http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20242129
Justin Welby set to become new Archbishop of Canterbury
Justin Welby, speaking in 2011, described changing career from the oil industry to a life in the Church
Bishop of Durham Justin Welby, a former oil industry worker, is set to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
It is thought the 56-year-old will be named as the
replacement for Rowan Williams, who steps down in December after 10
years in the post.Bishop Welby became a bishop only a year ago when he took up the Church of England's fourth most senior post.
Downing Street sources have confirmed the next archbishop will be formally announced on Friday morning.
On Tuesday, leading bookmakers stopped taking bets on the succession after a run of bets on Bishop Welby.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Bishop Welby has agreed to accept the post. Bishop Welby said he was unable to comment on the speculation.
Bishop Welby was educated at Eton and Cambridge University, and then spent 11 years in the oil industry before studying theology at Durham. He was ordained in 1992.
He became Rector of Southam in 1995 and was later appointed canon residentiary of Coventry Cathedral. He left the area in 2007 when he was appointed Dean of Liverpool.
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He said he was called to become a priest following the death of his young daughter in a car crash.
Critics have said that the fact he's only been a bishop for a year may leave him vulnerable when dealing with the Church's various factions.
But he is skilled at conflict resolution, even at one point risking his own life when dealing with warring factions in Nigeria.
He's particularly concerned about the plight of the poor and the moral obligations of the City - so the government can expect him to be just as outspoken as Rowan Williams.
Analysis
Justin Welby will bring some unusual qualities to his new role. An old Etonian, he has significant experience in the oil industry and in managing complex processes and organisations.He said he was called to become a priest following the death of his young daughter in a car crash.
Critics have said that the fact he's only been a bishop for a year may leave him vulnerable when dealing with the Church's various factions.
But he is skilled at conflict resolution, even at one point risking his own life when dealing with warring factions in Nigeria.
He's particularly concerned about the plight of the poor and the moral obligations of the City - so the government can expect him to be just as outspoken as Rowan Williams.
He took up the post of Bishop of
Durham in November 2011 and worked as Rowan Williams' special envoy to
Africa, attempting to build unity between Christian and Muslim
communities in Nigeria.
Bishop Welby is regarded by observers as being on the
evangelical wing of the Church, closely adhering to traditional
interpretations of the Bible with a strong emphasis on making the Church
outward-looking. Even within the evangelical community, however, there are significant differences of outlook on questions of doctrine.
Ruth Gledhill, religious affairs correspondent at the Times, said the bishop was thought to be "conservative on the issue of gay marriage" and was "absolutely in favour of women bishops, but strong on protecting the position of traditionalists in the Church".
His potential appointment has been welcomed by Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion and the current Bishop of New Hampshire in the United States.
Bishop Robinson told the BBC that he had met Bishop Welby earlier this year and found him to be an "immensely likeable and sensible man".
He added that Bishop Welby's appointment would show the Church of England was "thinking outside the box, which is exactly what is needed, and it would be a breath of fresh air for the Anglican Communion".
Christina Rees, who sits on the Church of England's governing body, the General Synod, said Bishop Welby, if he was chosen, would be a "visionary and strategic leader".
She told BBC News: "He's known to be wise, collaborative, a man prepared to take risks, someone extremely astute.
"He's worked in industry and commerce, in the oil business for many years. He's also known to be personally very warm and a man of prayer, deeply spiritual."
Christina Rees, General Synod: "I understand he is toeing the Church's current line on homosexuality and same-sex marriage"
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Dr Williams said that his successor would need to be someone who "likes reading the Bible and likes reading newspapers".
It is believed the incumbent archbishop was referencing a quote from Karl Barth, a 20th Century theologian who said: "You have to preach with a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other."
The Crown Nominations Commission, which nominates two candidates to the prime minister, who then advises the Queen on the appointment, held a three-day meeting in September to consider the contenders to be the next archbishop, but no announcement followed.
Dr Williams' successor will become the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, and the nominal leader of 77 million Anglicans worldwide - though conservative Anglican provinces, especially in Africa, have been setting up alternative organisational structures of their own.
Archbishops of Canterbury: How they compare |
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| Name | Age* | Bishop for | Diocese | Education | Job before ordination |
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Source: Lambeth Palace *Age at nomination, Justin Welby's nomination to be confirmed | |||||
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