Bishop «Guli Dehqani» One Step Away from Succeeding «Justin Welby»

Bishop «Guli Francis Dehqani» of Iranian descent is one step away from succeeding «Justin Welby», the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Guli Francis Dehqani, the Iranian-born Bishop of Chelmsford, is one of the leading candidates to succeed Justin Welby in leading the Church of England. Her selection as Archbishop of Canterbury would make her the first woman in the 1,428-year history of this position to reach this rank.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the highest spiritual position in this institution, and over the past 1,500 years of the Church of England’s history, no woman has reached this position. Now, following Justin Welby’s resignation in January of this year, Guli Dehqani, the Iranian-born Bishop of Chelmsford, has emerged as a prominent candidate for this position. Her selection as Archbishop of Canterbury would not only break historical records but would also represent very profound changes in Britain’s religious and social structure.

Guli Francis has served as a priest in the Diocese of Peterborough since 2011 and was appointed in 2017 by Queen Elizabeth II as the first Bishop of Loughborough, an appointment that was a very important step in increasing ethnic diversity in the Church of England.

In 2021, in addition to reaching the position of Bishop of Chelmsford, the second largest diocese of the Anglican Church, she also took on the title of Bishop for Housing in the Church of England, membership in the British House of Lords, and the presidency of the Church’s Army Board. She is also an advocate for redefining the role of the Church in modern society, having presented programs aimed at connecting the Church with new generations and local communities.

Bishop Guli Dehqani is also a critic of British immigration policies. Her criticism of statements made by «Keir Starmer», Britain’s Prime Minister, has been quite explicit. In response to Starmer’s remarks that Britain had become an island of foreigners, she said: «Migrants are not strangers, but friends who participate in worship, service, and communal life.»

Guli Dehqani, who entered Britain as a refugee, has unique perspectives on social and religious issues due to her background. She has repeatedly criticized the suppression of Christians in Iran by the Revolutionary Guards in the British House of Lords and called for support for refugees, especially Christian citizens. She also condemned recent executions by the Islamic Republic and urged the British government to support Iranians residing in Britain.

Following Justin Welby’s resignation because he failed to report sexual abuse cases in the Church, Francis Dehqani was selected as one of the main successors for the position of Archbishop of Canterbury from among five other women. «Ladbrokes» and «Star Sports», which are betting agencies, have also stated that Guli Dehqani is the leading candidate.

The ceremony for selecting the Archbishop of Canterbury will be held in the autumn of this year (2025), and the selection of Archbishop Dehqani could have global implications. Her selection as an Iranian-born woman could also inspire minorities and women around the world.

The process of selecting the Archbishop of Canterbury involves the Royal Appointment Commission proposing two candidates to the Prime Minister, who, after consulting with Church authorities, presents the final name for approval to King Charles III, and this process will be completed in autumn 2025.

«William Kadjani», a political betting analyst, commented on her: «The Church of England has changed, and Guli is a respected figure who has rapidly advanced through the Church’s ranks.»

People around the world, particularly Iranians everywhere, are awaiting the appointed day to see whether Guli Dehqani, the woman who has come from Isfahan to the Church of England, will be selected for this position and rewrite history.