In this episode, Nicky sits down for a conversation with the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and his wife Caroline and discusses bible smuggling as newlyweds, friendship with Pope Francis, and holding on to the grace of God.
In this episode, Nicky sits down for a conversation with the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and his wife Caroline.
The conversation begins with casual dialogue between these evident, life-long friends. Nicky reflects on how he’s known both Caroline and Justin longer than they’ve known each other – for more than 40 years. This brings the now Archbishop and his wife to memory lane, reminiscing about how they met, their peculiar first date and how they ultimately came to faith in Jesus. After Justin and Caroline share how their stories intertwined, with Nicky’s prompting, the two of them share about smuggling Bibles into totalitarian contexts as newlyweds and Justin’s ministry in Nigeria under the threat of the militia.
After the discussion continues on to Justin’s in-disguise hospital visits and his favourite moment with Pope Francis, the three of them conclude their time together with Caroline sharing about an important initiative she recently started called Women on the Frontline. Caroline, like her predecessors, has noticed that the average Bishop wife feels burdened by their position of leadership. In many parts of the Anglican Communion, as men move from being pastor to Bishop and even to Archbishop, the wives go from mothering their own children to becoming a leadership figure for all the women in their diocese or province. Women on the Frontline was started in order to provide training and community for women in these unique positions of influence.
We hope you enjoy being a fly on a wall for this conversation between longtime friends Archbishop Justin Welby, Caroline Welby and Nicky Gumbel.
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Show Notes
“Hiding Place” by Corrie ten Boom
“Faith Formation in a Secular Age” by Andrew Root
