A past nurse, a displaced person, and a beekeeper are among the top candidates vying to succeed the Archbishop of Canterbury, who departs from the position today.
A covert committee, headed by a former British intelligence chief, will initiate the search and voting process for individuals to become the 106th leader of the Church of England.
Justin Welby will officially resign at midnight on Monday after being compelled to step down due to mishandling a church abuse crisis.
An independent examination concluded that Welby had the opportunity to bring John Smyth, a Christian camp leader accused of abusing as many as 130 boys and young men over five decades, to justice in 2013.
Over 100 bishops within the Church of England, including 42 senior diocesan bishops, are now in the competition to succeed Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury.
Welby’s presumed successor, the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, seemed to eliminate himself from consideration last year, and has since faced calls for his resignation due to perceived shortcomings in handling an unrelated abuse matter.
The extensive process to identify the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church will be guided by the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC).
Under the leadership of Lord Evans of Weardale, the CNC will call for nominations and engage candidates in the procedure. The CNC will convene three times prior to autumn to cast a secret ballot to figure out Welby’s successor.
Below are some of the noteworthy candidates vying for the Church’s highest position.
Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London
The former nurse is already stepping into Welby’s role, assuming responsibility for the metropolitan duties traditionally held by the Archbishop of Canterbury while the position remains unfilled.
Mullally was appointed chief nursing officer for England in 1999 and was honored as a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2005 for her contributions to nursing and midwifery.
She shattered barriers by becoming the first female Bishop of London when installed in May 2018, and could make history as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury if chosen.
She is married, has two children, and enjoys pottery as a hobby.
Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford
Originally from Iran, Francis-Dehqani migrated to the UK as a refugee after the assassination of her brother.
Her father converted from Islam to Christianity and subsequently became the Anglican Bishop in Iran, placing her family in jeopardy following the Islamic Revolution in the 1979.
As Bishop of Chelmsford since April 2021, Francis-Dehqani also serves as the lead bishop for housing within the Church of England and is vocally active on social issues and conflict in the Middle East.
In an interview with Premier Christianity Magazine, she stated: ‘Amidst discussions regarding innocent lives lost in Gaza, the international community continues to supply arms to Israel.
‘The International Court of Justice has expressed its concern, yet there is a hesitation to conflate criticism of the Jewish state with antisemitism. While there is absolutely no room for antisemitism, it remains crucial that no government is above the law.’
She is married and a mother of three.
Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich
The environmentalist and passionate beekeeper serves as the church’s main bishop concerning ecological matters.
He ascended to the role of the 72nd Bishop of Norwich in June 2019 and is affiliated with over 25 charitable organizations as a patron or president.
Usher took a prominent role during the 2023 Coronation, acting as one of the two assisting bishops to Queen Camilla.
He shares his life with a general practitioner and they have two offspring.
Michael Beasley, Bishop of Bath and Wells
The previous epidemiologist was called upon to leverage his expertise during the pandemic as part of the Church of England’s Covid task force.
He was also instrumental in the establishment of vaccinaid.org, which generated millions to facilitate vaccination efforts in lower-income nations.
The Bishop gained public attention at the Glastonbury Festival in 2024, where he spoke to the crowd for a duration of five minutes.
He is married and was designated as the 80th Bishop of Bath and Wells in 2022.
Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester
The seventh Bishop of Leicester has connections to the global foundation of the Anglican Church, having been born in Indonesia and subsequently working in West Africa.
He entered the House of Lords in 2022, concentrating on issues pertaining to poverty.
The Church of England has also tasked him with tackling racism and discrimination within the Church, as a member of the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns.
Snow additionally serves as the lead Bishop for Living in Love and Faith and is an ardent supporter of local Leicester City and Leicester Tigers.
Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover
Originally from Jamaica, she became the Church of England’s first black female bishop by assuming the role of Bishop of Dover in 2019.
Ordained as a priest for the first time in 1994, she dedicated nearly 17 years to serving as a priest in Hackney, London.
This bishop earned the role of chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II in 2007, followed by being the first female Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons in 2010.
Her husband Kenneth works as a prison chaplain and they have three children together.
Bishop Rose will undertake diocesan duties typically performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury during the vacancy of the post.
Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle
Since assuming the role of Bishop of Newcastle in April 2023, Hartley has been candid about the Church’s shortcomings in safeguarding.
She was the sole bishop who publicly demanded Mr. Welby’s resignation and has also expressed discontent with Cottrell’s management of abuse within the church.
She served in New Zealand, culminating her role as the Bishop of Waikato on the North Island before being appointed Bishop of Ripon in North Yorkshire.
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