Justin Welby
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was born in 1956 in London, England. For more than ten years he has worked in the oil industry and his centres of interest were West African and North Sea oil projects. After the death of his seven-month old daughter in a car accident, he stood down from business to train for ordination.
Political Career
Some of Justin Welby's publications focus on the relationship between finance and religion. He joined the House of Lords in 2013, becoming member of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards.
Education
Justin Welby was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied history and law receiving a B.A. degree in 1978. The tragic death of his daughter changed his life. Later he took a theology degree at St John’s College, Durham, in which he focused on ethics, particularly in business. His publications concern ethics, international finance and reconciliation.
Notable Work
His father’s family were German Jewish immigrants who moved to England to escape anti-Semitism in the late 19th century, and integrated quickly. For 20 years, his ministry has blended deep devotion to his parish communities with Church work around the world, especially in areas of conflict. He worked extensively in the field in Africa and the Middle East. He has a particular interest in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, where he worked with groups involved in conflict in the north. In the Niger Delta, he 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, shortly after the allied invasion. He became an expert on the politics and history of Kenya and Nigeria, lecturing on reconciliation at the US State Department. In 2007 he was installed Dean of Liverpool, replacing the Right Reverend Rupert Hoare in the largest cathedral in England. During his deanship, he developed partnerships with neighbouring churches and he worked with asylum seekers. Meanwhile, he continued to work on reconciliation and mediation projects overseas. Since 2012 he is the Archbishop of Canterbury.
External Links
http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/archbishop-of-canterbury/4252 (Parliament biography) http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/ (Official website)
