In March 2013, Justin Welby ascended to the highest office in the Church of England, becoming the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. Nearly 12 years later, as he prepares to step down, the Anglican Communion finds itself at a critical juncture. Welby’s tenure has been marked by significant challenges and transformations, leaving a complex legacy for his eventual successor.
A Church in Transition
When Welby took the reins, the Church of England was already grappling with declining attendance and relevance in an increasingly secular society. Despite his efforts to reinvigorate the Church through evangelism initiatives, the trend continued unabated. According to figures from the Church’s own statistics, regular weekly attendance fell from over a million in 2012 to just 685,000 by 2023.
Alongside this, the 2021 census revealed a stark reality: for the first time, less than half of the population in England and Wales identified as Christian. This demographic shift underscores the magnitude of the challenge facing the Church in the post-Welby era.
Landmark Changes and Controversies
Yet Welby’s tenure was not without its successes. Early on, he played a pivotal role in steering legislation allowing for the consecration of female bishops through the Church’s General Synod. This historic move came to fruition in 2015 with the consecration of Libby Lane, the first woman to be appointed as a bishop in the Church of England. Today, there are over two dozen female bishops, a testament to Welby’s efforts to promote gender equality within the Church hierarchy.
However, this progress was tempered by ongoing tensions surrounding human sexuality and same-sex marriage. Welby walked a tightrope, striving to maintain unity within the Anglican Communion while navigating the competing demands of progressives and traditionalists. In a landmark decision in 2022, the Church of England agreed to allow clergy to bless same-sex unions, stopping short of performing marriages. While hailed as a step forward by LGBTQ+ advocates, it fell short of full equality and sparked threats of schism from conservative factions.
“The Church of England now allows clergy to hold services of blessing for newly married same sex couples. To advocates of LGBT+ equality and inclusion, it is nowhere near enough; to conservatives, it is far too much.”
– Church insider
Grappling with the Past
Welby also had to confront the Church’s troubling history and ongoing struggles with racism and abuse. In 2020, he issued a formal apology for the Church’s “institutional racism” and complicity in the slave trade, vowing to take action to address systemic discrimination. This coincided with a broader reckoning on race in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Perhaps the darkest cloud over Welby’s tenure has been the specter of child sexual abuse within the Church. Scandal after scandal came to light, laying bare a painful history of cover-ups and institutional failings. Welby repeatedly apologized on behalf of the Church, acknowledging the “shameful past” and promising to do better. Yet for many survivors, these words rang hollow in the absence of more concrete action and accountability.
A Personal Reckoning
Tragically, it was Welby’s own failings in handling abuse allegations that ultimately led to his downfall. In November 2024, an independent review found that Welby had covered up knowledge of attacks by serial abuser John Smyth, a prominent evangelical leader. The revelations shook the Church to its core and made Welby’s position untenable. In a tearful apology, he announced his intention to resign, expressing his “profound shame and sorrow” for letting survivors down.
Welby’s personal story adds another layer of complexity to his legacy. Born into privilege but grappling with childhood trauma and family secrets, he found solace in faith after a successful career in the oil industry. His struggles with mental health, which he openly discussed, resonated with many and helped to destigmatize conversations around depression and anxiety within the Church.
An Uncertain Future
As the Church of England looks to the future, the challenges Welby grappled with remain as pressing as ever. Declining attendance, tensions over social and theological issues, and the need for greater diversity and inclusion will likely define the priorities of his successor. There is already speculation that the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury could be a woman, a historic first for the Church.
Whoever takes up the mantle will inherit a church at a crossroads, caught between the weight of tradition and the imperative to adapt to a rapidly changing world. As one of the most visible religious leaders on the global stage, the next Archbishop will have an opportunity to shape not just the future of Anglicanism, but the role of faith in an increasingly secular age.
For Justin Welby, his tenure as the Church of England’s “CEO” will be remembered as a time of great upheaval and transformation, marked by both progress and painful reckonings. As he steps down, he leaves behind a complex legacy, one that his successor will undoubtedly grapple with as they chart a new course for the Anglican Communion.
