The most senior leader of the Anglican Church will visit flood-affected communities on the New South Wales North Coast as part of a visit to Australia next month.
Key points:
- Justin Welby is the ceremonial leader of the Church of England and delivered the sermon at the Queen’s funeral
- He will meet with those who have been providing support to flood victims in northern NSW
- He will be the first Archbishop to visit the Diocese of Grafton in its 108-year history
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will arrive in Perth on October 4, accompanied by his wife Caroline.
The two-week trip includes visits to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and the Torres Strait Islands.
The Anglican Primate of Australia, Archbishop Geoff Smith, says Reverend Wellby has prioritised visiting cities, like Lismore, that have been devastated by natural disasters.
“He’s very interested in situations where people are doing it tough,” Reverend Smith said.
“He is going to be meeting people in the Lismore community affected by flooding and people from Anglicare North Coast who have been providing support to flood victims.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury will deliver an address at Emmanuel Anglican College, Ballina and also meet with representatives from the Catholic Parish in Lismore who have been providing flood recovery support.
His visit to the Diocese of Grafton will be the first in its 108 year history.
“It doesn’t happen very often,” Reverend Smith said.
Justin Welby is the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury and has held the position since 2013.
His position makes him the senior Bishop of the Anglican Communion with dioceses and churches throughout most of the world.
