BISHOP Christopher today paid tribute to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has announced he will step down from the role.

Dr Rowan Williams speaks in Portsmouth Cathedral

Our bishop said it was rare for our Church and nation to be served by a person of the stature of Dr Rowan Williams.

The Most Rev Dr Williams announced this morning his acceptance of the position of Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge with effect from January 2013. He will therefore be stepping down from the office of Archbishop of Canterbury at the end of December 2012. Dr Williams’ intentions have been conveyed to The Queen, who is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and who formally appoints the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bishop Christopher said: “Archbishop Rowan's ministry has been marked by grace, humility and wisdom. He is both delightful company and attractively holy. Rarely has our Church and nation - along with the Anglican Communion worldwide - been served by a person of such stature.

“He has worked tirelessly in a gruelling job and he will be long and warmly remembered for his gentle insistence, at the cost of some personal criticism, that the Christian gospel proclaims unity, justice and truth. They are Jesus' priorities and the Archbishop has lived them for us all.”

Dr Williams was appointed the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury in 2002. He said today: “It has been an immense privilege to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury over the past decade, and moving on has not been an easy decision. 

“During the time remaining there is much to do, and I ask your prayers and support in this period and beyond.  I am abidingly grateful to all those friends and colleagues who have so generously supported Jane and myself in these years, and all the many diverse parishes and communities in the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion that have brought vision, hope and excitement to my own ministry.  I look forward, with that same support and inspiration, to continuing to serve the Church’s mission and witness as best I can in the years ahead.”

Dr Williams will continue to carry out all the duties and responsibilities of the Archbishop of Canterbury, both for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, until the end of the year.

The Crown Nominations Commission will consider in due course the selection of a successor.