Welby, Justin (1956-…), was appointed the 105th archbishop of Canterbury in November 2012. He was enthroned (formally installed in the position) at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2013. The archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader of the Church of England and of the Anglican Communion, one of the largest Christian traditions in the world. Welby is known for his diplomacy and skill as a negotiator, his commitment to reconciliation among Anglicans, and his opposition to corporate excess.
Justin Portal Welby was born on Jan. 6, 1956, in London. His father was of German Jewish ancestry. His mother was born in India to a prominent English family that included academics, civil servants, clergymen, and politicians. Welby graduated from Eton College, a famous English secondary school, in 1974. He then studied history and law at Cambridge University, receiving a B.A. degree in 1978. While a student at Cambridge, Welby became a Christian. He also met his future wife, Caroline, whom he married in 1979. From 1978 to 1989, he worked in the finance department of two large international oil companies in Paris and London.
Welby’s infant daughter Johanna died in a car crash in 1983. The accident deepened Welby’s Christian faith. It also contributed to his eventual decision to leave the oil industry and join the clergy. From 1989 to 1992, Welby attended Cranmer Hall, an Anglican theological college in Durham, England. He received a B.A. degree and a diploma of ministry. Welby was ordained a deacon of the Church of England in 1992 and a priest in 1993.
During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Welby served as a priest in several English churches, including Coventry Cathedral. In 2002, he became co-director for international ministry of the cathedral’s International Centre for Reconciliation. He traveled extensively in Africa and the Middle East, where he worked to reconcile political and religious leaders, sometimes in the midst of dangerous armed conflict. He regularly visited Nigeria, where the local Christian spirituality influenced him. From 2007 to 2011, Welby served as dean (a high church official) of Liverpool Cathedral, one of England’s largest religious structures.
Welby was appointed bishop of Durham in June 2011 and installed the following November. He remained in that post until becoming archbishop of Canterbury. Welby has published a number of articles about ethics, international finance, and reconciliation, and the short book Can Companies Sin? (1992).
See also Archbishop of Canterbury .
