E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Suzanne Plunkett / Reuters
Justin Welby, the Bishop of Durham, walks through Westminster in London on Thursday. A former oil executive and critic of corporate excess, he is expected to be named on Friday as the next Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the world's 80 million Anglicans.
Updated at 5:55 a.m. ET: LONDON — A former oil executive whose father was a bootlegger in prohibition-era America and later a friend of the Kennedys, was on Friday named the new spiritual leader of the world’s 80 million Anglicans.
Justin Welby, 56, the Bishop of Durham, who has risen quickly within the Church of England hierarchy since quitting the world of commerce in 1992, will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Church of England is known in the U.S. as the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America. Its Presiding Bishop is currently Katharine Jefferts Schori.
The change in leadership follows the resignation of the current Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, ending a turbulent era in which the Church of England has been sharply divided on issues such as same-sex marriage, female clergy and gay bishops.
Welby faces the near-impossible task of reconciling traditionalists and liberals among the church's 77 million worldwide followers.
Welby went to the same exclusive private school, Eton College, as British Prime Minister David Cameron, London mayor Boris Johnson and Princes William and Harry.
Read more on this story at ITV News
His late father was sent to America in 1929 as a teenager after his grandmother went bust in the financial crash.
"I remember my father telling me she gave him five pounds and put him on a boat," the bishop told the Mail on Sunday earlier this year. "He said he went to New York in 1929 and traded whiskey. When I was studying history, the penny dropped that Prohibition ended in 1933 and he had a lot of friends who had Italian ancestry, so he was bootlegging. He was illegally trading whiskey."
Bishop Welby added: "He went on to become successful in the whiskey business and must have met the Kennedys by moving in the right social circle."
Rowan Williams quits: could Anglican church have its first black spiritual leader?
Welby’s father introduced John F. Kennedy to his first mistress, a 21-year-old Swedish aristocrat, weeks before the future President’s marriage to society beauty Jacqueline Bouvier, the Mail on Sunday said.
I can confirm that @bishopofdurham will be unveiled as the next Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday.
— Jonathan Wynne-Jones (@JonWynneJones) November 7, 2012
Jonathan Wynne-Jones, the Chicago-based British journalist who first broke the story for the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph, told NBC News: "It is an excellent choice. He is a very down-to-earth guy and self-deprecating.
"He is nobody’s fool, but many people felt intimidated by Rowan Williams’ intellect whereas I think Bishop Welby will prove to be an effective communicator."
Welby is widely reported to be against gay marriage but broadly in favor of the ordination of women bishops, two of the most divisive issues in the communion.
The Daily Telegraph said: "At a time when the Church is grappling with the aftermath of the banking crisis, he combines — almost uniquely — an understanding of the working of the City with that of life in the inner city, gleaned as a parish priest and Dean of Liverpool."
The new archbishop will earn about $120,000 a year. He will have lodgings in the Old Palace in Canterbury, southeast England, and the historic riverside Lambeth Palace in London. His tenure will last until retirement at 70 or until he decides to move on.
ITV News is the U.K. partner of NBC News.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Hail to the chief: Americans eyed in search for Britain's top rabbi
- Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins hospitalized after being hit by car
- World leaders welcome Obama's 2nd term - but challenges loom
- Analysis: Payback time? Israelis wonder what Obama win will mean
- China launches once-a-decade changing of the guard
- Analysis: Top 10 foreign policy issues facing Obama
- Embassy ballots give Chinese a glimpse of democracy
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
The rich get richer.
how is he rich
He's rich from his oil executive career before he found Jesus.
being a church leader is lucrative!
who knew they made such nice wages?
oh sure, it's paltry compared to the mega church leaders in america, you know, the REAL christians!
What makes you think he kept any money? And what is so bad about being rich?
The Episcopal Church of the United States is not part of the church of England ,nor is it know here to be . The Episcopal Church is a part of the Anglican Community But this new Archbishop has no say in what the Episcopal church does. In Fact each diocese withing the Episcopal Church is independent, and the presiding Bishop has little real control over them.
And generally priests/bishops are not wealthy, but if they are so what .
For the black community!
Creflo Dollar has ATM machines in his church and encourages his members to clean their bank accounts for the betterment of the church. The Bentleys and Lear jets....Mansions are in the churches name. That is how he gets away with it.
Jesse Jackson has a similar situation with the Rainbow coalition.
this is just another case of rewarding bad behavior.President Kennedy's dad gained his wealth from bootlegging alcohol.One day we will have people in position of power because their Daddy's wealth came from the drug cartels.Money doesn't by happiness but it can buy your way into some pretty powerful financial,political and religious positions.
just a cleaning lady - what bad behavior are you referring to? I realize his father broke the law in "trading whiskey" but where did you find a reference to illegal activity on Bishop Welby's part? I must have missed that in the article.
Yes and unfortunately we found that out when Bush II got elected. No qualifications, no intelligence and smart as a brick wall. Yep, he made into the White House because of_— what did you say? We are still suffering from his daddy's money.
Annie - you realize this guy couldnt have gone to that prestigious school had has daddy not made a good living bootlegging, right?
it's no different than todays comparison of someone who's making a killing selling drugs, sends their kid to a prestigious school and their kid climbs his way through the social circle (and the rich business world) all because of it.
I realize a child should not be punished for their parents sins, but should they be rewarded?
no.
Jesus forgives all sins. Why can't you folks?
Jessica - actually you are saying he should be punished for his parents' sins. You're just taking a circular approach to it.
Hmmm...is there some correlation there..
There are none so Blind as those who cannot see. I'm talking about people who believe in that C--p. Want to pray to something? Pray to a Lamp post at night and you will see the Light.
Bush and Kennedy are names that often come to mind when ex-oilmen and sons of bootleggers are mentioned.
In many ways the Anglican Church has been a forerunner in social justice, recognition of equality among people, rejection of hate and diminishing sterotypes, and that God created people how they are. Hopefully, Bishop Welby will continue the Church's movement into the 21st Century and with God's blessings other faiths will follow.
Good luck to him in his new post.
"the idea that economics is placing more value on psychology is an idea publicized during the beginning of 2011 but has no evidence of practice"
Good luck to Bishop Welby on Jugmentday,theday all rilidgeus people world are banished from the earth plane world wide. ==coyote
So what?
John Kennedy was a bootleggers son.
God created homosexuality. It exists in approximately 10% of all living creatures. Without it there would have been uncontrolled population growth amongst birds and mammals. Without homosexuals, it is questionable whether life could have thrived as it has. Religions offends the Creator by not praising this wonderful achievement. Homosexuality is as much a matter of choice as your gender.
Former oil exec, now leader of Anglican church? So basically he went from exploiting members of one market to exploiting members of an imaginary market.
no, not exploiting...but, well, um, whats the word...capitalizing. yeah thats it.
capitalists make good religious folks, narrow focus on wealth...i mean spiritual wealth, yeah thats it.
Scumbag and scammer, looking to exploit stupid people.
Next up, raping an altar boy. It's coming, just you watch.
Stupid sheep.
I didn't know the Kennedy's had any children living in England. Go Figure. They are All "BOOTLEGGGERS" Sons and daughters. Grand Pappy Kennedy was One.
First of all, can I ask for a little accuracy from the author of this piece The Church of England is not known as The Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America They are seperate churches that are both part of the greater Anglican Communion. How seperate/ Well while the COE debates whether to Allow Women Bishops and gay priests, The Episcopal Church has a Female Presiding Bishop heading the Church, Gay Bishops, and just approved a Gay Marriage/Union Lituragy. We are in Communion with Canturbury but +Cantur has no authority over us.
Also to those who are criticizing the new ABC as a tool of big business, he is actually quite well known in the church as being just the opposite. During and since the financial collapse and the attendant worldwide mess, he has been one of the fiercest and most open critics of the largely unregulated Financial System that created it. I think he is dangerously wrong on the Gay Marriage issue, but he is certainly not some financier in the garb of a bishop.
I could care less if it was ever really put out that was how the So called top family by the Name of Kennedy made their money running Booze during prohibition. Guess that is how friendships are made criminals know criminals and people in Mass keep electing these people to represent them.
We are not at fault for our grandparents' lifestyle. I had a maternal grandfather who bootlegged (if making your own beverage is considered bootlegging) and a great uncle (paternal line) who owned a restaurant/bar who also bootlegged. With the uncle who owned the restaurant/bar, it was an economic decision to save his livelihood when that misguided attempt to legislate morality was passed (although I have to say, I've always had a sneaking admiration for Carrie Nation). None of the family were alcoholics and none became rich. We certainly are not. I occasionally have a glass of wine with dinner.
I was raised Roman Catholic, and I wish the new Archbishop of Canterbury as well as the new Coptic Pope all the luck in the world. May God bless them!
hes off to a sad start. holders bs ,. fast and furious, guns allegedlly sold by the border patrol to gangs, then of course the petraus issue
pretty disgusting and people wonder why 92 million people didnt even bother to vote.
the only part the whole mess that looks good is holder is finally seeing what his actions have done and considering leavging
if theres any racism going on its against white caucasions