The CEO of Canterbury

While all eyes have been on Rome in recent weeks for the election of a new pope, the world’s third-largest Christian denomination has enthroned a new archbishop of Canterbury. He is Justin Welby, the global leader of 90 million Anglicans. An original and unexpected choice for the most recognizable top job in the Protestant churches, Welby is expected to have an impact far beyond the faithful in his own flock.
Both the throne of St. Peter in Rome and the throne of Augustine in Canterbury are uncomfortable seats these days. Their occupants must be concerned by falling numbers, particularly in their home continent of Europe, although the pews are emptying almost as fast in North and even South America. Traditional religion seems to hold declining appeal for the rising generation. This isn’t to say the young are indifferent to the worship of God. In many parts of the world they are flocking to His churches in increasing numbers. But those growing churches are rarely Anglican or Catholic. They are predominantly Pentecostal, Charismatic, or Evangelical. This presents the new pope and the new archbishop with a challenge, but also with an opportunity.
Old churches are naturally resistant to change. The sobriquet for Episcopalians (the American name for Anglicans) is “the Frozen Chosen,” which says it all. Some traditionalists want to travel even further into the deep freeze. Before his retirement, Pope Benedict appeared to be hinting that the future of his church might lie in becoming more conservative and more faithful to its traditional liturgies, rules, and doctrines. This would be a hard sell given the contentious Catholic teaching on issues such as contraception and celibacy.
The optimists point out that reform has worked before, for instance in the 16th century, when great leaders like Ignatius of Loyola purified and energized the Catholic Church. The pessimists are, well, pessimistic, and say that there must be a better way to halt the decline—in a word, evangelizati...