Archbishop of York

The Archbishop of York represents the Church of England at the House of Lords. John Sentamu joined the House of Lords in November 2005.

Political Career

The Archbishop of York has the responsibility within the House of Lords for bringing the position of the Church of England to policy debates. John Sentamu’s main areas of policy focus include agriculture, rural affairs, immigration, communities, civil law and employment.

Notable Work

John Sentamu grew up in rural Uganda before arriving in York. His previous roles included at his ministry in Cambridge and Richmond, fourteen years in inner city parishes in South London, six years as Bishop for Stepney and three years as Bishop for Birmingham. During his years as a parish priest, he served on the General Synod and its Standing Committee and other bodies.

He was particularly involved in the work of the Archbishop’s Commission on Urban Priority Areas, the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns, the Decade of Evangelism Steering Group, and the Archbishops’ evangelism initiative, Springboard. As Bishop for Stepney, he also served on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Team and chaired the Damilola Taylor Murder Investigation Review.