The Thick Archbishop

When some politician whom we despise steps down and resigns from power, we tend to be more positive, drawing on reserves of sympathy hitherto unavailable. I think this is unlikely to happen with Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury. In office, he was a rather weak man, trying to please everybody but satisfying none. Out of office, he reveals his true colours. Dressed in a jacket and open-neck shirt, looking more like the corporate executive he truly was rather than the godly statesman he never became, he decried his former commitment to traditional marriage (that it is between a man and a woman only) on the grounds of previously “being thick”, his theology “misplaced”. Now he is in favour of same-sex blessings (whatever they are) but equivocal on same-sex marriage, he presumably has a more intelligent theological view and a correctly placed understanding of Christian ethics. So his cover is blown. An Archbishop of C. who looks back and regrets his former faithfulness to God’s word is not someone to whom we should turn, offer sympathy, or even note his views as his remaining years pass by.

The second point that occurred to me is that Welby resigned back in November. While I write this in July, I cannot say that the dear old Church of England is functioning any worse than it was before he removed himself. During the See of Canterbury’s vacancy, there has been the death of a Bishop of Rome and the appointment of his successor. Whatever I think about popes and popery, the Roman church’s alacrity at selecting a replacement bespeaks the need it has of a pope and the important work he does within that organisation’s affairs. The Primate of all England, in contrast, has still not been appointed after eight months and counting, and the Anglican Communion, as well as the Church of England, seems little worse for wear. Perhaps it would be better not having an ABC: it can save the expense and avoid the danger of appointing another lacklustre individual like little Welby. While essentially apostasising and reneging on two thousand years’ of Christian orthodoxy and practice, Welby’s period of enthronement will be remembered for continued declined in both his own Church and in British Christianity in general. Let us not therefore be discouraged or be overly concerned by his latest outburst against scriptural fidelity. Let Archbishop Demas give his interviews and, perhaps, write his autobiography during those long evenings with nothing else to do. But let the people of God -the believing, Bible-reading, God-honouring people of Britain, carry on regardless. On 12th November, 2024, Justin Welby made the best decision of his life.

Anglican Futures, an initiative seeking to uphold orthodox Biblical teaching within the Anglican Communion, commented on his pronouncement:

“Take a moment to absorb that. Justin Welby has laid it on the line – the only reason that he once held a traditional view of marriage and sexuality was that he was ‘being thick’. Brainless, dopey, moronic (choose your word), this is an extraordinary insult to millions of Anglican believers who hold on to that traditional understanding.”

for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed... 2 Timothy 4:10b