Christian Today spoke to the Rev Marcus Walker, Rector of St Bartholomew the Great in the City of London and founder of the Save the Parish movement in the Church of England, about what he is looking for in a new Archbishop of Canterbury after Justin Welby stepped down in January.
CT: You publicly called for the resignation of Justin Welby after the publication of the Makin Review last November into the John Smyth abuse scandal. What are your reflections now on his resignation?
MW: It's desperately sad that we reached that point. I have a lot of time for Justin Welby and respect for him, but his position had become untenable. I hope this will allow the church to move forward.
CT: You have been a member of General Synod since 2021 and so have seen the leading bishops at close hand. Who is your pick for the role and why?
MW: I'm afraid that I think my endorsement for any candidate would kill their chances stone dead! I do, however, think that we need a clear break from the managerial Church which has become so stifling of the Church and its mission. Anyone involved in the disastrous policies of mass mergers of parishes should be avoided.
CT: What would you like to see the next Archbishop do to save the parishes?
MW: The first thing is to love them! To show that he or she actually likes the people in the pew and to stop attacking them and their history and their practices. Pretty much every Anglican in England wants to be able to get on with the core business of worshipping God, and the central Church seems to spend all its time making that less possible, less pleasant, and less affordable.
The new Archbishop could be transformative if the energies of the national Church were devoted to helping the local church. Oh, and getting back to preaching Christ would be good - we don't need a Church Shadow Cabinet; we need a bench of shepherds, pastors, and teachers.
CT: On a scale of 1 to 10 from pessimism to optimism, how optimistic are you that a new Archbishop can make a difference to frontline parishes?
MW: Full 10/10 - the new Archbishop could make a difference. Will they...?
CT: Given the deep divisions in the C of E, particularly over the proposed services of same-sex blessing, to what extent could any person, however gifted and godly, actually be able to lead such a divided house?
MW: With God, all things are possible.
