Justin Welby has announced he will be stepping down as Archbishop of Canterbury following criticism over his handling of a Church-linked child abuse case.
He will be succeeded by the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, marking a new leader for the Church of England.
There are more than 100 bishops in the Church, including 42 diocesan bishops.
Here, we take a look at some of the names who could be in the running...
– Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London
Dame Sarah trained as a nurse at St Thomas’ Hospital, and in 1999 was the youngest person to be appointed chief nursing officer for England, advising then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.
She eventually gave up her career in the NHS to become a full-time priest.
She was installed as the 133rd Bishop of London at St Paul’s Cathedral in 2018, becoming the first woman to hold the post and the third most senior figure in the church, behind the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.
She sits in the House of Lords and was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council in March 2018.
She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2005 for her contribution to nursing and midwifery. She has also continued her interest in the health service, having been a non-executive director at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and at Salisbury NHS Foundation Hospital.
She is married with two adult children and is a novice potter.
– Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
He spent a brief spell in the film industry and also at St Christopher’s Hospice in south London before being ordained a deacon at the age of 25.
He became the 98th Archbishop of York in 2020.
He is married with three sons.
– Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford
Born in Iran, Bishop Guli’s family fled in the wake of the Iranian revolution in 1980, when she was just a teenager.
Her brother Bahram was murdered in the revolution, and has previously spoken about how it affected her family.
In January this year, she told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs: “We’ve spent a lifetime coming to terms with it. In a sense, it was his sacrifice that brought us here. I don’t think my mum and my sister and I would have left if we hadn’t had a very good reason to.
As we praise God, we also remember those who cannot be with us.
— The Church of England (@churchofengland) April 4, 2021
Join in with Bishop @Guli_FD, as she says a Grace for Easter.
Amen. 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/ihOVeXoxfd
“So he gave us the gift of a chance of a new life in this country.”
She has been Bishop of Chelmsford since April 2021 and is the lead bishop for housing for the Church of England.
She is married with three children.
– Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich
The ecologist and keen beekeeper is the church’s lead bishop on the environment.
He became the 72nd Bishop of Norwich in June 2019 and is patron or president of more than 25 charities.
He is married with two children.
– Michael Beasley, Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells has assisted at the coronation of all our monarchs since 1189.
— The Church of England (@churchofengland) April 30, 2023
Rt Rev Michael Beasley, explains more about his role in the coronation of King Charles III.@BathWells #Coronation pic.twitter.com/X3yLpNmPjK
The former epidemiologist was a member of the Church of England’s Covid task force in the pandemic.
He was also part of efforts by Unicef and the NHS to launch vaccinaid.org which raised more than £10 million in support of vaccination for low-income countries.
He is married and became the 80th Bishop of Bath and Wells in 2022.
– Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester
Hundreds gathered over the weekend for our Petertide Ordinations @LeicsCathedral.
— Diocese of Leicester (@leicestercofe) July 1, 2024
The Right Reverend Martyn Snow, The Lord Bishop of Leicester, presided at two joyful services, ordaining five priests and five deacons.
Meet our #NewRevs - https://t.co/65oDNV74d3 pic.twitter.com/HeftZAOiOT
Born in Indonesia, he studied chemistry at the University of Sheffield and then worked with the Crown Prosecution Service.
He became the seventh Bishop of Leicester in 2016.
As well as being a supporter of Leicester City and Leicester Tigers, his interests are said to include music and hill walking.
He is married and at one stage worked in Guinea in West Africa with the local church alongside his wife.
How is the next Archbishop of Canterbury chosen?
The Archbishop of Canterbury is considered leader of the Church of England.
Justin Welby was enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2013. He announced on Tuesday he is resigning from the role, after coming under sustained pressure to step down over his handling of a Church of England-linked child abuse case.
The King – the defender of the faith and supreme governor of the Church of England – formally appoints archbishops, bishops and deans.
The responsibility of choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury falls to a group of 17 voting members known as the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC). Following a period of consultation, the CNC will submit their choice to the Prime Minister, who then tenders advice to the King.
Once the King has approved the chosen candidate and they have indicated a willingness to serve, 10 Downing St will announce the name of the archbishop-designate.
The college of canons of Canterbury Cathedral then formally elects the new archbishop.
