-
23 October 2025
Bishop Jonathan enters House of Lords
Our bishop, the Rt Rev Jonathan Frost, has become one of the 26 bishops who ... read more
-
3 October 2025
Bishop welcomes new Archbishop of Canterbury
Bishop Jonathan today welcomed the announcement that the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally is to be ... read more
-
17 September 2025
Independent audit praises safeguarding in diocese and cathedral
An independent audit has praised the transformation of the safeguarding culture within our diocese and ... read more
Bishop Jonathan enters House of Lords
OUR bishop took his seat in the House of Lords today as one of the 26 most senior bishops in the Church of England.
Bishop Jonathan was formally introduced to the upper chamber this morning. He presented his summons from HM the King and swore his oath before taking his seat on the benches with his fellow bishops.
He is now one of the Lords Spiritual, whose presence in Parliament reflects our constitutional arrangement, with an established Church of England and its Supreme Governor as monarch and Head of State.
Bishop Jonathan will continue to be the lead for the Church of England on education policy and intends to work particularly on areas of legislation related to schools, children, and special educational needs.
The Rt Rev Dr Jonathan Frost, Bishop of Portsmouth, was presented in the chamber by the Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt Rev Stephen Conway, and the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Martyn Snow.
Bishop Jonathan, who is 61, was ordained a deacon back in 1993 and as a priest the following year. Prior to becoming bishop in 2022 he was Dean of York, and had previously served as suffragan Bishop of Southampton, chaplain of the University of Surrey and as a police chaplain among other roles.
As Bishop of Portsmouth, he is responsible for the 129 parishes which make up the our diocese, which includes south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Diocese of Portsmouth is one of only two dioceses in the Church of England that only has one bishop. There are no suffragan bishops.
You can watch Bishop Jonathan’s introduction to the House of Lords here, and a full briefing on the role of the Lords Spiritual is here.