On 3 February 2012, Ipgrave was announced as the next Bishop of Woolwich, an area bishop in the Diocese of Southwark. On 21 March 2012, he was consecrated a bishop, by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, during a service in Southwark Cathedral. He also served as Warden of Readers for the diocese. In May 2013, he read bidding prayers at a Mass for Lee Rigby who was murdered by Islamists in the 2013 Woolwich attack.