Excerpt:
The outspoken bishop of Rochester will step down from the position on 1 September, it was announced today.
Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the first non-white diocesan bishop in the Church of England, has been in the post for 15 years.
Nazir-Ali, who turns 60 in August, said: "We thank God for his blessings and for friends we have made in the diocese in the past 15 years. I am so grateful to God for the friendship and loyalty of those around us and ask for people's prayers as we take this step of faith 'not knowing where we are going'."
During his tenure as bishop, Nazir-Ali has courted controversy with some provocative remarks.
Last year, he received death threats for saying in a Sunday newspaper that Islamic extremists were creating "no-go areas" for non-Muslims in Britain. He was also quoted as claiming the church was not doing enough to convert Muslims to Christianity.