Bishop Michael Bedford-Jones, the area bishop of Trent-Durham, diocese of Toronto, has announced he will retire on or before Feb. 29, 2008.

Bishop Bedford-Jones, who is 65, surprised the diocesan synod May 4 when Toronto’s diocesan bishop, Colin Johnson, read a letter from him stating: “It is increasingly clear that I no longer have the energy to be as effective as I would like to be and that I should retire from full-time ministry.”

Bishop Bedford-Jones was consecrated bishop in 1994 and first served as area bishop of York-Scarborough; in 2006, he became area bishop of Trent-Durham. He marks his 40th anniversary of ordained ministry in November.

A native of Toronto, he attended Trinity College and became a priest in 1968. He has served many parishes in the diocese and was executive assistant to the bishop of Toronto from 1988 to 1991.