Anglican bishops lament Archbishop Welby’s resignation

Conservation Anglican bishops, under the aegis of Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), have expressed sadness over news of the resignation of Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Justin Welby, and the reasons for his decision.

They noted that while the GAFCON Primates had been critical of the archbishop’s leadership, the circumstances of his resignation was not an occasion for rejoicing, but for grief and self-reflection.

Welby, the leader of the world’s Anglican Communion had, on Tuesday, announced that he was resigning following a damning report that the Church of England covered up abuse cases.

In a statement signed by Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council and the Archbishop of Rwanda, The Most Rev. Laurent Mbanda, the bishops, however, commended the archbishop for his willingness to resign from his office, stressing that it showed evidence of his desire to take responsibility for his own lack of action in investigating allegations against John Smyth, which came to light in 2013, adding that while his admission of regret and remorse was welcome, the past could not be undone.

The bishops observed that the presence of child sexual abuse in the church of God was a pernicious evil, which had brought devastating, long-term effects upon survivors and their families adding that their trauma was only exacerbated by negligence or inaction in pursuing and prosecuting perpetrators for their crimes.

According to the bishops, such failure to act also grieves the heart of God and brings shame upon His church.

The statement reads: “Leadership in any sphere of life is challenging, and no less so in the church of God. Christian leaders are called to be shepherds of the flock. Yet, none of us is perfect, as we all make mistakes, but owning our failures is also the mark of good leadership. While some errors of judgment have greater consequences than others, the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, knows our frailty and forgives all who are truly penitent. He also cares for the downcast and broken, as he cares for those who have been abused.

“We pray for Archbishop Justin, his wife Caroline, and his family as the days ahead will not be without difficulty. We also pray for all those, who have experienced sexual abuse by false shepherds in the church of God. May they know the peace of God that passes understanding and that heals all our infirmities”.

Similarly, the Primate of All Nigeria, (Anglican Communion), The Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, said that the church would not keep silent in the face of evil and warned the clergy that none of them was indispensable.

Speaking at the 2024 Divine Commonwealth Conference (DIVCCON) in Abuja, Ndukuba decried the move to enthrone wickedness and evil following the doctrines of men and teachings of demons in promoting homosexuality and evil practice in the church of God in place of the word of God.

He said: “There is no dispute over evil, sin and wickedness; if you cross the red line, there is no hiding place whether you are a bishop, archdeacon, cannon or delegate. Let us honour God. The Archbishop of Canterbury and his group has been pushing for homosexuality. Now, the Lord has entered the battle; we cannot promote evil in the church and cover it and think that nothing will happen. This church belongs to God. Who would have ever told the Archbishop of Canterbury that this is the way he would go? Even among us here, let us honour God. The panel in their report said that he was culpable, he wasn’t the one that abused, but he was in the position to ensure that such abuse was addressed, but when he failed to do what he ought to do and covered it, there was no option but to demand for his resignation.”