The Dean of Bangor Cathedral has been elected by the Church in Wales as its 82nd diocesan Bishop of Bangor.
The appointment of Very Rev Dr Manon Ceridwen James comes a year after reports into Bangor Cathedral highlighted safeguarding concerns, misbehaviour and a "culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred".
Bishop-elect Manon has been addressing the governance and finance issues at the cathedral for the past year. She succeeds Andrew John who retired as Bishop of Bangor and Archbishop of Wales in August 2025.
Earlier this year, the Church in Wales abandoned plans to appoint an interim bishop and started the search for a permanent replacement.
The Diocese of Bangor stretches from Ynys Môn to the Llŷn Peninsula, and is deeply rooted in traditions of pilgrimage and prayer.
Bishop-elect Manon has a long connection with Bangor, having been ordained deacon at the cathedral in 1994 before being one of the first women to be ordained priest in the diocese in 1997. She has served as a parish priest in both Bangor and St Asaph dioceses as well as holding a variety of diocesan roles in training, education and vocations, the last of which was as Director of Ministry.
From 2018 to 2025 she was the Dean for Initial Ministerial Training at the St Padarn’s Institute in Cardiff.
The election of a diocesan bishop took place at Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno, during a meeting of the Electoral College. It comprised 45 clergy and lay representatives from across the Church in Wales, as well as the diocesan bishops. When a two-thirds majority vote was reached, the announcement was made at the doors of the church.
In her free time, Manon enjoys writing poetry and going to Wrexham and Wales football matches as well as comedy events with her husband, Dylan. Manon has a degree in Theology from Cambridge University and a PhD in Practical Theology from the University of Birmingham. Amongst her publications are a book based on her PhD research, Women, Identity and Religion in Wales and a poetry collection - Notes from a Eucharistic Life. Several of her school assemblies have also been published by SPCK.
The Archbishop of Wales, Cherry Vann said, “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.”