THE Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has announced he is to retire - but not until 2020.

Dr Sentamu will finish on June 7, 2020, three days before his 71st birthday, after The Queen allowed him to stay in the job for a year beyond the normal retirement age for Archbishops.

He said:"I have decided to announce my retirement now in order to provide the Church of England with the widest possible timeframe to pray, discern with wisdom and insight and put in place a timetable for my successor and to consider fully the work they will be called to do in service to the national church, the Northern Province and the Diocese of York.”

He said he was 'deeply grateful' to the Queen for allowing him to continue as Archbishop until June 2020 to enable him to complete the work to which he had been called.

“I am full of joy and expectation to see all that God is doing and will be doing in this diocese and in the Northern Province over the coming months," he said.

He said that until he retires, he will focus on a number of key areas in the Diocese of York and the Northern Province including the launch and embedding of the Diocesan evangelism and discipleship programme ‘Reach, Grow, Sustain.’

"There will also be an opportunity to the Archbishop to continue leading the bishops’ missions in the Northern Province of the Church of England in Liverpool, Southwell & Nottingham and in York," said a spokeswoman.

"He will continue with the facilitation of conversations for the ‘One Yorkshire’ deal as it plans for a possible Mayoral election in 2020.

"Dr Sentamu will also be involved in extending his Young Leaders Award Programme into the lives of schools in the Southern Province of the Church of England, following the success of the programme in working with 550 schools in the Northern Province.

"He will lead Missions already planned in three Provinces of the Anglican Communion."

Dr John Sentamu was installed as the 97th Archbishop of York in November 2005.

The spokeswoman said the Archbishop's retiremen date related to the Ecclesiastical Offices (Age Limit) Measure 1975, which required Archbishops generally to retire at 70, and the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2017.

She said these stated that where the Queen considered there were 'special circumstances which make it desirable that a person holding the office of archbishop should continue in that office after the date on which he would otherwise retire in accordance with the foregoing section, she may authorise the continuance in office of that person after that date for such period, not exceeding one year, as she may in her discretion determine.'