Our Bishops

Bishop of Sheffield 

The Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox has been ordained for more than 35 years.  He trained at Ridley Hall in Cambridge after completing a degree in modern history at Durham University.  After serving as a curate on Teesside, he studied for a doctorate at Oxford University.  In 1993, he returned to the Durham Diocese to serve as a team vicar in the Parish of Gateshead, while assisting in the training of ordinands at Cranmer Hall as Director of its Urban Mission Centre. 

In 1998 he took up a new position as priest in charge of St Paul’s Church at the Crossing in Walsall. Between August 2006 and July 2012 he was Canon Chancellor at Lichfield Cathedral, a post which involved oversight of the Cathedral’s work in education and outreach. 

Between 2012 and 2017 Pete then spent a formative 5 years as Dean of Liverpool, overseeing the largest Cathedral building in the Church of England. 

On 7 April 2017, it was announced that Pete would be the next Bishop of Sheffield and was installed on 23 September 2017 in Sheffield Cathedral.  He was introduced to the House of Lords in March 2023.

He is married to the novelist, Catherine Fox and they have two adult sons.  Pete is a fan of all ball sports, and follows the fortunes of Newcastle United especially closely.  He is the author of three books: Living the Dream (2007), Walking the Walk (2009) and Talking the Talk (2011)

Bishop of Doncaster 

The Rt Revd Sophie Jelley was consecrated a Bishop at York Minster on 21 September 2020. Sophie was installed as the seventh Bishop of Doncaster in Sheffield Cathedral on 24 September 2020.

The Revd Canon Sophie Jelley trained for ordination at Wycliffe Hall theological college where she gained an MPhil in Theology (Modern Christian Doctrine) from the University of Oxford. Sophie was ordained deacon in 1997 and priested in 1998, in the Diocese of Bradford, serving her title post at St Peter’s Church in Shipley.

Sophie worked with Church Mission Society, serving at Uganda Christian University for three years before returning to the UK to become resident minister of St John the Evangelist, Churt in the Diocese of Guildford.  In 2010, Sophie became Vicar of St Andrews in Burgess Hill in the Diocese of Chichester. She was appointed Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands in 2013 in addition to her role. In 2015 Sophie was appointed Diocesan Director of Mission, Discipleship and Ministry and Residentiary Canon Missioner at Durham Cathedral.

Sophie is married to Chris and they have three children together.  Sophie plays the violin and viola and is a soprano singer and has been a keen runner for many years.

The role of the Bishop of Doncaster was created in 1972 and has been occupied almost continuously since that time.  The ministry of the Bishop has traditionally given honour to, and has focused the commitment of the Church on, the lives and communities of those who live in the Archdeaconry of Doncaster. It is a Suffragan role, that in simple terms, means ‘assistant’ to the diocesan bishop. 

Whilst exercising a civic role in Doncaster, Sophie works across the Diocese with the Bishop of Sheffield.  She is part of the wider bishop’s staff team, the Sponsoring Bishop for all vocations and chairs the Board of Education. Sophie is the national episcopal lead for Lay Ministries across the Church of England and a champion of the work to increase the numbers of children and young people as well as leading the work to increase our Diversity and Participation among all sections of the community in the Diocese of Sheffield.