The Bishop of Durham, Justin Welby, has been named the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

The British government has announced the appointment, after months of deliberation by the Crown Nominations Commission. He will replace Archbishop Rowan Williams, who has been in the position for a decade.

Welby, who's 56, was an oil industry executive before entering the ministry in 1992. Bishop Welby studied at Eton and then Cambridge University. Before becoming Bishop of Durham just 12 months ago he served  as Dean of Liverpool.

The official announcement said "Justin Welby is married to Caroline and they have had six children (one of whom died in infancy)".

The Bishop is said to be have evangelical convictions and is not in favour of gay marriage. Other reports say he is a supporter of women bishops in the Church of England.

In a statement issued after the announcement, the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, said "We welcome the appointment of Bishop Welby to the ministry of Archbishop of Canterbury. It remains an important role though obviously the events of the last decade have diminished its significance in the world-wide Anglican Communion. Bishop Welby has our prayerful support." Dr Jensen said. "We look forward to him speaking with clarity from the word of God about the gospel and its impact on the issues confronting the Church in England and the West."

The Chairman of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and the GAFCON Primates Council, the Most Rev’d Dr Eliud Wabukala, welcomed the appointment saying "I believe that his appointment should give hope to all of us who long to see renewal, reform and genuine unity".

"Bishop Justin will bring to the Anglican Communion a special combination of gifts and experience. I know him as a deeply committed servant of Jesus Christ who honours the Scriptures as the Word of God and as a courageous peacemaker. I am confident that these qualities, together with his sustained involvement in business and finance, will enable him to articulate the Lordship of Christ to a watching world as well as to a Communion in continuing disorder." Archbishop Wabukala said.

"However," he continued "it would be unfair and misleading to suggest that one man can resolve the crisis which has beset the Anglican Communion in recent years."

Dr Wabukala also referred to the Primates belief, stated at the London meeting earlier this year ‘that in the future development of the Anglican Communion the chair of the Primates Meeting should be elected by the Primates themselves’. 

The GAFCON/FCA statement ended with the promise of the prayers of the global fellowship for Bishop Welby and the chairman said he eagerly looked forward to "working with the new Archbishop of Canterbury as a partner in the gospel to restore much needed conviction, confidence and unity to the deeply fractured Anglican family."