bishop of Bath and Wells in 2022.
– Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester
Hundreds gathered over the weekend for our Petertide Ordinations @LeicsCathedral.
The Right Reverend Martyn Snow, The Lord Bishop of Leicester, presided at two joyful services, ordaining five priests and five deacons.
Meet our #NewRevs – https://t.co/65oDNV74d3 pic.twitter.com/HeftZAOiOT
— Diocese of Leicester (@leicestercofe) July 1, 2024
Born in Indonesia, he studied chemistry at the University of Sheffield and then worked with the Crown Prosecution Service.
He became the seventh Bishop of Leicester in 2016.
As well as being a supporter of Leicester City and Leicester Tigers, his interests are said to include music and hill walking.
He is married and at one stage worked in Guinea in West Africa with the local church alongside his wife.
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