Archbishop of Wales quits as Church leaders lose faith in his leadership

Martin Shipton

The Archbishop of Wales, Andy John, has resigned after members of a leading Church in Wales body said they had lost confidence in his leadership.

It has emerged that a meeting of the Church’s Representative Body on Tuesday June 24 passed a resolution that put pressure on him to quit.

He agreed to go and an announcement was made on Friday evening, June 27.

Mr John has faced months of increasingly intense criticism and this morning Nation.Cymru revealed that the Charity Commission had opened an inquiry into two Church in Wales charities in his home diocese of Bangor, where he is also the Bishop.

Inappropriate sexual behaviour

In May 2025, independent investigators reported incidents of inappropriate sexual behaviour and other serious safeguarding concerns that left people feeling unsafe.

The cathedral had been led by its Sub Dean Sion Rhys Evans, whose appointment by the Archbishop had been controversial and who eventually left his post under a cloud after 10 months gardening amid concerns about alleged financial irregularities and other matters.

Earlier this week Archbishop John issued a personal statement in which he said: “[This] is an appropriate time for me to address the whole Church in Wales family regarding what they may have heard, and what has taken place, regarding the situation at Bangor Cathedral and Diocese.

“Firstly, I wish to apologise for errors of judgement I have made that have caused anxiety and hurt. My apology to you all is heartfelt, unreserved, and unequivocal.

“In the autumn of last year, I commissioned two independent reports into Bangor Cathedral. Abridged versions of both are now publicly available on our websites and reveal shortcomings and poor organisational practice which should not have occurred. I deeply regret that they happened under my episcopate and I recognize I ought to have done more to ensure such failings did not occur. I also take full responsibility that I did not address these matters quickly enough. I recognize our witness to Jesus Christ and our mission to Wales has been damaged and I repent and offer no excuses nor justifications. I am committed to an ongoing process of reflection to ensure these unacceptable events do not happen again.

“I am grateful that the Church in Wales is seeking to assist both the cathedral and diocese in re-establishing proper governance arrangements and am also grateful to my episcopal colleagues for their challenge, their love and their support.”

Regulatory compliance case

The Charity Commission told Nation.Cymru: “We have opened a regulatory compliance case to assess a number of concerns that have been raised related to Bangor Cathedral and Diocese, including matters reported directly to us by the charities. We are actively examining these matters with the charities’ trustees to determine our next steps.

The spokesperson added: “While our policy is not to confirm the detailed contents of serious incident reports or complaints from others, the issues being explored by the Commission relate to safeguarding concerns, sufficiency of financial controls, and management of conflicts of interest at the charity/ies.

“We have opened regulatory compliance cases into [charity number] 234156 – Bangor Diocesan Trust, and 1158340 – The Dean and Chapter of Bangor Cathedral.”

Statement

On Friday evening Mr John issued a statement that said: “Dear Friends,  I am writing to you to announce my immediate retirement today as Archbishop of Wales. I also intend to retire as Bishop of Bangor on August 31.

“It has been an enormous joy to serve in the Church in Wales for over 35 years. I cannot thank you enough for the privilege of working at your side for the sake of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

“I would very much like to thank the clergy and congregations of this wonderful diocese before I retire and I will be in touch again about the way in which this might happen.

“Thank you, and Christ give you joy and peace in believing.”

The Bishop of St Asaph, Gregory Cameron, Senior Bishop of the Church in Wales, said on behalf of the Bench of Bishops: “As Archbishop Andrew announces his retirement today as Archbishop of Wales and his forthcoming retirement as Bishop of Bangor, the Bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales wish to express our heartfelt thanks for his service to the Church during his ministry.

“Andy has dedicated 36 years of his life to ordained ministry in the Church in Wales, and has served with commitment and energy to proclaim the Christian Gospel and draw people to deeper faith in Jesus Christ. He has given so much for the good of the Church in Wales. He now lays down his considerable responsibilities in the same spirit in which he has served for these decades.

“We offer most sincere thanks, and our commitment to hold him and his family in prayer at this time and in the days ahead.”

Professor Medwin Hughes, Chair of the Representative Body of the Church in Wales, said: “As Archbishop Andrew retires from his duties, I wish to thank him on behalf of The Representative Body of the Church in Wales for his hard work, commitment and vision during his time as Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor.

“The Archbishop has led the Church through a time of immense change and challenge. Throughout his time in post, has shown his deeply felt concern for the welfare, not just of the Church itself, but of our society and the world as a whole.

“I know that everyone who has worked with the Archbishop during his ministry will have been touched by his pastoral care and his profound dedication to improving the life of the Church in Wales and of the wider community.

“As he now passes that work to other hands, I want to place on record my sincere gratitude for all he has achieved, together with my admiration for the integrity of his ministry to the people of Wales. All members of the Representative Body will continue to hold the Archbishop and his family in our prayers.”