London: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has announced his resignation, expressing deep sorrow and acknowledging his failure to ensure proper investigation into decades-old abuse allegations tied to Christian summer camps.
The decision comes in the wake of a report revealing systemic abuse by a Church volunteer, marking what has been described as one of the most prolific cases of abuse in the Church of England’s history.
As the senior bishop of the Church of England and the spiritual leader for 85 million Anglicans worldwide, Welby faced calls to resign after the Makin Report last week criticised his handling of abuse claims.
Statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury.https://t.co/aNnuLBMapo pic.twitter.com/pIIR1911QU
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) November 12, 2024
The report highlighted John Smyth, a British lawyer, who allegedly inflicted “brutal and horrific” physical and sexual abuse on over 100 boys and young men across a span of 40 years. Smyth, who led the Iwerne Trust that funded Christian camps in Dorset, England, subjected victims to violent beatings, sometimes administering up to 800 strokes of a cane. He moved to Africa in 1984 and continued the abuse until close to his death in 2018.
Welby, who worked at the camps as a dormitory officer before his ordination, said in a statement that, “The last few days have renewed my long-held and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our commitment to creating a safer Church. I step down in sorrow, in solidarity with all victims and survivors of abuse.”
The report stated that the Church knew of the allegations at its highest levels by 2013, months after Welby’s appointment as Archbishop. The Makin Report, commissioned in 2019, concluded that a prompt investigation in 2013 might have led to Smyth facing charges before his death.
Welby’s resignation caps a decade marked by intense challenges, including divisions within the global Anglican Communion over issues like LGBTQ+ rights and the ordination of women clergy. Anglican leaders in conservative regions, particularly in Africa, who previously voiced their lack of confidence in Welby, are likely to welcome the change in leadership.
The Church of England will now proceed with its formal process to appoint a new Archbishop of Canterbury. The selection will involve a committee of clerics and a chair nominated by the British Prime Minister, who will recommend two potential successors. Among the front-runners are Bishop Graham Usher of Norwich, an advocate for gay rights and climate change action, and Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani of Chelmsford, who would be the first woman and the first person of Iranian heritage to hold the post.
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