In a stunning move, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned on Tuesday, citing his failure to ensure a thorough investigation into historical child abuse allegations tied to Christian summer camps.
His decision comes after the release of a scathing independent report, known as the Makin Report, which found that Welby, despite being aware of the abuse claims since 2013, had not taken sufficient action to address them.
The allegations revolve around John Smyth, a former lawyer and prominent figure in the Iwerne Trust, which ran the camps in Dorset, England.
Smyth is accused of subjecting over 100 boys and young men to brutal physical and sexual abuse over a 40-year period.
Some of the victims were beaten with up to 800 strokes of a cane, with severe physical and psychological consequences.
The abuse, which began in the 1970s, continued even after Smyth moved to Africa in 1984.
The Makin Report, commissioned in 2019, criticized Welby for failing in his “personal and moral responsibility” to ensure the allegations were properly investigated when he became Archbishop in 2013.
Though Welby acknowledged the church’s failures and expressed his sorrow, the report concluded that he should have acted more decisively, suggesting that had the matter been reported to the police in 2013, Smyth might have faced charges before his death in 2018.
Welby’s resignation follows growing calls for accountability from both within the Church of England and outside it. In his statement, he expressed deep regret, saying, “The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England.”
The timing of Welby’s resignation is significant, as it comes amid increasing divisions within the global Anglican community, particularly between more liberal churches in Britain and North America and their conservative counterparts in Africa. Churches in countries like Uganda and Nigeria had previously expressed a lack of confidence in Welby’s leadership, and his resignation is likely to be welcomed by these factions.
As the Church of England begins the search for a new leader, potential successors include Bishop Graham Usher of Norwich, who has been an advocate for gay rights and climate change action, and Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani of Chelmsford, who could make history as the first female Archbishop.
Whoever succeeds Welby will face the formidable task of mending divisions within the Church while addressing the deepening crisis of faith and declining church attendance in the UK.