First black Archbishop for England

The Bishop of Birmingham, the Rev John Sentamu, has been named as the new Archbishop of York, becoming the Church of England’s first black Archbishop.

The 56-year-old Ugandan-born cleric will succeed the Most Reverend David Hope, who resigned from the post in February to take up a position as a parish priest in Ilkley, west Yorkshire.

Commenting on his appointment, which was approved by the Queen, following the recommendation of Tony Blair, Bishop Sentamu said: “I am excited about my future role and I am looking forward to working with the Archbishop of Canterbury and other bishops to lead the Church of England in its mission to the nation.

“It is imperative that the Church regains her vision and confidence in mission, developing ways that will enable the Church of England to reconnect imaginatively with England.”

Bishop Sentamu trained as a barrister in Uganda and was reported to be highly critical of Idi Amin’s regime, before coming to the UK in 1974. He was ordained as a priest in 1979, serving as assistant chaplain at Selwyn College.

He was chaplain at HM Remand Centre Lachmere House and curate of St. Andrews Ham, Southwark, south London between 1979 and 1982 and went on to serve in a succession of London parishes, before he was appointed Bishop of Stepney in 1996 and then Bishop of Birmingham in 2002.

Bishop Sentamu also served as an advisor to the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, from 1997 to 1999 and chaired the review into the murder of Damilola Taylor in 2002.

He was known to be an avid campaigner against gun crime in Birmingham and also worked with Rover employees, following the collapse of the car manufacturer in May.

The Bishop said he would not be leaving Birmingham immediately, as he wanted to continue working to help the people in the city, to ensure “they have real opportunities to rebuild their working lives.”

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has welcomed Bishop Sentamu’s appointment as Archbishop of York. He said: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome the appointment of Bishop John Sentamu as Archbishop of York. He is someone who has always combined a passion for sharing the gospel with a keen sense of the problems and challenges of our society, particularly where racism is concerned. His ministry in London and Birmingham has been praise by Christians of all backgrounds. He is a caring pastor and an exciting communicator. I look forward with great enthusiasm to working with him.”

(KMcA/SP)