Ten Reasons Justin Welby SHOULD Have Resigned... But Didn't
An Open Letter to Lambeth Palace
Dear Lambeth Palace,
The following letter has been written by a coalition of evangelicals from Anglican, ex-Anglican, Baptist, Catholic and Free Church traditions with the purpose of setting the record straight on Archbishop Welby’s resignation and encouraging a greater commitment to Biblical principles in the selection of the Church of England's next leader.
Archbishop Justin Welby resigned on 12th November 2024 following pressure from liberal Christians and left-leaning media over heinous crimes committed in the 1980s by John Smyth.
It has been said that we dishonour the victims if we use this moment to speak of anything other than the victims. Yet, are Smyth's victims the only victims of Welby’s leadership? What about the far greater multitude who were denied the truth and in some cases damned to hell through Welby’s refusal to uphold biblical truth, promote righteousness, and speak against wickedness? If we care about the victims of abuse, what about the many more victims being treated even more violently, in every UK legal abortion procedure. Smyth’s victims deserve justice but matters of safeguarding and governance, as important as they are, are not the key failures for which Welby will be remembered or one day, have to give an account for (Romans 14:12).
Here are 9 even greater failures in leadership that Welby should have resigned over and must repent of:
1. The Silence on Abortion
Where was Welby in the face of the industrial-scale killing of 2.2 million unborn children during his eleven years in office? Babies were dying, women were crying, yet Welby was nowhere to be seen.
2. Censorship Zones Outside Abortion Clinics
Where was Welby when censorship zones were introduced, explicitly banning prayer outside abortion clinics where lives made in God’s image were being mercilessly ended? Why did he come out in support of these zones?
3. Silence on behalf of the Persecuted Church
Where was Welby in response to the 8000 Christians massacred in Nigeria in 2023 (an estimated 52,000 since 2009). As one source states: "more believers are killed for their faith in Nigeria each year, than everywhere else in the world combined". Platitudes are not enough! Why hasn't the Church of England publicised this more?
4. Protection of Children from LGBTQI+ Ideology
Where was Welby when third-sector organisations began misleading and sexualizing children in schools through LGBTQI+ propaganda, which led some to irreversibly harm their own bodies? Why was it left to secular academics like Kathleen Stock and Anna Loutfi or right wing activists like Laurence Fox and Anglican priest Calvin Robinson to lead the fight against these child abuses?
5. Orthodox Christian Beliefs on Sex and Gender
Where was Welby in affirming Genesis 1:27 in the face of clear assaults against creation principles? Where was Welby in defending Rev. Dr. Bernard Randall and Kirsty Higgs for trying to uphold orthodox Christian teaching in Church of England school contexts?
6. Radical Islam and Unchecked Migration
Where was Welby in response to the rise of Radical Islam, fake baptism and the illegal migration of tens of thousands of Muslim men who hold no desire to preserve the West, its faith, or its church?
7. The 39 Articles and Church Doctrine
Where was Welby regarding the implementation and preservation of the 39 Articles, including the sufficiency of Scripture (Article 6), the doctrine of sin (Article 9), and the admonition against unworthy ministers serving outside Jesus’ authority and in sexual sin (Article 26)?
8. Environmentalism and Gaia Worship
Where was Welby when cathedrals, caught up in the green agenda, engaged in practices resembling Gaia worship?
9. Endorsement of the Living in Love and Faith Project
Where was Welby when given the chance to lay forth God’s clear, compassionate, and perfect word in regard to sexuality and marriage as laid out in Genesis 1:27, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:1, Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 5:5, and Revelation 2:20-22? Why did he pursue the introverted, rigged, and misleading “Living in Love and Faith” project, which clearly contravened scriptural submission from the start?
10. Missed Opportunities to Proclaim the Gospel
Where was Welby’s fearless proclamation of the gospel at key moments, such as the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the coronation of Charles III, and numerous other state events?
In Conclusion
Welby and the church leadership he represents have defied God’s word, tolerated sexual immorality, and distorted the grace of Christ. His resignation does not “point us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us” because the Jesus he represents is plastic, hollow, unjust and powerless to save. Welby’s leadership has been, as described in Jude 1:12-19, “a hidden reef, a waterless cloud, a fruitless tree in late autumn, twice dead and uprooted.” He has brought God’s name into disrepute and ushered a generation into Hell. If he does not genuinely repent, “utter darkness is reserved for him”.
To this end, we must pray for him, his wife, and his children. We also wish to take this opportunity to urge the Church of England to never again leave the nation asking, Where’s Welby? But instead to institute a leader of character who clearly and unequivocally proclaims the Lordship of Christ in all areas of life and society so each of us is left only to say “There’s Christ! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, worthy of our glory, honour, power and submission”
Yours sincerely,
Christian Hacking, Tim Boulton, Richard Jefferiss-Jones, David Cashmore, Barbara Sampson, Vanessa Jefferiss-Jones, Nick Kotsiopoulos, Joy Wilson, John Tan, James Mroczynski, John Abrahams, Oli Griffiss
This Open Letter was originally published here: https://whereswelby.com/open-letter
Please Note: Fudge from whereswelby.com is only available for purchase in the UK.
