32 Suggestions for the next Archbishop of Canterbury....
- Anglican Futures
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
After a number of recounts - it is time for the results of the completely unofficial Anglican Futures General Synod poll
"Who would you like to be next Archbishop of Canterbury"
32 names were suggested by those at General Synod
and visitors to the Anglican Futures website.
Thank you to all who took part and to all those who stopped by - it was good to bring smiles to the faces of most Synod members - even if your enthusiam necessitated the purchase of a second blackboard.
For those who are new to this - the rules were simple:
1) People were asked to vote for the person they would LIKE o be Archbishop of Canterbury.
2) Any name that went in the box or was suggested online appeared on the board the following day, meaning some of those suggested may be better qualified than others.
3) Members of the Crown Nominations Commission, those who will actually make the decision, were forbidden to vote.
Apologies to
those who wanted to place a bet - the Charity Commission would not have approved;
to those who 'felt uncomfortable' or were concerned that it was 'a popularity contest' - it really was just a bit of fun.
to those who fear they will lose their diocesan bishop or their diocese - the Lord will provide.
So, as one senior synod member suggested, perhaps it is an appropriate time to pray the Great Litany:
"That it may please thee to succour, help, and comfort, all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation; We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord."
And having done so, here are the results:
Top 5 at the York General Synod (in alphabetical order)
The Rt Revd Michael Beasley - Bishop of Bath and Wells
Mr Nick Cave - Musician, writer and actor
The Rt Revd Guli Francis Deqhani - Bishop of Chelmsford
The Rt Revd Philip North - Bishop of Blackburn
The Most Revd Kanishka Raffel - Archbishop of Sydney
Top 5 online at 3pm on 15th July 2025 (in alphabetical order)
The Rt Revd Michael Beasley - Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Rt Revd Guli Francis-Deqhani - Bishop of Chelmsford
The Most Revd Kanishka Raffel - Archbishop of Sydney
The Rt Revd Mark Tanner - Bishop of Chester
The Rt Revd Paul Williams - Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham
Share your thoughts in the comments below (you can comment as a guest)
and if you are at New Wine the 'board and box' will be at the Anglican Futures stand on the way to the Fun Zone - so do start thinking about who you will vote for there.
In many walks of life, if we’ve come this far without filling a vacancy, some wise soul turns round and asks “Do we actually need one?”
Just saying.
Thank you for this helpful information. I would be pleased to see any of the 3pm final list - except for Mark Tanner. Why? He is our Bishop in Chester and we don't want to lose him. There are two reasons. First, We would all miss him so much. Second, His replacement at Chester could be someone divisive and with an agenda.