Archbishop of York  Rt Reverend Dr John Sentamu was born and brought up in Uganda where he studied law at Makerere University and later practised there. This brought him to the attention of the authorities. He was forced to move to Britain in 1974 having fallen foul of the Idi Amin regime. Here he obtained a doctorate in theology at Cambridge University and was ordained in 1979. Firstly he was vicar in London’s Tulse Hill (1983-96) and later consecrated as the Bishop of Stepney where again he was very active and vocal within the community. 
In 2002 he was appointed the eighth Bishop of Birmingham. His June 2005 appointment as Archbishop of York not only gave him a seat in the House of Lords but he's now second in command to Dr Rowan Williams the Archbishop of Canterbury and the head of the Church of England. He is without among the most powerful Black religious leaders in the world.
Described by The Guardian as energetic and charismatic, Dr John was an advisor to the Stephen Lawrence Judicial Inquiry (1997-99) and chairman of the Damilola Taylor review in 2002. Although his views on homosexuality in the church has been described as "unpleasant" Dr John has been very active in his role and is considered to be the only man who can heal the rift currently tearing the Church of England apart.

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