The Rt Revd Ian Bishop is the Bishop of Thetford.
Bishop Ian was born and brought up in Devizes in Wiltshire. After his first degree at Portsmouth Polytechnic, he qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and worked for Croydon Council and BAA.
He came to a living faith in Christ at University and quickly felt a call to ordained ministry. He trained at Oak Hill College and was ordained Deacon in Southwark Cathedral in 1991.
During his MA in Theology and Ministry from Durham University, he wrote his dissertation on the spiritual fruit of self control (Gal 5:23) with a specific focus on clergy adultery. This has given Ian a particular interest in the way the Church cares for divorced clergy spouses. He is now the National Lead Bishop for Bishop’s Visitors who support separated and divorced clergy partners and spouses. Ian is also a member of the national Mission, Pastoral and Church Property Committee (MPCPC).
Ian served his curacy at Christ Church, Purley after which he became Priest in Charge of seven Norfolk village Churches in the Tas Valley, before moving to Chester Diocese in 2001 to become Rector of Middlewich and Byley and later also Rural Dean of Middlewich. In 2011 he was appointed Archdeacon of Macclesfield and became Bishop of Thetford following his ordination as Bishop at Westminster Abbey on the 29 September 2023.
Ian has been married to Sue for 40 years. Sue has thirty years experience in the charity sector and until moving to Norfolk has been Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Crewe YMCA. Sue is a qualified Life Coach and also volunteers as an Appropriate Adult, supporting vulnerable adults and young people in the legal system.
Sue and Ian have three sons, Joe (a GP), Dan (a Vicar) and Will (an Actor/Writer) and two daughters in law, Anna (Teacher in Modern Foreign Languages) and Rachel (Registrar in Geriatric Medicine). They have three grandchildren.
Ian and Sue have shared passions for their grandchildren, theatre and travel and are regulars in the gym.
Locally, as well as his duties as a suffragan Bishop, Ian is lead Bishop’s advocate for Safeguarding, Education and Ministry.