Will Adam

William Jonathan Adam is a Church of England priest. He was appointed Archdeacon of Canterbury in 2022 and had previously been the Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion and ecumenical advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Education and family

Will Adam was born in October 1969 and has two younger sisters. He was educated at Aylesbury Grammar School and studied theology and English church history at Manchester University. He then attended Westcott House, Cambridge, from where he was sent to the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Switzerland for six months in 1993. Adam later went on to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate in canon law at Cardiff Law School. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) in 2011. ^[1] His wife, Lindsay Yates, is also an Anglican priest and they have three daughters.^[2]

Career

Adam was ordained deacon in 1994 and priest in 1995 and served in parishes in the dioceses of Oxford (1994–2002), Ely (2002–2010), and London (2010–2017).^[3] While still a curate in 1996, he appeared in a television advertisement for Ford Escort cars, in which the caption stated, "Will Adam has married 14 women since he got his. . . What do you do in yours?", showing him adjusting his clerical collar.^[4] In 1998, he was a youth delegate to the World Council of Churches Assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe.^[5]

In 2017, Adam was appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury's Ecumenical Adviser at Lambeth Palace,^[6] while also holding the role of honorary assistant priest in his wife's parish at Compton, West Sussex.^[7] In 2019, he was also made director of the Department for Unity, Faith and Order in the Anglican Communion.^[6] A further role was co-secretary of the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission on Unity and Mission (ALICUM).^[5] In February 2021, he was appointed Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, based at the Anglican Communion Office (ACO) at Westbourne Park.^[6]

Change of direction

In 2020 Adam surrendered the editorship of the Ecclesiastical Law Journal because his "burgeoning oecumenical brief" meant he would have insufficient time to devote to the role. Then in February 2021 he was asked to leave Lambeth Palace, tweeting when he collected his belongings on 16 April "Saying au revoir, rather than goodbye to Lambeth Palace as I shift all my stuff out."^[8] The same month (February 2021) he was appointed Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, based at the Anglican Communion Office (ACO) adjacent to Portobello Road market.^[6]

Following the departure of the Very Reverend Jo Kelly-Moore, who was made Dean of St Albans, the post of Archdeacon of Canterbury and Residentiary Canon of Canterbury Cathedral was advertised in November 2021, with a closing date of 6 January 2022 and interviews to take place on 2 and 3 February 2022.^[9] The prospectus opened by stating that the post would receive the "Archdeacon's Stipend." The detailed Recruitment Pack (page 11) stated "The Archdeacon receives a stipend at the level recommended by the Central Stipends Authority (subject to annual decision by the Archbishop's Council)."^[10] The post therefore offered a stipend of 39,058 pounds per annum compared to Adam's previous salary of 60,000 pounds plus free housing. Accommodation would continue to be free but Adam's wife would lose her stipend. There is a laid down process for appointments in which application forms are scrutinised by a committee.^[11]^[12] In March 2022 Adam's appointment was announced. Dr Adam and Canterbury Cathedral confirmed that he had been "invited" to leave his previous position.^[4]^[13] He was installed at Canterbury during Evensong on 18 July 2022,^[14]^[15] but seconded back to the ACO for the Fifteenth Lambeth Conference between 27 July and 7 August 2022.^[2]

Disciplinary investigation

In September 2021 it was alleged under the Clergy Discipline Measure that Adam had, inter alia, abstracted Church funds. Such allegations are normally referred by the Bishop to his diocesan registrar for investigation. As his registrar was involved, the Bishop of Chichester asked an independent solicitor to prepare a report. She found that "there is no evidence what the respondent did with the money."

Bibliography

Will Adam, Legal flexibility and the mission of the Church: dispensation and economy in ecclesiastical law Farnham, Surrey, 2011. ISBN 978-1-4094-2055-2
Lindsay Yates and Will Adam, Canon law and the newly ordained, (third edition, 2011), Ministry Division of the Church of England, Church House Publishing, London.

References

^ "RHS Fellows and Members". RHS. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
^ ^a ^b Diocese of Canterbury (21 March 2022). "Will Adam named Archdeacon of Canterbury". Retrieved 19 June 2023.
^ International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (21 March 2022). "Will Adam moving to new role in Canterbury". Retrieved 19 June 2023.
^ ^a ^b Meyrick, Sarah (21 March 2022). "Dr Will Adam to leave Anglican Communion post for Canterbury archdeaconry". Church Times. London. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
^ ^a ^b Hitchen, P. (28 June 2022). "Anglican-Lutheran relations: Looking towards Lambeth". Lutheran World Federation. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d The Archbishop of Canterbury (12 February 2021). "Archbishop's ecumenical adviser takes on new Anglican Communion role". Retrieved 19 June 2023.
^ "Who's Who in the Octagon". The Octagon Parish. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
^ "Will Adam". 16 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
^ Church of England (November 2021). "Archdeacon of Canterbury". Retrieved 20 July 2023.
^ Diocese of Canterbury (November 2021). "Archdeacon of Canterbury outline role profile 2021" (PDF). Retrieved 20 July 2023.
^ House of Bishops (July 2016). "The appointment process for Archdeacons" (PDF). Retrieved 20 July 2023.
^ Church of England. "Overview of appointments process for Archdeacons" (PDF). Retrieved 21 July 2023.
^ Canterbury Cathedral (20 July 2022). "Welcome Archdeacon Will". Retrieved 21 July 2022. The Revd Dr @will__adam was installed as Archdeacon of Canterbury at Monday's Evensong. Will said: "It's a great honour to be invited to take up this role. Canterbury is a place very close to my heart - as it has been around the world for centuries."
^ Newsholme, David (July 2022). "Services and Music List" (PDF). Canterbury Cathedral (PDF). {{cite web}}: |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help); Unknown parameter |archive_date= ignored (help)
^ Canterbury Cathedral (18 July 2022). "Choral Evensong". YouTube. Retrieved 25 July 2023. (at 17:00).

External links

"Ford Escort Advert 1996". YouTube. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
Religion, law and the constitution: The Reverend Dr Will Adam Professor Javier Garcia Oliva (University of Manchester Law School) and Revd Dr Helen Hall (Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University)

[1] "RHS Fellows and Members". RHS. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.

[canterburydiocese-2] Diocese of Canterbury (21 March 2022). "Will Adam named Archdeacon of Canterbury". Retrieved 19 June 2023.

[3] International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (21 March 2022). "Will Adam moving to new role in Canterbury". Retrieved 19 June 2023.

[church_times-4] Meyrick, Sarah (21 March 2022). "Dr Will Adam to leave Anglican Communion post for Canterbury archdeaconry". Church Times. London. Retrieved 20 July 2023.

[lutheranworld-5] Hitchen, P. (28 June 2022). "Anglican-Lutheran relations: Looking towards Lambeth". Lutheran World Federation. Retrieved 19 June 2023.

[archbishopofcanterbury-6] The Archbishop of Canterbury (12 February 2021). "Archbishop's ecumenical adviser takes on new Anglican Communion role". Retrieved 19 June 2023.

[7] "Who's Who in the Octagon". The Octagon Parish. Retrieved 20 August 2022.

[8] "Will Adam". 16 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

[9] Church of England (November 2021). "Archdeacon of Canterbury". Retrieved 20 July 2023.

[10] Diocese of Canterbury (November 2021). "Archdeacon of Canterbury outline role profile 2021" (PDF). Retrieved 20 July 2023.

[11] House of Bishops (July 2016). "The appointment process for Archdeacons" (PDF). Retrieved 20 July 2023.

[12] Church of England. "Overview of appointments process for Archdeacons" (PDF). Retrieved 21 July 2023.

[13] Canterbury Cathedral (20 July 2022). "Welcome Archdeacon Will". Retrieved 21 July 2022. The Revd Dr @will__adam was installed as Archdeacon of Canterbury at Monday's Evensong. Will said: "It's a great honour to be invited to take up this role. Canterbury is a place very close to my heart - as it has been around the world for centuries."

[14] Newsholme, David (July 2022). "Services and Music List" (PDF). Canterbury Cathedral (PDF). {{cite web}}: |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help); Unknown parameter |archive_date= ignored (help)

[15] Canterbury Cathedral (18 July 2022). "Choral Evensong". YouTube. Retrieved 25 July 2023. (at 17:00).

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v t e Archdeacons of Canterbury
High Medieval	Valerius Ansketil William John Helewise Walter Roger de Pont L'Évêque Thomas Becket Geoffrey Ridel Herbert Poore Philip of Poitou Henry de Castilion Henry Sandford Simon Langton Richard de Sancto Johanne Stephen de Monte Luelli/of Vienne Hugh de Mortuo Mari William Middleton Robert of Gernemue Richard de Ferings
Late Medieval	John de Langeton Simon de Faversham Bernard Ezius de le Breto Guichard de le Breto Simon of Comminges John Bruton Raymond de Roux Hugh de Angoulême Simon de Montacute Robert de Stratford Bernard Sistre Pierre Roger Simon Islip William Cardinal de la Jugee Henry de Wakefield Aymar Roche John de Fordham William Pakington Adam Mottrum Thomas Butiller Richard Clifford Robert Hallam Angelo Cardinal Acciaioli John Wakering Henry Rumworth/Circeter William Chichele Prospero Cardinal Colonna Thomas Chichele Thomas Winterbourne John Bourgchier Hugh Peynthwyn
Early modern	William Warham Edmund Cranmer Nicholas Harpsfield Edmund Gheast Edmund Freke William Redman Charles Fotherby William Kingsley George Hall William Sancroft Samuel Parker John Battely Thomas Green Thomas Bowers Samuel Lisle Sir John Head William Backhouse John Lynch
Late modern	Houstonne Radcliffe Hugh Percy James Croft Edward Parry Rodney Eden William Walsh Leonard White-Thomson Edward Hardcastle Karl Sopwith Alexander Sargent Michael Nott Bernard Pawley John Simpson Michael Till John Pritchard Patrick Evans Sheila Watson Philip Down & Stephen Taylor, Joint Acting Jo Kelly-Moore Will Adam

v t e Diocese of Canterbury
Canterbury Cathedral The Old Palace, Canterbury Diocesan House, Canterbury
Office holders	Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury (Primate of All England) Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop suffragan of Dover (pseudo-diocesan) AEO: the Bishop suffragan of Richborough & the Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury Will Adam, Archdeacon of Canterbury Darren Miller, Archdeacon of Ashford Andrew Sewell, Archdeacon of Maidstone
Provincial episcopal visitors	Rob Munro, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet Bishop suffragan of Richborough (vacant)
Selected deaneries	Elham Deanery Romney Deanery
Historic offices	Bishop suffragan of Croydon (1904–1985; transferred to Southwark) Bishop suffragan of Maidstone (1944–2009) Archdeacon of Croydon (1930–1985; transferred to Southwark)