The resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, made headline news across the UK and the wider world. This itself points to the ongoing public significance of the CofE and the knock-on effects for the wider church.

Why did Welby choose to resign after pressure of public disrepute from external liberal media and government, rather than after the pressure from faithful Christians over his handling of LGBT+ issues or his support for other-religious festivals? What does this tell us about the priorities not only of his own leadership, but of the institution more broadly?

How did Welby's evangelical convictions erode during his time in office? Was the authority of Scripture subtly replaced by a vague sense of "theological reflection"? What lessons can be learned for leaders and institutions going forward regarding "reputation"?

Andy and Aaron cover all this and more in the latest episode of Pod of the Gaps.

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RESOURCES:

- Welby Resignation statement https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/news-and-statements/statement-archbishop-canterbury-0

- Lambeth Statement on LLF https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/news-and-statements/lambeth-palace-statement-living-love-and-faith

- 'Simpering Onto the Sexular Carpet with the Archbishop of Canterbury', Stephen McAlpine, https://stephenmcalpine.com/simpering-onto-the-sexular-carpet-with-the-archbishop-of-canterbury/

- 'How church attendance crumbled under Justin Welby' https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/12/church-attendance-falls-justin-welby-archbishop-canterbury/

- 'Diwali, the Gospel, and AoC Welby' https://virtueonline.org/diwali-gospel-and-archbishop-justin-welby