The Church of England finds itself at a crossroads this Christmas, as abuse scandals have rocked the institution to its core and prompted the resignation of its top leader. As the faithful gather to celebrate the birth of Christ, the church itself is being called to strip away pretense, kneel in penitence, and be transformed – much like the vulnerable child at the heart of the Christmas story.
A Year of Turmoil and Transition
2024 has been a year of upheaval for the Church of England, with the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announcing his resignation in November over the church’s mishandling of abuse perpetrated by a lay leader. The damning Makin report concluded that if Welby had reported serial abuser John Smyth to police in 2013 when allegations first surfaced, justice may have been served much sooner.
As Welby prepares to step down in January, his named successor, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, is facing his own firestorm of criticism. Revelations that Cottrell twice reappointed a priest accused of sexual abuse while serving as Bishop of Chelmsford have victims calling his response “insulting and upsetting.” Some say his resignation from church leadership is “inevitable.”
A Call to Penitence and Transformation
Amid the turmoil, Cottrell is set to deliver the Christmas Day sermon in place of Welby. Advance excerpts show he will call the church to “kneel in penitence and adoration” and “be changed” – just as the Christmas story centers on a vulnerable child, born in a lowly manger, who would grow up to turn the world upside down.
“This is what we learn at the manger. Put the needs of others first – those who are cold and hungry and homeless this Christmas. Those who are victims of abuse and exploitation.”
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell
Cottrell is expected to emphasize the importance of actions over mere words in pursuing justice and service. It’s a poignant message for an institution rocked by revelations that it too often protected abusers and failed victims.
Rough Waters Ahead
As Cottrell prepares to take on temporary leadership of the Church of England, he faces an uphill battle to restore trust and credibility. Fellow bishops have declined to publicly back him, and victims’ advocates are calling his position untenable.
The process to select the next Archbishop of Canterbury, one of the most influential positions in the worldwide Anglican Communion, will take months, with an appointment likely in late 2025. Whoever takes on the role will inherit a church facing a profound reckoning over abuse, integrity, and practicing what it preaches.
Hope and Healing
For a church and a society battered by revelations of abuse and failures of leadership, Christmas offers a glimmer of hope. The story of a child born to bring light to the darkness, to offer salvation to a broken world, resonates powerfully for an institution seeking to make itself anew.
As Cottrell prepares to remind the faithful, it’s a time to focus on the vulnerable and victimized, a time to match soaring rhetoric with concrete action. Only by stripping away pretense to kneel in repentance and worship – only by opening itself to deep change – can the church move through this dark night to a brighter dawn.
The path ahead for the Church of England is sure to be difficult. But in the miracle of Christmas, in the example of a babe born to shake the foundations of the world, perhaps it can find the courage and humility to be transformed – and to offer the healing and hope so desperately needed, within the church and beyond.
