Sarah Mullally is not well-known; responses to her selection have focused on her sex, her progressive opinions on sexuality, and her kind and reconciling temperament.
We pray that both new leaders will be evangelists, placing the clear and winsome proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ at the heart of their public teaching and writing.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury said he is willing to forgive serial abuser John Smyth, and reiterated that he "didn't have a clue" about Smyth's behavior before the matter surfaced in 2013.
During his time filling the primatial role, the Archbishop of York says he will focus on safeguarding, the Living in Love and Faith process, and teaching about the Lord's Prayer.
Noting that “heads had to roll” in response to the Church of England’s safeguarding problems, he compared himself to a predecessor, whose head rolled down Tower Hill after being struck off during the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381.
Senior British police officers claim that Archbishop Justin Welby and other Church of England leaders properly reported accusations of John Smyth’s abuse to the police in 2013, challenging a key claim of the Makin Report, which resulted in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation on November 12.
It’s not known if Welby consulted with any Anglicans outside the Church of England in making his decision to step down. The Church of England effectively fired Anglicans’ spiritual head, and couldn’t be bothered to check in about it.
Most Anglican leaders reaffirmed their commitments to protecting the vulnerable, and some also spoke with gratitude for Welby’s leadership and assured him of their prayers.
A lengthy and grimly detailed report about the late John Smyth, whom Archbishop Justin Welby knew as a young man, has led to multiple calls for him to resign.
