Skydiving Bishop who was regularly kidnapped - our Justin’s rise to the 
top has been eventful

“I don’t know what he was referring to when he said he made mistakes while at Southam, but everyone makes mistakes. He increased the congregation considerably.

“During his time at St James’, he did a parachute jump to raise funds for the church. I remember that, because he has a wife and five children, I advised him not to do it, but he always knew what he wanted to do and carried it through.”

Mr Clark thinks of Bishop Welby as having brought “modernisation” to St James’, with more modern music and services but, he said, “without upsetting people or driving them away. He did it because he had a vision in mind and people saw that so they went along with him.”

Describing Bishop Welby as being “well liked”, Mr Clark said: “When I went to his installation as Bishop of Durham last year, there was a whole section of the cathedral full of people from Southam who had travelled 200 miles to be there.

“He also invited all of these people, along with others who had travelled from Liverpool and other areas, to see the tremendous Auckland Castle, where he resides as Bishop.”

He added: “I knew Justin as a man who knew his own mind. He told us, when he came to Southam, that he would be here for seven years and he was here for just about that amount of time.

“I am absolutely delighted that he has become Archbishop of Canterbury because of his extraordinary range of experiences - which most Bishops don’t have - in business, finance and during his time at Coventry when he visited Africa and the Middle East to do reconciliation work.

“He once told me that he was regularly kidnapped - and once he was kidnapped twice in one day.

“He also managed to be very honest and humorous, but not soft. He will need both steeliness and humour to cope with this new role.

“I really do think he is the best man.”

●Ann Ainscow, church warden at St Michaels’ and All Angels’ church in Ufton, said: “We were privileged to share five years with Justin. He made a lasting impression on our church in Ufton.

“We had a glimpse of a very holy man with a lively sense of fun.

“He taught us that events in the world can dominate our thinking and that we can fail to see other things nearer us. He inspired us to be still and to listen to and trust in God.”

She added: “We pray for him in his challenging future. I really believe they have got the right man.”

●●The current Bishop of Coventry, the Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth, said:“It is good news for the Church of England, the world-wide Anglican Communion and for this nation that the name of the next Archbishop of Canterbury has been announced. And it is especially good news for Coventry and Warwickshire that our next Archbishop is to be Bishop Justin Welby.

“Bishop Justin is well known in the Diocese of Coventry for his dynamic ministry in two of our parishes and in the Cathedral.

“He will bring great energy and wide experience to his new ministry as Archbishop of Canterbury. His real understanding of issues facing national life in demanding economic times, his deep contacts with the church in Africa and other parts of the world and his courageous commitment to reconciliation in church, nation and world fit him well for the demanding work to which God has called him.”

“As we rejoice in his appointment, we assure Bishop Justin, his wife Caroline and their family of our prayers and we look forward to this new and exciting stage of Church of England’s life.”