The Global Anglican Future Conference, Gafcon, which is the global family of Anglicans standing together to retain and restore the Bible to the heart of Anglican Churches has spoken over the sudden resignation of Archbishop Justin Welby expressing its sadness over the reasons leading to his resignation.
Recall that on Tuesday 12th November 2024, the archbishop of the Church of England, Welby, resigned over his handling of a child abuse case, according to his official account.
Gafcon through a press statement released today and signed by the Most Revd. Dr. Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the Gafcon Primates Council noted that while the Gafcon Primates have been critical of the Archbishop’s leadership, the circumstances of his resignation is not an occasion for rejoicing, but for grief and self-reflection.
The statement reads thus;
“We are saddened by the news of the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the reasons for his decision. While the Gafcon Primates have been critical of the Archbishop’s leadership, the circumstances of his resignation is not an occasion for rejoicing, but for grief and self-reflection.
The presence of child sexual abuse in the church of God is a pernicious evil, which has brought devastating, long-term effects upon survivors and their families. Yet their trauma is only exacerbated by negligence or inaction in pursuing and prosecuting perpetrators for their crimes. Such failures to act also grieve the heart of God and bring shame upon his church.
We appreciate Archbishop Justin’s willingness to resign from his office, as it shows evidence of his desire to take responsibility for his own lack of action in investigating the allegations against John Smyth, which came to light in 2013. While his own admission of regret and remorse is welcome, the past cannot be undone.
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.”
Why Welby Resigned
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who is the head of the Anglican Church in England, on Tuesday, resigned following a review that revealed senior church leaders, including Welby, covered up the abuse of over 100 boys and young men by one of its own.
The abuse was perpetrated by a British lawyer, John Smyth, who led Christian summer camps in the United Kingdom and other countries during the 1970s and 1980s.
The independent review released last week found that despite repeated efforts by individuals to bring Smyth’s actions to light, the response from the Church of England was inadequate, amounting to a cover-up.
Smyth, who died in South Africa in 2018 without facing any legal proceedings, had abused boys and young men under his care for decades.
The review revealed that the Church’s failure to act enabled Smyth to continue his abuse in the UK and abroad.
In a statement announcing his resignation, Welby regretted the Church’s failures.
“The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England,” Welby said in a statement announcing his resignation.
Welby admitted that he first learnt about the abuse allegations in 2013, the same year he became Archbishop, but acknowledged that his efforts to investigate and address the situation were insufficient.
He said, “For nearly 12 years, I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.”
The Archbishop’s resignation came amid growing criticism from victims and other church leaders.
The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, remarked, “I think, rightly, people are asking the question: ‘Can we really trust the Church of England to keep us safe?’ And I think the answer at the moment is ‘no.”
Survivor Andrew Morse, who was among those abused by Smyth as a teenager, had called for Welby’s resignation. He criticized the Archbishop’s handling of the situation, stating that had Welby acted decisively in 2013, further abuse could have been prevented.
Welby concluded his statement by acknowledging the profound impact of the review’s findings, noting the pain endured by the victims and the failure of the Church to protect those in its care.
“I am so sorry that in places where these young men, and boys, should have felt safe and where they should have experienced God’s love for them, they were subjected to physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse,” he added.
