interim), he was consecrated as a bishop by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, on 25 January 2009, at York Minster; and started work in the diocese following his formal enthronement on 9 May 2009. This was followed by three Welcome Eucharists celebrated in various locations around the diocese to allow more people to meet the new bishop. In 2012, Croft was nominated by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, to be the Anglican fraternal delegate to the Synod of Bishops in Rome. Croft became a member of the House of Lords on 15 July 2013. On 12 April 2016, it was announced that he was to be translated to become Bishop of Oxford in "autumn" 2016; he was duly elected to that see and that election was confirmed at Lambeth Palace on 6 July 2016, at which point Croft became the bishop of Oxford. He was (re-)introduced to the Upper House as Bishop of Oxford on 19 July 2016. Croft is the first bishop of Oxford to reside at the new Bishop's Lodge, Kidlington; "for decades" previously, bishops had resided at Linton Road in North Oxford. Views In November 2022, he became the most senior Church of England figure to back same-sex marriage, saying clergy should be free to bless or marry same-sex partners and to enter into a same-sex marriage themselves, in contrast to the Church's official position. As a result of this, some evangelicals within his diocese may seek alternative oversight. Personal life Croft was born in Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1957. He is married to Ann and has four children. Protest at his enthronement Two survivors of clerical child sexual abuse staged a peaceful protest outside Croft's inauguration as Bishop of Oxford on 30 September 2016. One of them said that he had told Croft three times in 2012 and 2013, when Croft was Bishop of Sheffield, of his rape by a serving priest, but the bishop and other senior figures had failed to respond or take action despite the abuser still being alive. The cover of the protest brochure handed out to the public pictured all six bishops who the survivor claimed had failed to respond, including John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. The survivor commented to the Church Times that he was angry that the church had the "nerve" to enthrone bishops after safeguarding complaints had been made against them. He went on to say