Archbishop of Canterbury to visit Derbyshire and Derby

Arriving at Chesterfield station, the Archbishop will be welcomed by the Bishop of Derby, Libby Lane, ahead of a full day of visits to lead prayer with people of all ages and backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of the county, city and region.

The Archbishop will visit the foodbank at Saints Augustine Church and the nearby Christian charity Hope House, a community with accommodation for previously homeless people.

He will travel onwards to a farm in Youlgreave for prayer with members of the farming community before joining families and young people for a picnic (register at Eventbrite) at Crich Tower and enjoying the views across the county.

At Ilkeston market place he will be offering prayers with local people and passers-by from outside St Thomas’s church before heading to Shelton Lock for a children’s tea party.

Finally, the Archbishop will travel into the city to lead prayers at the close of a prayer day taking place in Derby Cathedral.

Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby: “Prayer is not about what we do, but about what God does - we can pray with anyone about anything, in so many different ways. So, I look forward to joining all kinds of people - of any church or faith or no faith background, as we pray around the Diocese of Derby.

“l am excited to see the range of contexts where we shall be meeting to pray. May God bless our time together, so it opens doors to the faith and hope and love our world needs so much at this time.”

The Bishop of Derby, The Right Reverend Libby Lane: “Every day, I pray for the people of our county and city, for lives to be transformed through growing church and building community. What an encouragement it is to have Archbishop Justin come to share in that work and witness to the good news we share.

“This will be a wonderful day reflecting the rich diversity of our diocese, and offering lots of opportunities to learn to pray. Our churches seek to be a blessing to their local communities, week in and week out. We look forward to Archbishop Justin coming to pray for God’s blessing too for our city and all our towns and villages.”

The Diocese of Derby is committed to living out its vision of the Kingdom of God: good news for all. The visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury reflects the diocese’s aims to deepen relationships with God, serve local contexts, challenge injustice, and make new disciples.

Archbishop Justin Welby makes pastoral visits to several dioceses each year, giving him the chance to witness and encourage their work. This is his first visit to Derbyshire since 2016.

The Archbishop will attend a mix of public and private events on the day with the following open to all ages and backgrounds:

12.45: Crich Memorial Tower, Matlock, DE4 5GX - open invitation to picnic and prayer. Event continues but Archbishop leaves 13.30. (Register to attend at Eventbrite)

14.05: St Mary’s Church, Ilkeston, DE7 5HY - prayers with local people in the adjacent Market Place. Archbishop leaves 14.45.

16.15: Derby Cathedral, Iron Gate, Derby, DE1 3GP - joining public in prayer sessions as part of Cathedral’s ‘Day of Prayer’. Archbishop leaves 17.10.