Bishop of Bangor Andy John elected as new Archbishop of Wales

Bishop Andy John has served as the Bishop of Bangor for 13 years. Credit: The Church in Wales

The Bishop of Bangor has been elected as the new Archbishop of Wales, following a vote in Llandrindod Wells.

Archbishop Andy John, from Aberystwyth, has served as the Bishop of Bangor for the last 13 years.

He succeeds Bishop John Davies, who retired in May after four years as the leader of the Church in Wales.

Archbishop Andy secured a two-thirds majority vote from members of the Electoral College on the first day of its meeting at the Holy Trinity Church.

The decision could have taken up to three days, but was made within a day.

The election was immediately confirmed by the five other diocesan bishops and announced by the Provincial Secretary of the Church in Wales.

Archbishop Andy succeeds Bishop John Davies, who retired in May. Credit: Church in Wales

Archbishop Andy will be enthroned at St. Deiniol's Cathedral, Bangor, and will continue to serve as the Bishop of Bangor.

He said: "As we look forward to the future, I'm very conscious that we're not yet out of those restrictions that have inhibited our lives for so long.

"We face many challenges, but we do so not alone - we do so with God's grace and with one another, because together we are so much stronger, so much better, and I'm confident that the Church in Wales will be able to respond with energy, with vision and with vigour to all the challenges which lie ahead of us.

"It's my enormous privilege to serve that Church to that end."

The Archdeacon of Meirionnydd, Andrew Jones, welcomed the news: "On behalf of the Diocese of Bangor, I want to congratulate Bishop Andy on his election as the next Archbishop of Wales.

"His leadership in the Diocese of Bangor since 2009 has been excellent and very much appreciated. He has steered the diocese through uncharted times and has done it with care, compassion and clarity.

"This is a great privilege for us as a Diocese and he becomes the third Bishop of Bangor to be the Archbishop of Wales in the last century - GO Williams in the late seventies/eighties and Charles Green in the thirties.

"Both left a significant mark on the history of our Church and I am certain that Bishop Andy will equally be an outstanding Archbishop, who will lead our Church strategically, diligently and pastorally.

"As a Diocese we pray for Bishop Andy and his family and that he will be blessed in this new ministry and leadership."