Resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury

Following the news that the Archbishop of Canterbury intends to resign his post, here is a copy of a letter sent to those on the weekly mailing list at Haverhill and Withersfield:

I expect you will have seen today's news that the Archbishop of Canterbury has announced his intention to resign his post, following a review of outstanding commitments but essentially with effect as soon as possible. This is a remarkable step and, I think, a pivotal moment in the life of the Church of England. The situation is still unfolding and I am sure more information will follow over the coming days.

Although not technically unprecedented, as it is customary for Archbishops to resign as they reach retirement age, to do so at such short notice and because of the Archbishop's role in mis-handling information relating to serious safeguarding abuses has not been seen before in modern times. It is an act of humility, and reflects the Archbishop's own recognition of his part in a complicated network of sinful actions and behaviours which prevented reports of this abuse being properly investigated and brought to justice. The Archbishop's own statement can be read in full online.

The event which precipitated the Archbishop's resignation was the publication last week of the report from the Makin review into John Smyth, which again can be read online. Smyth's abuse of young boys in the UK, Zimbabwe and South Africa was first reported in 1982, and further evidence came to light in 2013 which meant that people at the highest level, including the Archbishop, were aware of the allegations and had the opportunity to take further action.

Although Smyth's case is the one in focus at the moment, this is not the first or only case of concerns being mishandled, about safeguarding or other matters of inappropriate or illegal behaviour. Sadly, the Archbishop is complicit in a culture within the organisational structures of the church which has sought to protect our own interests and has prevented the carriage of justice and truth, both intentionally and unintentionally. He cannot take all the blame for this, but has clearly recognised his failure to adequately challenge and transform the structures of the church more widely, as well as his part in the Smyth case in particular, and now sees himself as a hinderance to moving forwards in his current role.

I write this knowing that I am a public representative of this same organisation, of which we are all members in one way or another. We must all take responsibility for ensuring the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults in particular, and in establishing justice and truth in all areas of private and public life. That is why it is so important that we adopt and follow a strict safeguarding policy, encourage everyone to complete safeguarding training at an appropriate level, and keep good, clear, confidential safeguarding records and deal with reports appropriately. A reminder that our safeguarding policy can be read online, and that free, church-specific safeguarding training is available to everyone at a basic level.

Haverhill PCC discussed the impact of the Makin report when we met last night (before the announcement of the Archbishop's resignation) and acknowledged the fact that we would need to respond to this at a local level. As I said above, the importance of these events for the church and for wider society cannot be understated. Many people both within and outside the church may wish to discuss recent events and the way that the church has handled them, and we would encourage that. Your safeguarding officers are myself and Jane Eccleston across the benefice, assisted by Ian Levett at Haverhill and Karen Williams at Withersfield.

I want to thank them, and the wider PCCs, for ensuring that we do have robust safeguarding procedures and that we follow best practice in safeguarding and other matters, which we believe we do. We also acknowledge that we are not perfect and would welcome constructive challenge and questions where you notice things that could be improved.

It is not clear how the church will move forward from this moment, either in terms of ensuring due diligence in safeguarding and other matters at all levels of church organisation, or in terms of appointing someone to take over from Justin Welby as Archbishop and continue to lead the Church of England and play a key role in convening the wider Anglican Communion. But it is clear that what is happening at Lambeth does have a direct effect on us locally in Withersfield and Haverhill, and affects our ability to witness to and serve our local communities. Many others have responded to these events in their own way, and you can read our own Bishop's comments online.

By way of immediate response, tomorrow's Eucharist will be offered as a votive Eucharist for the unity of the church, using resources provided for this in our liturgical texts from Common Worship. The collect (the special prayer which summarises the theme or focus for the day) reads as follows:

Heavenly Father,
you have called us in the Body of your Son Jesus Christ
to continue his work of reconciliation
and reveal you to the world:
forgive us the sins which tear us apart,
give us the courage to overcome our fears
and to seek that unity which is your gift and your will;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

May I encourage you to use this prayer to pray for the church as we discern a way forward, and in particular for Justin Welby, for those involved in appointing his successor, for those involved in handling safeguarding reports and reviews, and most of all for the victims of abuse, for whom present events are little consolation in seeing justice brought to bear and the church acknowledge its continuing sinful and painful behaviour.

Thank you for your continued love, support and encouragement as we seek to follow Jesus Christ faithfully.

Every blessing,
Max