[4][5] As archbishop, Welby officiated at a number of notable events, including the state funeral of Elizabeth II, the coronation of Charles III and Camilla, and the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

[20][11] In 2024, Welby released a personal statement revealing that, through his biological father, Anthony Montague Browne, he was the great-great-great-grandson of Sir James Fergusson, 4th Baronet (1765–1838), who owned slaves on his plantation in Jamaica and received compensation from the British Government in 1837 following the abolition of slavery.

Iris and Rab's father (Welby's maternal great-grandfather) was Sir Montagu Butler, Governor of the Central Provinces of British India and Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Throughout his ministry Welby has been linked to the charismatic evangelical wing of the Church of England associated with Holy Trinity Brompton, and in a 2019 interview said "In my own prayer life, and as part of my daily discipline, I pray in tongues every day.

"[32][33] From 1989 to 1992, Welby studied theology and trained for the priesthood at Cranmer Hall and St John's College, Durham, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and a Diploma in Ministry (DipMin) in 1992.

He officiated at a number of notable events, such as the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018, the funeral of Elizabeth II in 2022 and the coronation of Charles III and Camilla in 2023.

[72] In February 2017, Welby apologised unreservedly after allegations that barrister and evangelical Christian John Smyth beat boys in the late 1970s, mainly pupils at Winchester College, until their wounds bled and left permanent scars.

[75] From 1978 to 1981, Smyth allegedly carried out a series of brutal beatings on boys and undergraduates, recorded in a report written by Iwerne officer Canon Mark Ruston in February 1982 but not passed on to the police until 2013.

[89] Canon Jeremy Haselock, a former chaplain to Queen Elizabeth, publicly called for Welby's resignation after it was claimed he pushed Vennells' application to become the Bishop of London, the Church's third most senior role.

[94][95][96] In February 2018, Welby expressed fears that Brexit was dividing UK society and the United Kingdom government austerity programme was harming vulnerable people.

Welby cited a Church of England investigation showing social services referred 35% of Durham residents who used food banks when benefits they were entitled to had not been paid.

He called the plight of hungry poor people shocking because he did not expect that in the UK,[107] saying that it was "a very sad fact that they're there, but also it's a great opportunity for the Church to demonstrate the love of Christ.

[109][110]In the run-up to the 2017 United Kingdom general election, Justin Welby and Archbishop of York John Sentamu campaigned on the need to address poverty, education, housing and health.

Welby pledged that the Church of England would support credit unions as society needs to "provide an alternative" to the "very, very costly forms of finance" that payday lending services represent.

[112] Payday lenders lead to people being assured, through impressively slick marketing campaigns and targeted advertisements, that the process of taking out a loan is quick, simple and safe.

[100] Welby's growing political influence led to him being named by the New Statesman as the UK's twenty-seventh most powerful left-wing figure, citing his campaigning for refugee rights, condemnation of austerity, and advocacy against the gig economy.

[116] In July 2014, Welby acknowledged that there was a problem with Muslim youths travelling to the Syrian Civil War and elsewhere to wage jihad but the numbers were "extraordinarily small", and so he dismissed concerns over the potential for trouble as "hysterical...

[121] He joined with Pope Francis and leaders of other faiths, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim, in a joint declaration they would work together aiming to end modern slavery by 2020.

[122] On 2 August 2024, Welby issued a statement in support for the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 by declaring "Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is unlawful and needs to end as rapidly as possible".

Welby noted that Christians and other minorities face persecution for their faith in many areas worldwide; he cited Syria, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic among others.

"[128][125][129] In a speech at Easter 2013 Welby said, "In this country, even as the economy improves there is weeping in broken families, in people ashamed to seek help from food banks, or frightened by debt.

Welby felt that speaking out about poverty, fuel bills, financial insecurity affecting families and credit unions is part of the Christian duty to love one's neighbour.

We cannot withdraw from our long and proud history of helping the most vulnerable.In March 2013, Welby stated that "My understanding of sexual ethics has been that, regardless of whether it's gay or straight, sex outside marriage is wrong.

In an interview with Alastair Campbell in October 2017,[146] he was asked if same-sex activity was sinful and declined to give a clear answer, saying: "I don't do blanket condemnation of people."

In 2023, Welby announced that he supports a proposal by the House of Bishops that maintains that marriage is between one man and a woman but which would also authorise "prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and for God's blessing for same-sex couples".

[147] Speaking of his support for the proposal, Welby said he was "extremely, joyfully celebratory of these new resources" while he also clarified that he will not perform the blessings because of his role as an "instrument of unity" for the Anglican Communion.

[151] On 15 November 2023, Welby abstained in the General Synod vote to introduce "standalone services for same-sex couples" on a trial basis saying that his abstention was due to his role as a symbol of unity in the whole Anglican Communion;[152] the motion passed.

Welby said in September 2018 that the weakest people got the least secure pensions and the strongest got the most secure pensions, stating: In these areas, and in employment rights, and in many others, we see that where inequality and profound injustice seem entrenched, insurmountable, it leads to instability in our society: divisions between peoples and vulnerability to the populism that stirs hatred between different ethnicities and religious groups, the rise of ancient demons of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and xenophobia.

[162] In February 2014, Welby called on Anglicans to avoid fear, prejudice and suspicion and to grasp "cultural change in the life of the church": We have agreed that we will ordain women as Bishops.

Welby says he hopes to avoid a zero-sum game where people feel gain for one side inevitably means loss for the other, he sees need for caution, co-operation and unity.