Iranian-born bishop among top candidates for Church of England leadership

British sources reported a high probability of electing an Iranian-born bishop who is among the top candidates for leadership of the Church of England.

The name of “Goli Francis Dehghani”, the Bishop of Chelmsford, has recently been put on the shortlist of possible successors to “Justin Welby”, the current leader of the Church of England. For an institution that has been led for centuries by mainly British and born figures, the emergence of a female refugee of Iranian origin is a rare milestone. But can Gulli Francis Dehghani, an Iranian refugee, change the face of the Church of England?

As a teenager, Francis Dehghani faced the murder of his brother and the assassination of his parents, events that forced his family to leave Iran. His father’s reaction, forgiving his killers at his son’s funeral, left a rare image of forgiveness in the collective memory of the global Christian community. This background has not only shaped his personal identity, but also strengthened his positions towards immigrants and religious minorities.

The Church of England has faced a decline in social influence and a crisis of public trust in recent years. Francis Dehghani has made it clear that the church needs to be less involved in internal structures and more involved in the lives of the disadvantaged, the victims of poverty and the marginalised. This approach could send a clear message to critics of the church that it needs to shift priorities from institutional centrality to the vulnerable margins of society.

Goli Dehghani was summoned to the House of Commons last year over the controversy surrounding the baptism of a group of refugees and faced tough questions from MPs. His performance in the hearing showed that he has the ability to handle political pressure, a skill that is vital for the leadership of the British national church, especially at a time when immigration has become a hot topic of political debate, analysts said.

The choice of an Iranian refugee as leader of the Church of England would not only send a symbolic message of defending religious freedom and supporting refugees, but could also affect the church's relations with pressured Christian communities in the Middle East. However, such a choice is also likely to provoke opposition among the church's more conservative factions and politicians critical of immigration.

Francis Dehghani has repeatedly stated that true faith does not come without a cost. His experience of living in a country where conversion can be punishable by prison or death has given him a tangible understanding of this concept. If he were to rise to church leadership, this perspective could fundamentally change the church’s policies and priorities on religious freedom.

Although a final decision has not yet been made, the presence of Guli Francis Dehghani among the main candidates suggests that the Church of England may be ready to welcome leaders from diverse backgrounds. Her election could be seen not only as a turning point in the history of the religious institution, but also as a test of the sincerity of its slogans of defending justice, acceptance and support for the marginalized.