Love Un-Known
An Interview with Archbishop Sentamu
As Britain’s first black Archbishop, many saw John Sentamu’s enthronement in York Minster in 2005 as a turning point for the Church of England. Since then, seldom a month has passed when he hasn’t made the headlines — be it for holding a week’s fast for peace or demanding apologies for Britain’s part in the slave trade. Christis caught up with him last term, when he was delighted to answer questions for us. (Interview by Greg Melia)
Picture: Greg Melia
Sentamu: Love Un-known
Christis: What’s the best thing about your job?
Sentamu: The people. I meet different people all the time, and it’s amazingly exciting. My job has lots of different parts to it, but the people are really at the heart of everything.
…and about York?
The welcome — I received an unbelievable welcome here. People have been ever so friendly and welcoming.
You’ve experienced the church in both Uganda and in Britain. Tell us about the differences between the two.
They have vast…vast services in Uganda. There, people’s faith is what totally drives them. When you meet another Christian over there, you don’t talk about the weather, you say “Praise God!”
You definitely sound positive about Uganda. Is it all bad for the UK, though?
Oh no. In Britain right now, I’m seeing many people who are…who are having their faith renewed. In the middle of York last week, twenty two people were baptised by full immersion. That’s amazing.
What do you believe are the biggest issues facing students in Britain today?
[Firmly] Leaving univeristy with debt.
You were a protester against student fees in Uganda, weren’t you? Tell me about it.
Yes, that’s right. We petitioned the Ugandan government, and by the time I left the country, students paid no fees at all.
What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a Christian fresher starting at York Uni?
Make sure you find other Christians. Go to chapel, go to church and make some Christian friends. Then, make sure you stick with them. Otherwise, you’ll start believing that these [faith] things aren’t so important anymore, and you’ll drift away. Then, when a crisis hits, you’ll have no-one to turn to.
The University’s created a lot of controversy with its new Heslington East development. What are your views on the matter?
It’s important that they build sustainably. I hope that they keep the green spaces that are currently here in this part of York. It’s a pleasant place to be, and I hope the atmosphere of the place stays unchanged.
Finally — you’ve inherited an amazing asset in the form of York Minster. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about what’s going on there?
Yes, there’s XL/XS in the new year. Lots of young people gather for the night, and do all sorts of amazing worship. That’s in a few months, but there are big services all the time in the Minster. At the carol service this year, we had the building packed out full, and a thousand people standing outside, who couldn’t get in. Come along and see for yourself!
Thankyou
This interview was conducted in More House on June 11th, 2007