THE next Archbishop of Canterbury should be someone “able to speak honestly . . . about failures and injustices in the Church,” the Statement of Needs published by the diocese of Canterbury on Friday states.
“They will have the humility to be appropriately accountable to dioceses, episcopal colleagues and national bodies.”
The document was prepared by the vacancy-in-see committee, which was elected on Tuesday of last week, at the third attempt (News, 30 May). It acknowledges that the Archbishop’s responsibilities in the diocese “will form but a small part of the Archbishop’s total ministry”, but states that there remains “a real and tangible sense of connection and affection for the Archbishop of Canterbury in the parishes and communities of the diocese”.
Day-to-day responsibility for episcopal ministry in the diocese is delegated to the Bishop of Dover, currently the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin.
Among the requirements set out in the Statement of Needs is “a person of the utmost integrity who is able to speak honestly, out of love for the Lord and the Church, about failures and injustices in the Church”. He or she should possess “theological depth and a prayer-filled and dynamic personal faith”, and be “recognised as a servant leader, who shows compassion towards the disadvantaged and marginalised and has a heart to see everyone included in the Church”.
The diocese seeks someone who “will ordain and consecrate women and men, will unequivocally affirm and support the ministry of both, and may themselves be male or female”.
Regarding the Living in Love and Faith process, the diocese seeks a candidate who “will embrace those who pray for change to enable same-sex partners to marry in the Church of England. They will also embrace those who hold the current Church of England teaching on marriage.”
Founded in 597 by St Augustine, Canterbury is the oldest diocese in England. The Statement of Needs says that attendance has “lagged behind the rest of the Church of England in our recovery following the pandemic”. But it reports that, in 2024, attendance among children and young people rose by 13.6 per cent. Its worshipping community stood at 16,400 in 2023, out of a population of 825,000 — down 27 per cent since 2014. All-age average weekly attendance stood at 11,500.
The diocese’s three “bold outcomes” for 2030 include doubling “the number of children and young disciples”, establishing 200 new Christian communities, and “every parish, benefice and deanery showing signs of revitalisation”. Its annual report refers to an ambition for “less paid, well-trained leaders, lay and ordained”.
In 2023, the diocese established a charity, the Social Justice Network, a wholly owned subsidiary of the diocese. The annual report says that it “leads the way nationally in responding to the needs of refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of modern slavery, with many projects in Kent and across the Channel in Calais”.
Both Archbishop Welby and Bishop Hudson-Wilkin have been outspoken advocates of the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers. The Statement of Needs seeks someone “able to speak prophetically, addressing the social and political issues which impact the most vulnerable in our society”.
In 2022, the General Synod voted to reduce the number of members elected by the diocese of Canterbury to the CNC for choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury — from six to three — and to increase representation from the Anglican Communion from one member to five (News, 15 July 2022). This followed a proposal that came from the diocese of Canterbury itself. Archbishop Welby estimated that only about five per cent of his time was spent on diocesan work, and 25 per cent was dedicated to the Communion.
The 17 members of the Canterbury CNC met for the first time in London last week. They will meet at least two more times over the coming months. It is hoped that the new Archbishop will be announced in the autumn.
