Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the Church of England’s highest-ranking cleric, has announced his resignation due to his failure to uncover John Smyth’s extensive abuse.
Welby’s decision follows the release of the Makin Report, an independent investigation highlighting his failure to ensure a thorough probe into abuse allegations connected to Christian summer camps in the 1970s.
In his resignation letter, Welby acknowledged “personal and institutional responsibility” for the failure to properly address the “heinous abuses.” He expressed profound regret for the Church’s shortcomings in safeguarding and stated that stepping down reflects the Church’s commitment to a safer environment. “The last few days have deepened my sense of shame regarding the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England,” Welby said. He added, “I stand with all victims and survivors as I step down, in sorrow for the harm caused.”
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The Makin Report, published five days before Welby’s resignation, criticized his response to abuse accusations involving John Smyth, a British lawyer and chairman of the Iwerne Trust, which sponsored Christian camps where the abuse allegedly occurred.
Smyth reportedly subjected over 100 boys and young men to “brutal and horrific” abuse over a span of 40 years, including severe beatings and physical harm requiring medical care.
The abuse reportedly continued after Smyth moved to Africa in 1984, affecting victims in Zimbabwe and South Africa, until near his death in 2018.
The report claims that senior figures in the Church of England knew of the abuse allegations as early as 2013, the year Welby became archbishop, yet failed to take sufficient action.
Though Welby apologized for “failures and omissions” and stated he had “no prior knowledge or suspicion” of the allegations before 2013, the report found this claim “unlikely.” It concluded that his inaction hindered a proper investigation and that if the police had been informed in 2013, Smyth could have faced charges before his death.
As Welby departs, the process of selecting his successor will commence, led by a body of senior clergy and a chair appointed by the British prime minister.
Bishop of Norwich Graham Usher and Bishop of Chelmsford Guli Francis-Dehqani are among the frontrunners to become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
