Archbishop of Canterbury appoints head of media
Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury, has appointed the Mail on Sunday’s religion and education correspondent, Jonathan Petre, to the newly-created position of head of media at Lambeth Palace.
Petre has been with the Mail on Sunday for eight years and will take up his new role at the end of January.
Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury
He started his journalism career on the Catholic Herald and The Daily Telegraph, covering politics, education and the Royal Family. He was also news editor at The Sunday Telegraph, managing a team of more than 20 journalists.
In his new role at Lambeth Palace, Petre will oversee day-to-day contact with the media and provide the Archbishop with regular advice and guidance.
The Archbishop’s comms team at Lambeth, led by director of comms Ailsa Anderson, remains a total of three people.
Archbishop Welby said: “Jonathan is an experienced and seasoned journalist with a strong background in reporting religious affairs both on the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion. I am delighted he has chosen to use his obvious skills to serve the Church and we are all looking forward to working with him.”
Petre added: “I have covered religion for most of my journalistic life, and I am really looking forward to putting that experience to use in my new role at Lambeth Palace.
“I will be joining at an important and exciting time for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, and I am particularly pleased to be working for such a highly respected Archbishop. This is a tremendous opportunity for me to help communicate the vital role played by the Church both nationally and globally.”
