Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams' successor chosen

The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) will begin a three day meeting on Wednesday to select the best man for the top job in the Church of England.

Dr Williams, 61, was appointed the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury in 2002.
The decision comes as a BBC poll shows general approval of his leadership.
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The selection also brings to an end a period of intense lobbying by Anglicans who believe the new archbishop will be taking over a critical time in the Church's history.

No decision has been made on whether women should be able to be ordained as bishops in the Church of the England, so the new Archbishop will be a man.

Contenders for the post include the Bishop of London Richard Chartres, the Bishop of Coventry Christopher Cocksworth, the Bishop of Norwich Graham James, the Bishop of Durham Justin Welby, and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu - the second most senior bishop in the Church.

Others already elected by the House of Bishops to sit on the CNC - effectively removing themselves from the running - include the Bishop of Carlisle, the Right Reverend James Newcome and the Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Reverend Michael Perham.

The meeting comes on a day an opinion poll done for BBC Local Radio by the pollsters ComRes - who questioned 2,500 people in England - shows most people think Dr Williams has been a good leader.
But a quarter said he has not kept the church relevant in modern Britain.
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