Archbishop Justin Welby
Pro-Chancellor, distinguished friends, colleagues, graduands and guests.
Born in 1956 in London, the Most Reverend Justin Welby was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied history and law before embarking on a career in the oil industry. During this period he became a lay leader at Holy Trinity, Brompton in London, having been a council member at St Michael’s Church in Paris.
In 1989, Justin took the decision to move away from industry and train for ordination. He obtained a degree in Theology at Durham University and went on to attain the Cranmer Diploma in Ministerial Studies in 1992.
After being ordained Deacon in 1992, he spent 15 years serving Coventry Diocese. Between 2000 and 2002 he also chaired an NHS hospital trust in South Warwickshire.
In 2002, he was made a Canon of this very Cathedral, where he ran a comprehensive programme of reconciliation work. He worked extensively in the field in Africa and the Middle East and has a particular interest in Nigeria, where he was and remains involved in work with groups involved in conflict transformation. In the Niger Delta, he has worked on reconciliation with armed groups.
He met with religious and political leaders in Israel and Palestine, and on one trip to Baghdad reopened the Anglican Church with Canon Andrew White, shortly after the allied invasion. In 2006 he also took responsibility for Holy Trinity Coventry, the main city centre church, as Priest-in-charge.
He left Coventry five years later, being installed Dean of Liverpool in 2007. Liverpool Cathedral is the largest cathedral in England. Its local area, Toxteth, is among the most deprived in north-west Europe. During his deanship, he brought the Cathedral into much greater contact with its local community, working with asylum seekers and in partnership with neighbouring churches. Over his four years, during which he also continued to work on reconciliation and mediation projects overseas, the Cathedral’s congregation increased significantly.
In 2011, he was announced as the new Bishop of Durham, followed quickly in November 2012, with the announcement that Justin was to become the 105th Archbishop of the See of Canterbury. He officially became Archbishop on 4 February 2013.
Justin is married to Caroline, who he met at Cambridge University. They have two sons and three daughters. Justin maintains a strong interest in French culture, sailing and politics and we’re delighted he’s able to revisit Coventry Cathedral and join us here today.
In recognition of his longstanding commitment to peace and reconciliation, particularly the strong collaborations developed with African churches to support them in dealing with inter-ethnic violence, Coventry University, by decision of the Academic Board, has the privilege of conferring the Degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, on Justin Welby.