he 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.
Welcoming the guests, Archbishop Sarah said: “I am delighted to see you all here, particularly those people who are recipients of the Lambeth Awards and their families and their friends and colleagues. Sadly, some of those that have been nominated and are recipients of the awards this year are no longer with us. But I am so glad that relatives and friends are able here to receive them on their behalf.
Photo credit
Neil Turner / Lambeth Palace
“We live in a world which is not always what we wish it would be. There is much injustice. We face a climate emergency. People are starving or dying of thirst or disease, whilst the means to prevent such suffering is within our grasp. People continue to be enslaved, bought and sold, and reduced to mere units of work. It would be very easy for us to throw up our hands in despair, but I do not. I am a person of hope.
“I know that in the depths of God we have a hope, and I see that hope reflected in men and women and children throughout this world who have refused to give in to despair. People who, quite often quietly, discreetly, known only to a few, work for justice and for reconciliation, for the relief of poverty, and for the furtherance of God’s kingdom. They seek for the advancement of education for all. They seek for understanding between denominations and between those of different faith, for authenticity in worship, for lies dedicated to prayer on behalf of a broken world. For me, these awards represent an opportunity to acknowledge that valuable work and those often unseen efforts of people determined to make a difference, determined to be hope in this world.”
Photo credit
Neil Turner / Lambeth Palace
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.
Photo credit
Neil Turner / Lambeth Palace
Among the 12 winners of the Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England include 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 29-year editorship of the Church Times covered the tenures of three Archbishops of Canterbury, before his retirement in May 2024.
Photo credit
Neil Turner / Lambeth Palace
The Reverend Elizabeth Carnelley has been 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.
Photo credit
Neil Turner / Lambeth Palace
Full list of recipients:
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.