Although Dr Nazir-Ali has been in charge of the Rochester diocese for nearly 15 years, the decision to quit - which will see him leave his post later this year - has come as a surprise.The bishop is aged only 59 and potentially could have stayed in post for another decade. He was a leading contender to succeed George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury, but has become increasingly outspoken at the direction of the Church since Dr Rowan Williams's appointment.
A spokesman for the bishop said that he wants to turn his attention to working with the persecuted church. "Bishop Michael is hoping to work with a number of church leaders from areas where the church is under pressure, particularly in minority situations, who have asked him to assist them with education and training for their particular situation," he said.
Dr Nazir-Ali, who became the Church's first Asian bishop when he was appointed to Rochester in 1994, has taken a strong stand against the rise of Islam in Britian.
He warned last year that parts of the country have been turned into "no-go" areas for non-Muslims and challenged Dr Williams's claim that the introduction of sharia law is unavoidable. As a result of his warning, the bishop received death threats saying he would not "live long" and would be "sorted out" if he continued to criticise Islam.