Demystifying the choice for the next Archbishop of Canterbury

Commentary

By David W. Virtue DD

www.virtueonline.org

June 2, 2025

It took two weeks to elect a new pope. It will take more than a year to elect a new Archbishop of Canterbury. The politicking is fierce. A recent report put the Iranian born woman bishop, Guli Francis-Dehqani, bishop of Chelmsford, as the leading contender, but all bets are off till the moment of truth arrives. You can read that story here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/church-of-england-may-get-its-first-female-archbishop-of-canterbury

But there are some truths behind the scenes that VOL has learned that will explain how it is impossible for someone who is orthodox in faith and morals to win the coveted Lambeth Palace. The Church of England may get its first female Archbishop in the Church of England, according to odds posted by British betting firms. 

Guli Francis-Dehqani, 58, has emerged as the leading candidate to become the next archbishop of Canterbury. British betting firms have placed her as the early favorite to succeed the Rev. Justin Welby, who stepped down in January.

Francis-Dehqani's odds were placed at evens and 2 to 1 by the firms Ladbrokes and Star Sports, according to The Telegraph. If selected, she would become the 106th archbishop of Canterbury and the first woman to hold the office.

According to numbers released last year by the Church of England General Synod, women comprise around 30% of bishops in the denomination.

A nomination requires support from two-thirds of voting members in a secret ballot, with a formal nomination for Welby's successor expected by autumn.

Last November, Welby announced his decision to step down in the wake of criticism over the Church's handling of an abuse scandal involving barrister and Christian camp leader John Smyth.

The Church of England’s moment has come and gone. When they elected Justin Welby over Michael Nazir-Ali then Bishop of Rochester, the mistake proved fatal. Like a wounded Serengeti lion, the death of the Church of England is only a matter of time.

Of course, the CofE carries on like nothing matters more than itself. It pays no mind how their choice will impact the Global South. The front runner is an Iranian-born refugee who could be first female archbishop of Canterbury, speaks volumes about where the CofE is at. The job has not been held by a woman in its 1,428-year history.

A source in the CofE described the process as a complete and utter farce. “They are playing chess on the deck of the Titanic. There are just three orthodox members – one clergy, two lay out of 17 people in the selection process. The Good Ship Lambeth is about to go the same way as The Episcopal Church, led to the cliff’s edge by Welby, and pushed.”

“Only diocesan bishops have any power. Only 2 or 3 have any claim to orthodoxy. One is living with another man in a flat down the road from his cathedral. There are several suffragans holding Provincial Visitor roles but they don't have any votes or influence. Three out of the 17 on the new Commission for appointing the ABC are orthodox. It will require 14 votes for a candidate to cross the finishing line and be nominated.”

“It is all over. Welby filled the House of Bishops with his liberal management stooges. They voted for the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) report, without going through the legal requirements for any change, and they will get one of their own for ABC. Someone who ticks as many diversity boxes as possible has the best chance.”

The source says those who remain in the Church of England have choices - They can stay and hope that their own local church remains unaffected and untainted. (It won't). They can leave and join one of the church plants set up by the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) or GAFCON, but it is not Anglicanism as we know it. And we know the difficulties with ACNA. They can become Roman Catholics with a much greater optimism now that Leo XIV is in charge. And there is a growing suggestion that the Great Schism may soon be over.

They can join one of the many Orthodox churches now present in the UK, but many of them have close ties with Moscow. And the language and Eastern liturgy pose formidable obstacles. There are even smaller groupings which may cater for some former Anglicans, but the question is whether they are truly Anglican or episcopal. Many will simply cease to attend organized worship.

“The Church of England, like the historic Conservative Party here in the UK, has been led into trackless wastes by a series of disastrous leaders. It is not going to recover its dominant role in England, as the number of those seeking ordination is plummeting; many are retiring, unreplaced; the astonishing financial waste and incompetency of dioceses means that they are selling off clergy housing, amalgamating churches into ever larger groups, and nobody is left to lead worship.”

He believes that Leo XIV may be about to preside over a golden age for his Church here in England. Whatever the problems, it remains largely orthodox and protected from cultural Marxism.

END