THE Anglican Bishop of Lancaster, Rt Rev. Geoff Pearson, has announced his retirement today after nearly 43 years of ministry.

Bishop Geoff, 65, who has held the Suffragan Bishop role for more than a decade and will depart in the summer, said: “I have a mixture of feelings as this announcement is made. There is a real sadness about leaving colleagues and being part of the momentum that is building around the Diocesan Vision 2026.

“It has been a huge privilege to work in Lancashire with many lovely clergy and people … but I still have six months left to focus particularly on the Vision agenda and mission opportunities.”