Woman Poised To Lead Church Of England For First Time
Guli Francis-Dehqani, currently the bishop of Chelmsford, is emerging as a leading candidate to become the next archbishop of Canterbury, potentially making her the first woman to hold the Church of England’s top role. Her name has gained attention as British betting firms have identified her as a front-runner to succeed Justin Welby, who stepped down in January. This shift comes nearly a decade after the Church changed its laws to allow women to be appointed as bishops, with recent data showing women now represent around 30% of the Church’s bishops.
The formal process for selecting the new archbishop is being led by the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission, which will hold several meetings throughout the year. The commission, chaired by Lord Evans of Weardale, a former intelligence chief, will nominate a candidate through a secret ballot that requires a two-thirds majority. A decision is expected by autumn, and the chosen nominee will follow Welby, who resigned amid criticism of the Church’s handling of past abuse cases.
Francis-Dehqani’s personal journey is marked by resilience. Born in Iran, her family fled the country after the 1979 revolution, following a series of traumatic events including the assassination of her brother and assassination attempts on both of her parents. Her father, an Anglican bishop in Iran, continued his ministry in exile in the United Kingdom. Francis-Dehqani pursued her education in the U.K., was ordained in 1999, and became the bishop of Loughborough before taking her current post in Chelmsford.
In addition to her clerical leadership, she has spoken out on social and political issues, particularly immigration. Recently, she pushed back against political rhetoric portraying migrants as outsiders, instead emphasizing their positive contributions and the need to treat them with dignity and compassion. Her advocacy on this issue has further raised her profile within and beyond the Church.
Although she is considered the favorite, betting firms note that frontrunners in past archbishop selections have not always been chosen. Historical examples include unexpected appointments that defied early predictions. Nonetheless, Francis-Dehqani’s combination of leadership experience, personal story, and public engagement makes her a compelling and widely watched candidate for this historic appointment.