The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, has presented her first Lambeth Awards since taking office, with Diocese of Ely resident The Reverend Dr Malcolm Brown being awarded The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England.
The ceremony, which took place in the Great Hall of Lambeth Palace on Friday 11 September, saw 27 people presented with a Lambeth Award, recognising their extraordinary contributions to the Church of England, the Anglican Communion and wider society.
From promoting interfaith relations and reconciliation, to demonstrating a commitment to serving the Anglican Communion, the awards span five different categories: the Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England; the Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion; the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation; the Langton Award for Community Service and the Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship.
Archbishop Sarah said: "The Lambeth Awards are an uplifting testament to the inspiring work being done across the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, by theologians and scholars, and by peacemakers and community advocates beyond the church.
"It is such a privilege to meet some of these individuals who have gone above and beyond in their fields, responding to the call to show compassion to our neighbours in the pursuit of a more just world. Each recipient of an award demonstrates love in action, bringing healing and hope to communities. I thank all of them for their tireless work."
Archbishops of Canterbury have long recognised individuals for outstanding contributions to the Church and society. The current form of the Lambeth Awards was developed in 2016. Recipients of the awards have included Pope Francis, who was presented with the Lambeth Cross for Ecumenism in 2023, and Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who received the Canterbury Cross for service to the Church of England in 2022.
This year's winners include Canon Bev Jullien will be awarded the Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion, recognising her leadership of the worldwide Mothers’ Union for over a decade. Under Canon Bev’s leadership, the Mothers’ Union strengthened its voice and visibility, deepened its global partnerships, and renewed its commitment to supporting women, children, families and communities in some of the most challenging contexts worldwide.
Among 12 winners of the Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England Jason Tailby, recognised for his work in supporting Safe Spaces England and Wales, and Paul Handley, the former editor of the Church Times. Jason has worked as a representative of victims and survivors of church-related abuse, advocating for systemic change, and empowering individuals to share their stories and seek justice. Paul’s editorship of the Church Times covered the tenures of three Archbishops of Canterbury, and under his leadership the newspaper documented a period of great change for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion.
The Reverend Elizabeth Carnelley will be awarded the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation for her work on the Near Neighbours Programme, which encourages social cohesion between community groups and those of different faiths.
There are two posthumous awards being given this year, to Lambeth Palace staff who have both died in service. The late Reverend Dr Richard J Sudworth OBE will be awarded the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation, having served as the Church of England's National Inter-Religious Affairs Adviser, committed to strengthening bonds between faiths. The late Dr Rachel Cosgrave has been awarded the Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship, for her dedication and commitment to religious and church education, supporting scholars and researchers at Lambeth Palace Library for more than twenty years.
Full list of recipients (citations attached, click here)
- The Right Reverend Daniel Deng Abot, The Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion
- Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation.
- The Reverend David Paul Simon Babbington – The Langton Award for Community Service
- The Venerable Stuart Alexander Beake – The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England
- The Reverend Dr Anders Bergquist – The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England
- The Right Honourable The Lord Boateng CVO - The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England
- The Reverend Professor Gerald Bray - The Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship
- The Reverend Dr Malcolm Brown – The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England
- The Reverend Elizabeth Carnelley – The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation
- The late Dr Rachel Cosgrave – The Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship
- Mr Paul Handley - The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England
- Professor Veronica Hope Hailey - The Canterbury Cross for services to the Church of England
- Canon Bev Jullien – The Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion
- Mr Peterson Karanja MA (Leeds, Theology & Development) - The Langton Award for Community Service
- The Reverend Dr. Sheryl A Kujawa-Holbrook, EadD, PhD – The Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship.
- Rt Hon Sir David Lidington KCB CBE – The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England.
- Mr Edward Martineau – The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England.
- Professor Esther Mombo – The Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion.
- The Reverend Dr Daniel O’Connor – the Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship
- The Reverend Canon Ian Parkinson – The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England.
- Thomas Pearson - The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England
- Mr John Rea OBE – The Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion
- Dr Barbara Schwepcke – The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation.
- Canon Dr Peter Sedgwick – The Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship.
- Professor Gillian Stamp MBE MA PhD DPhil– The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England.
- The late Reverend Dr Richard J Sudworth OBE – The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation.
- Jason Tailby – The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England.