Thinking Anglicans

Archbishop of Canterbury appoints new Chief of Staff and Strategy

From the Archbishop’s website:

Archbishop of Canterbury appoints new Chief of Staff and Strategy

Wednesday 9th March 2016

Canon David Porter will take up the new role at Lambeth Palace in early May.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is delighted to announce the appointment of Canon David Porter as Chief of Staff and Strategy at Lambeth Palace. He takes over from Kay Brock, who retires this month after four years at Lambeth Palace.

David is currently in the Lambeth Palace leadership group working as the Archbishops’ Director for Reconciliation. He will start in his new role in early May.

David, originally from Belfast, comes with experience in several Christian organisations at senior staff, CEO and board level. He has long experience in public affairs and was a member of the Northern Ireland Civic Forum and Community Relations Council. Prior to joining the Lambeth Palace team in 2013 he was the Canon Director for Reconciliation Ministry at Coventry Cathedral.

Speaking about the appointment, Archbishop Justin Welby said:

“This is an exciting appointment that draws together David’s recent experience leading one of my priorities and his extensive background in developing strategic and effective organisations to serve Christ and the church.

“David will lead on strategy development and implementation, as well as public affairs, working closely with senior colleagues. Along with the Bishop at Lambeth, the Rt Rev Nigel Stock, he will be responsible for enabling the entire team at Lambeth Palace to work effectively together, with colleagues at Church House, Bishopthorpe, the Anglican Communion Office and across the wider church.”

Speaking about his new role, David Porter said:

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Archbishop Justin and colleagues at Lambeth over the last three years in what has been an immensely fulfilling role. It is an unexpected privilege to be given this new responsibility within the team at Lambeth Palace. The next few years will be exciting and challenging for the church, and all those who work at Lambeth are deeply committed to supporting the Archbishop in his ministry. I look forward to enabling them to flourish in this task.”

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Kate
Kate
8 years ago

Canon David has further bio on his own https://canondavid.wordpress.com/about/background/

robert ian williams
robert ian williams
8 years ago

Another “safe” evangelical pair of hands….

Father Ron Smith
8 years ago

Promotion of a former colleague at Coventry Cathedral ?

Anthony Archer
Anthony Archer
8 years ago

Canon David Porter was appointed Director of the International Centre (ICR) for Reconciliation and Canon Residentiary at Coventry Cathedral in 2008, and was then seconded to Lambeth in 2013. ++Welby was Canon Residentiary and Co-Director of the ICR until 2005, when he became Sub-Dean, leaving to become Dean of Liverpool in 2007. It is not correct therefore to describe him as a ‘former colleague’ in the sense of they having worked together at Coventry.

Robin Ward
Robin Ward
8 years ago

Has Canon Porter become an Anglican yet? It is a bit difficult to tell from this announcement, and I think the Archbishop’s chief of strategy probably should be.

Fr John E Harris-White
Fr John E Harris-White
8 years ago

God forbid, but it very much looks like the Church of England is to be run by conflict managers, of a strong evangelical bent. Those of us living in Scotland have already experienced ABC cross border interventions.
Now ABC wants to control the York province. Nightmare scenario of Porter being fast tracked to fill Ebors place.

I remember in the dark days of the war, the King calling for a day of prayer for the nation. We need more than a day of prayer for our beloved Anglican church

Lorenzo
Lorenzo
8 years ago

“Porter, formerly a peace-building practitioner in Northern Ireland, is a layperson and a Baptist who called himself a “strongly convinced Anabaptist, who would be a Mennonite if I lived in America.”

Come on!

Tim Chesterton
8 years ago

Since David Porter is an Anabaptist layman, not an Anglican priest, the ‘nightmare scenario’ of him being ‘fast-tracked to take Ebor’s place’ is unlikely to come true…

Kate
Kate
8 years ago

I think it is the title of canon which confuses.

The appointment of a Christian from outside the Church of England to such a senior role is very positive.

David Runcorn
8 years ago

‘it very much looks like the Church of England is to be run by conflict managers, of a strong evangelical bent’. To some that makes a great deal of sense given, for example, the content of TA threads – and given where some of the major fault lines within the Anglican tradition presently lie.

RPNewark
RPNewark
8 years ago

“Porter, formerly a peace-building practitioner in Northern Ireland, is a layperson and a Baptist who called himself a “strongly convinced Anabaptist, who would be a Mennonite if I lived in America.”

Will someone please give the source for this quote.

Fr John E. Harris-White
Fr John E. Harris-White
8 years ago

Thank you for giving me the details on Porter. I thought when writing my comment he was Baptist, but found it hard to believe he was given this new important position. Surely we have good Anglican folk who can take the position!

Fr John

Tim Chesterton
8 years ago

Anabaptist, not Baptist. There’s a difference.

Erika Baker
Erika Baker
8 years ago

RP Newark,
is this the kind of thing you’re looking for?
https://canondavid.wordpress.com/author/dwp512/

Father Ron Smith
8 years ago

“I think it is the title of canon which confuses.
The appointment of a Christian from outside the Church of England to such a senior role is very positive.” – Kate –

Kate, there is such a thing as a Lay Canon in the Anglican set-up – usually awarded to outstanding Anglican Lay-persons. However, to give such a title to a non-Anglican is surely a problem, not easy to understand – except, perhaps, by the current leadership in the Church of England.

One might question how much Anabaptist cod-theology will be involved in the execution of this new Anglican ministry.

Tim Chesterton
8 years ago

‘Anabaptist cod-theology’

Ron, that’s a new one on me.

Just as a matter of interest, have you actually read any Anabaptist theology? Thomas Finger? John Howard Yoder? James Reimer? Denny Weaver? Harold S. Bender? Howard Snyder? Stuart Murray Williams?

If ‘cod-theology’ is a statement of disdain (as I suspect), then I’d like to know how much of it you’ve actually read before you come to that viewpoint.

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