The Right Rev Dr John Armes has announced that he will retire as Bishop of Edinburgh on 31 August this year.

Bishop John, who was consecrated as 26th Bishop of Edinburgh in May 2012, will reach his 70th birthday later this year. Confirming his retirement in a letter to the Clergy of the Diocese of Edinburgh, he said: “By then I shall be in my fourteenth year as your bishop, a period of ministry which, for me, has been full of joy and a sense of huge privilege.”

He continued: “I shall, of course, continue to hold the diocese in prayer as collectively you discern who God may be calling to be your next bishop. I shall do all I can to ensure that the transition is a smooth one – this will include keeping out of the way when necessary!

“In the meantime, please pray for Clare and me and our family at this time of personal transition. After 46 years of full-time ministry there will be a lot to get used to. Please pray also for the Dean and Standing Committee and others who will have particular responsibilities in the electoral process.”

Prior to his election as Bishop in 2012, he was Rector of St John’s, Princes Street, Edinburgh and Dean of the Diocese of Edinburgh. He arrived in Edinburgh in 1998 after spending time as Area Dean of Rossendale and Priest in Charge of Goodshaw and Crawshawbooth in the Diocese of Manchester.