Out of Africa: A Dynamo for Christ

Archbishop of York: Dr John Sentamu

10 Feb 2010

Actions are just as eloquent as words in John Sentamu’s book, which makes him something of a rarity among the chattering classes of England. As Archbishop of York – effectively right-hand man to the Archbishop of Canterbury – he has racked up a worldwide reputation for fearless politics and tough loving in the face of racial hatred. He’s a dark horse, remember. Ugandan-born and educated, the sixth of thirteen children. Hardly your usual CofE archbishop. But a radically successful ministry on the wild side of Southwark, London – particularly among youngsters at risk – distinguished him early on as a priest with extraordinary gifts of leadership and courage. Despite his unlikely background, it was just a matter of time before he broke into the house of bishops – and upset the crockery. But we’ll get to that later.

John Sentamu is not big physically. He weighed only 4 pounds at birth in 1949 and wasn’t expected to last the night, which is why he was baptised immediately. Believers would say his destiny was sealed at that point, even though he went on to study law and quickly rise to become a High Court judge in Kampala. That was back in 1974, when Idi Amin was tilting madly at the rule of law and terrorising the people of Uganda. Judge Sentamu was locked up for 90 days himself after ruling against one of the despot’s cousins, and then fled to Britain where the call to holy orders led eventually to Ridley Hall, Cambridge.

He was appointed Bishop of Stepney in 1996, and Archbishop of York in 2005. And that’s when the full fury of bigotry descended on him – in the form of letters smeared with excrement and soaked in vituperation. It also marks the time when wider Britain glimpsed the calibre of the man. Interviewed on BBC television, Dr Sentamu told how he was praying for those behind the epistles of hate. “The Gospel offers forgiveness for the past, new life for the present, and hope for the future,” he said. “This tiny minority is not going to stop me from telling people that if we become a society of friends and a society that will discover the wonderful love of God and Christ, we have a chance; a chance of leading the nation in prayer.”

Since then, Dr Sentamu has fielded many of the trickier issues facing church and nation, allowing Archbishop Rowan Williams some respite to focus on other battles across the Communion. Indeed, the relationship between the two is a model of affection and loyalty, with Dr Sentamu likening himself to Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, who offered the great prophet practical advice and support. Bishop Victoria Matthews has heard him speak on several occasions, and has been hugely impressed by his passion for Christ and his Church. “He’s an incredible showman,” she says; “he reminds us especially that the 21st century is a time when we mustn’t undervalue the good news of Jesus as a force for good in our society.”

Truth and justice are the very pillars of a decent society, in John Sentamu’s estimation. Hence his very public stand against the abuses of another African dictator, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. Appearing on UK television in 2007, Dr Sentamu took off his clerical collar and shredded it with scissors. “This is what I wear to identify myself as a clergyman,” he told millions of viewers. “Do you know what Mugabe has done? He's taken people's identity and literally cut it to pieces.... So as far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to wear a dog collar until Mugabe's gone.”

Sadly for some, Mugabe remains in office and John Sentamu remains collar-less – but for how long? Bishop Victoria is not usually a betting woman, and yet she’s willing to wager that the collar has better prospects than Robert Mugabe. “John is not one to buckle,” she says. “His whole ministry has been forged on no-compromise where right is at stake. He’s a churchman for these times.”
He’s also a husband for these times. His wife Margaret recently revealed that he’s a dab hand in the kitchen. “He does the cooking and cleaning,” she disclosed at the Lambeth launch of a book on the history of the Mothers’ Union. “His best Ugandan recipe is fish in ground-nut sauce with spinach, and his best English recipe is stuffed leg of lamb with rosemary and dauphinoise potatoes.” Someone, please remind his Kiwi hosts to serve up some New Zealand lamb. It will make his day.

WORDS: Brain Thomas