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Mar 16, 2012 | EDOT Staff

Archbishop Announces He is Stepping Down at the End of the Year

Archbishop Rowan Williams announced his acceptance of the position of Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, beginning January 2013. He will therefore be stepping down from a decade in office as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury at the end of this year.

 

Calling his tenure “an immense privilege” the Archbishop said that his decision had not been easy, but added that he intended to continue “to serve the Church’s mission and witness as best I can in the years ahead.”

 

“Archbishop Williams was called to serve the Anglican Communion during a most difficult time and I am grateful that, during his tenure, he has led the Church from a deep and abiding prayer life,” said the Rt. Rev. Andy Doyle, Bishop of Texas.   “I am grateful for his guidance and the hard work he has undertaken on our part,” Bishop Doyle said, adding, “I am personally thankful for his kindness, hospitality and support of me when we spoke at last fall’s Compass Rose Society meeting in London.  His encouragement to strive for unity for the sake of mission is and will continue to be a guiding principal of my ministry.”

 

The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, said that the Archbishop’s reconciling work “through Indaba and Ubuntu is bearing remarkable fruit, and I believe this will be his most important legacy.”  

 

Williams’ intentions have been conveyed to The Queen, who is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and who formally appoints the Archbishop of Canterbury. He will continue to carry out all the duties and responsibilities of the Archbishop of Canterbury, both for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, until the end of the year.

 

The responsibility for choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury rests with the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC). Its task is to submit the name of a preferred candidate (and a second candidate) to the Prime Minster who is constitutionally responsible for tendering advice on the appointment to the Queen. 

 

Watch a video interview with the Archbishop here: 

 

 

 

 

Some recent highlights of the Archbishop’s time in office can be seen here:
http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/articles.php/2173/