Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby turns Big Issue vendor
It’s the Bish Issue! Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby turns Big Issue vendor and sells five magazines in aid of the homeless
- The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby turned Big Issue seller On Sunday
- He joined a vendor to publicise Church of England efforts to cut homelessness
- The Most Reverend Justin Welby sold five copies at Round Church in Cambridge
The Archbishop of Canterbury turned Big Issue seller yesterday to publicise Church of England efforts to cut homelessness.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby joined a vendor in Cambridge, declaring ‘homelessness is an issue that matters profoundly to God’.
He said: ‘Tackling poverty together is the essential work of a society where every person is truly valued.’
He sold five copies.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby (pictured) joined a Big Issue vendor in Cambridge on Sunday, declaring ‘homelessness is an issue that matters profoundly to God’
The Archbishop of Canterbury (pictured selling copies) sold five copies as he turned seller to publicise Church of England efforts to cut homelessness
The Archbishop’s street seller moment follows the Church of England’s adoption of a housing programme in which it has undertaken to sell off some of its own land for affordable homes.
Archbishop Welby is a long-time supporter of the Big Issue, and gave it an interview just before the 2019 general election in which he criticised attitudes to minorities and the homeless under Tory-led governments.
He said yesterday: ‘The Big Issue changes lives and changes society. Each time you stop for a chat with a vendor and buy a copy of the magazine, you are part of that change.
‘I’m hugely grateful to have had the chance to go on a shift with Lee and get a glimpse of what it’s like selling The Big Issue.’
Archbishop Welby added: ‘When we look at the life and ministry of Jesus – who famously said he had no place to lay his head – it’s clear that homelessness is an issue that matters profoundly to God, and that tackling poverty together is the essential work of a society where every person is truly valued.’
The Archbishop’s (pictured) street seller moment follows the Church of England’s adoption of a housing programme in which it will sell off some of its own land for affordable homes
Archbishop Welby, who is pictured with local vendor Lee Welham outside the Round Church in Cambridge, is a long-time supporter of the Big Issue
Mr Welham said: ‘It was brilliant to show the archbishop that everyone does treat the vendors well around here. I’ve built a lovely community.
‘Each and every one of these people here comes and says hello to me every morning.’
But Archbishop Welby’s appearance on the magazine vendor’s pitch during a six-week period of study leave in Cambridge drew criticism from some churchgoers.
Vicar’s daughter Kathy Gyngell, co-editor of The Conservative Woman website, said: ‘It’s the most outrageous example of an establishment figure pretending to slum it in 15 years, since a Lord Chief Justice put on blue overalls, picked up a shovel and had himself pictured with a convict work gang in an unsuccessful attempt to show how tough community punishments were.
‘I am surprised he didn’t just step outside Church House in Westminster to observe street sleeping at its toughest, rather than stage this stunt in a lovely university city.
‘He didn’t do much to help the homeless and the vulnerable when he shut the doors of all the churches during lockdown.’
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