by Gabriella Swerling, Telegraph
Lord Williams says Church of England’s next spiritual leader should have friends outside of Church
[…] Lord Williams, who served in the post between 2003 and 2012, said: “Well, they call it Stockholm syndrome, don’t they?” he said. “You get so habituated to the environment you’re in that you fail to see where the limits are.
“So [you need] somebody who can look at it from outside, who can give you a little bit of perspective you wouldn’t otherwise have. I think it would be true for anybody in any position of responsibility or authority in an institution – just make sure that you have opportunity to get a perspective from outside.”
He described the job as “exhausting” and “isolating” as he warned that “it’s a role that does, at times, sap energy”.
He said that having friends outside of the Church, and making regular visits to parishes, were “essential to surviving in the role”.
“And by surviving, I don’t mean just being able to carry on, but being able to carry on with a bit of conviction and a bit of energy.”