A former nurse, a refugee and a beekeeper are among the leading contenders to replace the Archbishop of Canterbury as he leaves the role today. A secretive committee, led by a former British spy chief, will begin the process of finding and voting for candidates to become the 106th leader of the Church of England.
Image Credit: Metro [FILE PHOTO: The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned today following a recent report that senior Church of England figures covered up allegations of sexual abuse by a barrister associated with the church. The barrister, John Smyth, is accused of abusing schoolboys who attended evangelical Christian holiday camps in the late 1970s and early 80s. Smyth died in 2018. CANTERBURY, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Justin Welby, the Archbishop Of Canterbury delivers his Easter Sermon at Canterbury Cathedral on April 17, 2022 in Canterbury, England. A congregation of worshippers returned to Canterbury Cathedral to take part in the Easter service for the first time in two years, previously kept away by the coronavirus pandemic. This year the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, used his sermon to criticise the plans of the government to process asylum seekers to the U.K. in Rwanda, calling the policy ???ungodly???. He also spoke about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the cost of living crisis at home. (Photo by Hollie Adams/Getty Images)]
Justin Welby will formally give up the position on midnight on Monday after being forced to resign over failures in handling a church abuse scandal. An independent review judged that Welby could have brought John Smyth, a Christian camp leader who abused as many as 130 boys and young men over five decades, to justice in 2013.
Image Credit: Metro [Mandatory Credit: Photo by REX/Shutterstock (9670174p) The Installation of Sarah Mullally as the new Bishop of London at St Paul's Cathedral. Sarah Mullally installed as new Bishop of London, UK - 12 May 2018 The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE being installed as the 133rd Bishop of London at St Paul's Cathedral. The service coincided with International Nurses Day, Florence Nightingale's birthday, echoing Bishop Sarah's own former career in the NHS as a nurse, including as Chief Nursing Officer, before her ordination. Clergy, staff and friends, from across the Diocese of London, the wider capital, and the Church of England, came together as Bishop Sarah followed the tradition of knocking three times on the Cathedral's Great West Door with her pastoral staff, marking the beginning of the installation.]
More than 100 bishops in the Church of England, including 42 senior diocesan bishops, are now in the race to replace Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury. Welby’s heir apparent, the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, seemed to rule himself out last year, and has since faced calls to resign over perceived failures in his handling of a separate abuse case.
Image Credit: Metro [Britain's King Charles holds an audience with Right Reverend Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, at Buckingham Palace, London, as he is appointed to be Lord High Almoner to his Majesty, November 13, 2024. Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS]
The months-long process to find the Anglican Church’s spiritual leader will be overseen by the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC). Lead by Lord Evans of Weardale, the CNC will invite nominations to the role and invite candidates to join the process. The CNC will then meet three times before the autumn to vote in a secret ballot to determine Welby’s successor.
Image Credit: Metro [GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 30: The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Michael Beasley address the crowd in front of the main Pyramid Stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival 2024 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 30, 2024 in Glastonbury, England. Founded by Michael Eavis in 1970, Glastonbury Festival features around 3,000 performances across over 80 stages. Renowned for its vibrant atmosphere and iconic Pyramid Stage, the festival offers a diverse lineup of music and arts, embodying a spirit of community, creativity, and environmental consciousness. The Glastonbury Festival is set to return in June 2025, before having a fallow year in 2026. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)]
Here are some of the candidates in contention for the Church’s top job. The former nurse is already stepping into Welby’s shoes, as she is set to take charge of the metropolitan functions held by the Archbishop of Canterbury while the post is vacant.
Image Credit: Metro [Bishop of Leicester the Rt Revd Martyn Snow,]
![[FILE PHOTO: The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned today following a recent report that senior Church of England figures covered up allegations of sexual abuse by a barrister associated with the church. The barrister, John Smyth, is accused of abusing schoolboys who attended evangelical Christian holiday camps in the late 1970s and early 80s. Smyth died in 2018. CANTERBURY, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Justin Welby, the Archbishop Of Canterbury delivers his Easter Sermon at Canterbury Cathedral on April 17, 2022 in Canterbury, England. A congregation of worshippers returned to Canterbury Cathedral to take part in the Easter service for the first time in two years, previously kept away by the coronavirus pandemic. This year the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, used his sermon to criticise the plans of the government to process asylum seekers to the U.K. in Rwanda, calling the policy ???ungodly???. He also spoke about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the cost of living crisis at home. (Photo by Hollie Adams/Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_229324693-0016.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Mandatory Credit: Photo by REX/Shutterstock (9670174p) The Installation of Sarah Mullally as the new Bishop of London at St Paul's Cathedral. Sarah Mullally installed as new Bishop of London, UK - 12 May 2018 The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE being installed as the 133rd Bishop of London at St Paul's Cathedral. The service coincided with International Nurses Day, Florence Nightingale's birthday, echoing Bishop Sarah's own former career in the NHS as a nurse, including as Chief Nursing Officer, before her ordination. Clergy, staff and friends, from across the Diocese of London, the wider capital, and the Church of England, came together as Bishop Sarah followed the tradition of knocking three times on the Cathedral's Great West Door with her pastoral staff, marking the beginning of the installation.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_40007878-5b11-e1736096443253.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Britain's King Charles holds an audience with Right Reverend Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, at Buckingham Palace, London, as he is appointed to be Lord High Almoner to his Majesty, November 13, 2024. Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_229442861-0b04.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 30: The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Michael Beasley address the crowd in front of the main Pyramid Stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival 2024 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 30, 2024 in Glastonbury, England. Founded by Michael Eavis in 1970, Glastonbury Festival features around 3,000 performances across over 80 stages. Renowned for its vibrant atmosphere and iconic Pyramid Stage, the festival offers a diverse lineup of music and arts, embodying a spirit of community, creativity, and environmental consciousness. The Glastonbury Festival is set to return in June 2025, before having a fallow year in 2026. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235021766-f86b.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Bishop of Leicester the Rt Revd Martyn Snow,]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_229339540-d79b.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
