The Archbishop’s resignation comes after mounting pressure, including a petition with over 14,000 signatures and calls for his resignation from senior church officials.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on November 12, 2024, announced his resignation, effective immediately, following the release of the Makin Review.
The report exposed a long-standing cover-up of heinous abuses committed by John Smyth, a British lawyer who preyed on young victims at Church of England-affiliated youth camps.
Welby acknowledged that he was informed of the allegations in 2013 but mistakenly believed that the matter would be resolved appropriately. He took full responsibility for the Church of England’s failures in addressing the abuse and ensuring a safer environment for its members.
The Archbishop’s resignation comes after mounting pressure, including a petition with over 14,000 signatures and calls for his resignation from senior church officials. Welby expressed his commitment to meeting with victims and ensuring a smooth transition of his responsibilities.
In his resignation statement dated November 12, 2024, Welby emphasized the need for change within the Church of England and his profound commitment to creating a safer church. He also asked for prayers for his family, particularly his wife Caroline, who has been a pillar of support throughout his ministry.
According to sources, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby inherited £2.4 million from his mother, Jane Williams (Lady Williams of Elvel), who passed away at 93. This significant sum marks an unexpected windfall for the Archbishop, who earns £85,000 annually as head of the Church of England. Welby has previously expressed pride in his mother’s life achievements, including her recovery from alcoholism since 1968.
BELOW IS WHAT JUSTIN WELBY SAID IN HIS RESIGNATION LETTER:
Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.
When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.
It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
It is my duty to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.
I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.
The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. For nearly twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.
In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims. I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.
I ask everyone to keep my wife Caroline and my children in their prayers. They have been my most important support throughout my ministry, and I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice. Caroline led the spouses’ programme during the Lambeth Conference and has travelled tirelessly in areas of conflict supporting the most vulnerable, the women, and those who care for them locally.
I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve. I pray that this decision points us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us.
For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person.
Story: Kwabena Kyekyeku
