New Bishop of Bangor Elected
A new Bishop of Bangor has been elected one year after complaints surfaced regarding "blurred" sexual boundaries, inappropriate language, and excessive alcohol consumption at the cathedral, which has been embroiled in scandal.
The Very Revd Manon Ceridwen James was selected by the Church in Wales Electoral College to succeed the former Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, who announced his retirement from the role in June 2025.
Dr Manon James assumed the position of Dean of Bangor Cathedral in October, where she has been actively addressing numerous challenging governance and financial issues, according to the Church in Wales.
Endorsements and Background
Archbishop of Wales Cherry Vann described James as "well-known" and stated she "will be a huge asset to the diocese and the Province and the Bench of Bishops."
James, originally from Nefyn on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, was ordained as a deacon at Bangor Cathedral in 1994 and was among the first women ordained as a priest in the diocese in 1997.
Election Process
The election took place at Holy Trinity Church in Llandudno, Conwy, where 45 clergy and lay representatives from across the Church in Wales, alongside diocesan bishops, convened to reach the required two-thirds majority vote.
Comments from Manon James
Regarding her new role, James expressed mixed emotions, stating it felt both "very daunting" and exciting.
"I was brought up in the diocese, so I'm just very excited to be working with a great team here and looking forward to future," she told BBC Radio Wales Drive.
James noted that over recent months she has been "working very hard" to address issues highlighted in a governance review.
She added that she has been collaborating closely with other senior team members and the diocese to confront some of the challenges facing the diocese.
"I look forward with colleagues to be able to help people feel confident in the church again and know it's for them."
"With a bishop now in place we have more capacity to work together so I'm very hopeful for future," she said.
Support from the Archbishop of Wales
The Archbishop of Wales reiterated her support for James, stating:
"Manon is well-known to the people of the diocese and she will be a huge asset to the diocese and the Province and the Bench of Bishops.
We are delighted at her election and wish her every blessing as she steps into this ministry."
James has up to 28 days to formally accept the position before the election is ratified by the bishops of the Church in Wales.
Background of the Cathedral Scandal
In May 2025, summaries of two reports were published on the Church in Wales website revealing "a culture in which sexual boundaries had become blurred," inappropriate language was used, and alcohol was consumed excessively at the north Wales cathedral.
Subsequently, it was disclosed that a series of serious incident referrals had been made to the Charity Commission concerning Bangor Cathedral and its diocese within a little over a year.
In September, the BBC reported that the cathedral was considering making more than two-thirds of its staff redundant, while threatening those affected with disciplinary action if they discussed the plans.
