The Church of England at a Crossroads: Choosing the Next Archbishop of Canterbury

After Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned in disgrace, the Church of England remains at a crossroads selecting its next leader.

This guest article was written by Freddie Scott, a PhD student at the Complutense University of Madrid.

While the world’s attention was fixed on the election of Pope Leo XIV, a quieter but interesting process remains underway within another global church: the selection of a new Archbishop of Canterbury. As the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic head of the 85-million-strong Anglican Communion, the Archbishop holds the highest office in Anglicanism.

Compared to the secrecy and suspense of the papal conclave, the process of selecting a new Archbishop of Canterbury is more open and consultative — though not without its own challenges. While no firm date has been set for the appointment, there is hope that it could mark a historic milestone, with the potential for the first female or first non-British Archbishop in the Church’s history.

What is the Archbishop of Canterbury?

Unlike the Pope, Archbishops of Canterbury do not serve for life, with the last two occupants of the role—Rowan Williams (2002-2012) and George Carey in (1991-2002) —both stepping down in their 60s. However, the departure of the most recent Archbishop, Justin Welby, in late 2024 was a result of quite different circumstances.¹ In his official resignation statement, Welby acknowledged that he was stepping down due to the findings of the Makin Review, an independent report that criticised his handling of the John Smyth abuse scandal. Smyth, a barrister and evangelical leader, was found to have physically abused dozens of boys using an excuse of religious discipline at Christian summer camps during the 1970s and 1980s. The report concluded that Church authorities, including Welby, failed to act decisively after learning of the abuse. Expressing a “profound sense of shame” over the Church’s historic safeguarding failures, Welby stated: “It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.”²³

Following Welby’s resignation, the Church of England remains without an Archbishop of Canterbury;  however, unlike the Pope, while holding the highest position, the Archbishop of Canterbury is considered primus inter pares — “first among equals” — within the Anglican Communion, meaning there is less urgency to appoint a replacement.⁴  Still, though the Archbishop holds less power than a pontiff, the holder of the position likewise faces serious challenges. Like the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion must navigate deep theological divisions, cultural diversity, and the complex dynamics of its global relationships — all of which make choosing a candidate that can unify the Church a difficult task.⁵ 

Selecting a new Archbishop 

While the conclave that selects the Pope is composed solely of cardinals, the selection of the Archbishop of Canterbury is handled by a 17-member panel, the Crown Nominations Commission. Its members include bishops, clergy, laity, and representatives from the global Anglican Communion, some of whom are elected by the Church’s General Synod and the Diocese of Canterbury. After a series of deliberations, the Commission recommends a candidate to the Prime Minister, who advises the King for formal appointment.⁶

While the process began following Welby’s resignation, procedural issues have caused delays, and members of the commission initially due to meet in March are yet to be confirmed. It had been hoped that this would be completed by September, yet these delays have created uncertainty, leaving more time for ideological divisions and competing interests to come to the fore.⁷

Leading candidates

When the selection is finally completed, many observers believe there could be an historic appointment. Observers have said that the current frontrunner to be selected is Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Chelmsford, who could become the first woman—and first person of colour—to hold the role in the Church’s history. Francis-Deqani was born in Iran and forced to flee during the 1979 revolution. She is recognised for her progressive views and support for inclusion, particularly on issues relating to migrants and minorities. Other names that have been tipped as potential appointments  are Michale Beasley, Bishop of Bath and Wells, and Thabo Makgoba, the Archbishop of Cape Town, who if selected would become the first non-British Archbishop of Canterbury.⁸ 

Challenges on the horizon 

Whoever is selected when the process finishes will take the role at a moment of considerable difficulty for the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion. The most pressing issue will be to demonstrate that the Church will address issues of safeguarding and past abuse cases while restoring confidence on this issue for the future under new leadership.⁹ Furthermore, the Church faces questions over its continuing relevance to contemporary British society, with a 2023 report showing that the number of practicing members in the UK had fallen to under 1 million, around 1.7% of residents.¹⁰

Finally, as well as these specific challenges relating to the Church in 2025 and onwards, the newly selected Archbishop will face the perennial challenge of managing the Church’s ideological tensions, in particular regarding issues such as same-sex blessings, the role of women in the Church and competing approaches to biblical interpretation and religious practice.¹¹

All in all, while there is a strong possibility that the next Archbishop of Canterbury will be a historic choice — particularly if Francis-Dehqani is selected — this will not mean that the role is an easy task. The Church is under pressure not only from long-term social and political decline in influence but also more immediate challenges, most notably the urgent need to regain trust following its handling of abuse scandals. The new Archbishop will face a test in demonstrating their capacity to open a new chapter in the institution’s history. In facing such challenges, the new Pope and the next Archbishop may well find common ground.