General Synod, the Church of England’s governing body, is a mix of bishops, other clergy and lay leaders. It meets three times a year. Photo: Church of England
[Episcopal News Service] The Church of England’s General Synod is meeting in London this week for the first time since the resignation last month of former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. On a separate track, the process for selecting Welby’s successor is advancing and eventually will involve both England’s prime minister and King Charles III.
Welby, who first took office in 2013, stepped down Jan. 6 under pressure over his handling of a sprawling abuse scandal in the church. The archbishop of Canterbury is both a diocesan leader and the primate of the Church of England, and the position also traditionally has been seen as a “focus of unity” for the 42 worldwide Anglican provinces, including The Episcopal Church.
Until a new archbishop is chosen, Welby’s former duties are being delegated to other Church of England leaders, with Archbishop of York Steven Cottrell filling most of the position’s duties as head of the church. Cottrell, though, is also facing criticism over a separate, unrelated abuse case. He is accused of allowing a priest to remain in his post despite the priest being accused of sexual abuse involving two girls.
On the first day of General Synod, Feb. 10, a lay member forced a vote seeking to block Cottrell from giving his opening address to the church’s governing body. That proposal was overwhelmingly defeated, and Cottrell spoke for about 20 minutes, acknowledging the “difficult and challenging times” facing the church.
“I believe in and love the Church of England,” Cottrell said. “However, I am deeply, deeply mindful of the feelings of anguish, anger, sadness and regret present in this chamber, not least among victims and survivors of abuse and those who valiantly support them, but also among women in our church who are still victims of discrimination, unwanted touch and, at times, even sexual assault.”
In addition to those “safe church” issues, the Church of England’s efforts in recent years to offer greater welcome to LGBTQ+ people have fueled tensions within the church and the wider Anglican Communion, a network of autonomous, interdependent provinces with historical ties to the Church of England. The position of the archbishop of Canterbury is one of four designated “Instruments of Communion” serving all Anglican provinces. The other three are the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops, the Primates’ Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council, or ACC.
Conservative leaders of some provinces in what is known as the Global South, mostly Africa, Asia and South America, have objected to greater LGBTQ+ inclusion, particularly same-sex marriage and blessings in some provinces, including the Church of England and The Episcopal Church. In February 2023, those Global South leaders demanded changes to the archbishop of Canterbury’s leadership role in the communion, following that month’s triennial meeting of the ACC.
At the ACC’s meeting in Ghana, members from 38 provinces approved a resolution on “good differentiation” that endorsed efforts “to explore theological questions regarding structure and decision-making to help address our differences in the Anglican Communion.”
The Anglican body assigned to discuss those questions released its latest draft report in December 2024 proposing two key changes: The Anglican Communion’s membership would be defined as all provinces with “historical connection” to the See of Canterbury, rather than being “in communion” with that office. And the archbishop of Canterbury would no longer be the ACC president, the presidency instead rotating among leaders from the communion’s five regions.
The ACC is expected to take up the proposals when it meets next in February 2026 in Northern Ireland.
The process for selecting a new archbishop of Canterbury, meanwhile, is proceeding on its own schedule, and all Episcopalians and Anglicans worldwide have been invited to provide input.
“We want to hear from you,” the Church of England says in an invitation on its website. Those interested in giving their input are asked to complete an online form by March 28. “Whether you are based in England or anywhere in the Anglican Communion, your views matter. This consultation invites you to share your thoughts on what qualities, values, and vision the future archbishop should embody.”
Unlike The Episcopal Church, which is governed independently by its General Convention, the Church of England’s governance is intertwined with the British government. “Absolute discretion” for appointing the archbishop of Canterbury is given to the British monarch, who is also supreme governor of the church, however, since 1976 church leaders have had more direct voice in choosing the next archbishop of Canterbury through a body known as the Crown Nominations Commission. The process “is likely to take several months,” according to a Parliament website explaining the steps in electing a new archbishop of Canterbury.
The Crown Nominations Commission has 17 voting members and is chaired by a lay leader appointed by the prime minister. Three lay and three clergy members of General Synod serve on the commission, as well as three representatives of the Diocese of Canterbury. The commission also includes one member from each of the Anglican Communion’s five global regions. The other two voting members are the archbishop of York and an additional bishop elected by the House of Bishops. Nonvoting members include the prime minister’s appointments secretary and the secretary general of the Anglican Communion.
The commission interviews candidates, and then two-thirds of the commission must agree on a nomination for it to advance. The nominee’s name is presented to the prime minister, currently Keir Starmer, who then confirms that the nominee is willing to serve as archbishop of Canterbury.
Once the prime minister accepts a nominee, that person is recommend to the king, who grants a license for Canterbury Cathedral’s College of Canons to elect the archbishop of Canterbury. After that election, the king assents to the result of the election, and the new archbishop of Canterbury officially takes office at a Confirmation of Election ceremony held at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. A separate installation service is held later at Canterbury Cathedral.
– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.