Archbishop Justin and the Anglican Communion

Archbishop Justin regularly visits Anglicans throughout the Communion to offer encouragement in their ministries - and support efforts for peace and reconciliation.
Justin Welby with crowd in prayer

After he became Archbishop in March 2013, Archbishop Justin committed to visiting every Province in the Anglican Communion within his first 18 months so that he could meet all the primates and understand the different challenges they face.

He and his wife Caroline made 14 trips which totalled 96 days. Returning to Church of England's General Synod after his pilgrimage, Archbishop Justin made three key points about the Communion. 

First, that despite some in the Church of England arguing that it no longer exists, the Communion "exists and it is flourishing".

Second, that despite its incredible diversity - Anglicans are in 165 countries, speaking 2,000 languages across 500 different cultures - there is a "profound unity in many ways". 

And third, "that the potential of the Communion under God is beyond anything we can imagine or think about." 

Archbishop Justin continues to make regular visits throughout the Communion to encourage provinces in their ministries, and support efforts for peace and reconciliation.

"Time and again I notice that Anglicans are bridge builders...It seems to be in the DNA of Anglicanism. And that excites me"

Archbishop Justin Welby
Justin and Caroline Welby during a visit to the Far East, 2014.

A focus of Communion energy is working with dioceses to try and address some of the suffering faced by fellow Christians, and to foster values of collaboration, dialogue and reconciliation.

Archbishop Justin prays often for courage and resilience of the Anglican church in areas of conflict, oppression and persecution, and thanks God for their presence, rejoicing that we all belong to the same Church under Jesus.